The Marin County Fire Department has provided Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to the citizens of Marin since 1965 when a Cadillac ambulance was placed in service at the Point Reyes Station.
From the waterfront at Marin City to the ranches of Hicks Valley, MCFD provides the highest level of structural fire protection. With the 1250 gpm pumpers, enhanced water supply systems, and the ongoing training, damage from structure fires are minimized. If an area is known to have a deficient water supply, water tenders are dispatched to the emergency scene. Mutual aid is received and provided by the closest resource with no regard to agency. Petaluma, Sausalito, Ross Valley and Novato are some of the agencies with mutual aid agreements.
As history has taught us, Marin County has the potential for a major wildland fire. In 1929, Mill Valley suffered a devastating fire that destroyed 119 homes. Today, that figure would be approximately 800-1000 homes within the footprint of the 1929 fire. The factors that add up to disaster for an urban-interface fire are all present within Marin. Steep slopes, heavy vegetation, narrow roads only lack hot-dry weather and an ignition source for another Oakland Hills Fire.
The county's reputation as an excellent wildland fire resource has spread beyond the confines of the county. The department regularly dispatches five engines with a leader, called a strike team, to several fires throughout the state. The department also employs experts in specific command functions that respond to fires as part of the California Interagency Incident Management Teams. These teams are dispatched when fires overwhelm the local jurisdiction. With experts in operations, finance, logistics, and planning, the team plans, organizes, leads and directs thousands of firefighters in order to suppress a fire.
MCFD Headquarters
33 Castle Rock Road
P. O. Box 518-mailing
Woodacre, CA 94973
(415) 499-6717
Additional Stations
Marin City - 850 Drake Avenue
Point Reyes - 401 "B" Street
Hicks Valley - 7330 Red Hill Road
Tomales - 599 Dillon Beach Road
Throckmorton - 816 Panoramic Highway
Marin County Fire | |
Monday, September 6, 2010
