Fire agency mergers mulled across Sonoma County

Sonoma County, with more than 40 firefighting agencies and chronically underfunded fire service, may consolidate some districts while it seeks new ways to help other districts share resources.

Possible changes include a new North Coast fire district; a single fire chief overseeing two Petaluma-area districts; another chief-sharing plan involving Glen Ellen and Sonoma Valley; and consolidations of fire agencies in the Geyserville, Russian River Valley and Bodega Bay areas.

The decisions are being hammered out in conversations among fire officials, city councils, the Board of Supervisors and other officials. Fire chiefs have told supervisors that countywide, the agencies need another $9 million to eliminate funding deficits, maintain equipment and station needs, and recruit and retain volunteers.

In one of the most-watched proposals, Petaluma Fire Chief Leonard Thompson is poised to become chief of Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District.

The one-year trial, expected to receive Petaluma City Council approval Feb. 6, calls for Thompson to run both agencies and improve training, response and costs. Rancho Adobe fire officials approached Petaluma with the idea late last year, when firefighting veteran and longtime Chief Frank Treanor neared retirement. The idea resonated with Petaluma fire.

“This will give us an opportunity to be more efficient and utilize our resources in a much better way,” Thompson said of the proposal.

“I think both communities are really going to benefit from this.”

Rancho Adobe provides firefighting service to Cotati, Penngrove and Petaluma’s Liberty Valley, sharing miles of boundary lines with the city. While the two agencies would retain separate labor agreements and equipment, Thompson would run them as one agency, overseeing six fire houses.

“It makes complete sense, said Petaluma fire Battalion Chief Jeff Holden.

“We drill together. We train together. There is a lot of shared stuff already. This will just make it a little easier.”

Both Petaluma Mayor David Glass and south county Supervisor David Rabbitt support the idea. Rabbitt is on a supervisors’ ad hoc committee working with county fire agencies.”

The Petaluma-Rancho Adobe move lines up with recent direction from the Board of Supervisors that they want to see more partnerships among fire agencies, which received a $2.1 allocation last year. Supervisors have acknowledged the county historically has underfunded fire services.

In Sonoma Valley, fire officials from Glen Ellen and Sonoma Valley fire districts are discussing sharing a chief as well as a plan for Glen Ellen firefighting to be covered by contract with Sonoma Valley.

Talks include having Sonoma Valley put two firefighters - one a paramedic - on duty at the Glen Ellen station around-the-clock.

Glen Ellen fire currently doesn’t staff the station at night.

Challenges would include keeping Glen Ellen’s volunteers involved.

Another significant change has been the formation of a new county fire district: North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection District. It is made up of the former Sea Ranch and Annapolis volunteer fire companies.

Officials from both companies worked for years to change to an independent district, rather than continuing under the umbrella of the Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department.

In the north county, Geyserville and Cloverdale fire districts, Knights Valley volunteer fire company and the Dry Creek Rancheria fire department have pushed in recent years to consolidate fire agencies in their end of the county.

The effort has stalled in part from financial negotiations with the county over who would get the $600,000 or so annual tax money from The Geysers, property in the Geyserville fire jurisdiction. That money currently is used to help fund the county’s scattered dozen or so volunteer companies.

On the Sonoma coast, Bodega Bay fire officials have been seeking interest from neighboring agencies to consolidate. Talks haven’t gained traction, mainly due to Bodega Bay’s serious financial issues and high property tax costs.

Russian River and Monte Rio fire districts are talking about making an official agreement to share training, administrative and purchasing needs, said Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman. The fire districts also have received a $17,000 county grant to look into consolidation.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.