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Fire Department

About Us
The Ross Fire Department has a long and rich tradition of providing fire protection to the Town of Ross and dates back to 1910 when it began as an all volunteer force that relied entirely on community participation. Today, the Ross Fire Department is a well trained organization staffed by six professional firefighters and three apprentice firefighters who operate modern trucks and equipment. There are three firefighters always on-duty to respond to all types of emergencies. We provide fire protection for 1.6 square miles and serve a population of 2,350 residents. Our calls for service average 375 per year and involve everything from fires and medical emergencies to gas leaks and fallen trees.

Fire safety education is an important part of our service and includes home and business inspections, vegetation management, access and clearance issues and home construction/ remodel plan checks. Community education is ongoing and includes group CPR instruction, flood and wildfire education, a yearly Disaster Awareness Fair and Get Ready community preparedness training. Wildland Fire Safety is an important part of our prevention in Ross where many homes exist in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Zone. The area where residential neighborhoods meet undeveloped lands has a significantly greater risk of fire. Vegetation management and fire-safe construction standards, along with greater emphasis on fire equipment access and improved water supply are necessary components of our WUI safety concept. Property owners living on large or hillside parcels are encouraged to remove or reduce flammable vegetation such as dry grass, dead trees and certain flammable species of plants. Visit FIRESafe Marin for complete information.

We are a proud partner in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program and have joined with the Ross Valley Fire Department, Kentfield Fire Protection District, Larkspur Fire Department and the Corte Madera Fire Department to provide CERT classes for all Ross Valley residents. Click here to visit our community preparedness page with class offerings and disaster information

Firefighters in Ross continually train with their counterparts in the neighboring agencies and attend advanced training throughout the bay area. RFD provides mutual aid both locally and regionally. In October 1991 we assisted in fighting the Oakland Hills fire and in October 2007, we joined with other firefighters from Marin as part of a mutual aid team to battle wildfires in Southern California. Locally, we respond to assist agencies in central Marin several times a year for a variety of emergencies.

In addition to the fire equipment owned by the Town of Ross, a paramedic ambulance managed by the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority is also quartered at Station 18. The paramedics that staff this ambulance provide twenty-four hour expert emergency medical care to the residents of Ross and the neighboring communities. Click here to visit the RVPA.

Our professional staff at RFD uses state-of-the-art equipment including thermal imaging devices to allow firefighters to see through smoke and in darkness, on-board computers in the fire engines to allow for quick information transfer and mapping with GPS capabilities, automatic external defibrillators for heart attack victims, and a host of modern medical equipment. Our new fire engine purchase in 2006 gave us new capabilities with a rear-wheel steering to reach many areas in town quicker than before, and an automatic foam system for efficient fire suppression.

Our Apprentice Firefighter Program expands our daily staffing compliment and allows for entry-level firefighters to gain valuable experience in the field. One apprentice is assigned to each of the three work shifts. The program is eighteen months long and includes an hourly wage along with full benefits. Seasonal and Volunteer firefighters with at least one year experience should check this site for announcements of Apprentice Firefighter opportunities.

To schedule fire inspections, Knox Box applications or discuss plan checks, contact our Fire Marshal (Captain Tom Vallee) at 453-1453 ext 157.

For information on community preparedness, see http://www.townofross.org/director-of-public-safety/community-preparedness/.