Day 14, March 26, 2009

Santa Rosa had a working fire in a duplex around 0600 hours this morning at 3450 San ____ Drive. SRFD Engines 2 and 8 were added as the working fire companies and I heard Rohnert Park dispatched an engine to cover SRFD stations. The I/C reported heavy fire on the first floor with extension to the second floor. Santa Rosa currently has 10 stations with an 11th under construction and a 12th planned. They operated nine engines and two ladder trucks the last time I was here- probably at least 11 and 2 by now.

It was just reported on the local news here that the Vallejo Fire Department (in Solano County), which closed two of its eight fire stations last year, may be forced to close three of the remaining six fire stations due to budget shortfalls. I shot the Vallejo FD about 10 years ago. It is a pretty rough area (similar to Richmond) and they were very busy back then with a fair amount of fires. I can’t imagine them operating with only three stations.

I spent a relaxing morning at my brother’s home working on the new maps I purchased for San Jose, San Mateo County, San Francisco and Sonoma County. I also went by the Cloverdale FD this morning and got photos of a couple of their rigs that were outside. They had two firefighters on duty (and the fire chief) with CDF firefighters at their Station 2. They have a huge new station (across and just down the street from my brother) under construction that will open in the fall.

This afternoon, my brother Ron and I drove down to Windsor (25 miles south) where he does the catering for the Agatha Furth Center. It is a very nice rental center that can hold 450 people in its main hall and also has a number of rooms to rent out. It is run by a catholic church and honors Agatha Furth, a loyal church member whose family runs one of the wineries in the area and donated the building in her honor. The kitchen is one of the nicest I have ever seen. It is just huge.

We had lunch, did a little shopping, then, while Ron was at work doing some baking for an upcoming event, I visited Windsor Station 1. Windsor has two stations, one east of downtown and one west. Station 1 (east)was built about 10 years ago and the Volunteer Station (west) was built 30 years ago. There are only two firefighters on duty at each station during the day. At night the two firefighters at the west station move to the east station (1) for the night, as there are no sleeping quarters at the volunteer station. I got photos (some inside) of all the rigs at Station 1.

Departments in this area must depend on each other for auto-aid as the manpower is so low in most of the departments. They use a four digit numbering system in Sonoma County. The first two digits are the station number, the third digit is the rig type, and the fourth is how many of that type they have. I hate numbering systems, but it must work for them. Rig types that I remember are (3) for an ambulance, (4) for a brush truck, (5) for a ladder truck, (6 & 7) for a Type II pumper, (8 & 9) for a Type III pumper and I assume, (1 & 2) are for chiefs.

Tomorrow morning I’m going down to Santa Rosa to do a little buffing while my brother goes into work. It wasgorgeous here today, 74 and sunny.