OPERATIONS

24hr coverage

Operations:

The District staffs Fire Station One (3410 Shoreline Highway) daily round the clock with two paid personnel. These individuals are capable of incident management, apparatus operation, firefighting and rescue operations and BLS emergency medical services. 

Firefighting

Career Firefighting

All paid SBFPD firefighting staff hold at minimum Office of the State Fire Marshal Firefighter I level certificates, or equivalent. Many employees hold additional Firefighting and or Fire Officer level certifications. The combination of this education, prior firefighting experience, as well as daily trainings keep our paid staff prepared for fire emergencies both in Stinson Beach and beyond our borders.

Volunteer Firefighting:

The Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Department has a rich history of residents coming together to protect their community. The Stinson Beach Fire Protection District prides itself on keeping that volunteer spirit alive and thriving, allowing the community members of Stinson Beach the opportunity to serve their community as emergency responders. Currently, SBFPD has 20 dedicated volunteers, each specializing in various skillsets. Volunteers train three times a month on Structural and Vegetation Fire Suppression and many other elements described in the below sections. Volunteers are essential supplementation to paid staff on every incident and provide their skill sets, dedicated work ethic, and local knowledge to every emergency call, no matter the size.

EMS

Emergency Medical Services:

EMS calls make up approximately 78% of SBFPD's yearly call volume. Each paid employee is a California State Certified EMT. In addition to the paid staff, the SBFPD is one of the only districts in the state to have a volunteer ambulance program. Initially established in 1938, the Stinson Beach Ambulance Corps has been providing emergency medical treatment to residents and visitors in a volunteer capacity. We have nine dedicated volunteer EMTs serving alongside the paid staff. Our ambulance, A91, responds to critical calls and is an essential tool for the District as additional resources are located a minimum of 25 minutes away. Marin County Fire Department (MCFD) provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) coverage to the District. In the winter months, MCFD Paramedics respond from Throckmorton Ridge, Point Reyes Station and/or Woodacre. In times of high call volume, ALS transport units from Southern Marin Fire Protection District or private ambulance companies may be dispatched depending on proximity and availability. During the summer months and periods of high visitation, a part-time ALS ambulance (Medic 97) is staffed during the day by Marin County Fire Department to serve the areas of Stinson Beach, Bolinas, and Mount Tamalpias State Park. SBFPD also works closely with local air ambulance and rescue helicopter agencies to provide air medical transport to critical patients. 

Rescue

Trail and Rope Rescue 

The public landscape in and around the District's service area provides beautiful vistas, hiking trails, and recreational activities—It also accounts for a high level of technical emergencies. Volunteers and district staff are well versed in rescue operations ranging from cliffside rope rescues to trail carry-outs. These calls diversify the meaning of firefighter and allow volunteers and paid staff the opportunity to learn skills not typically found in an average fire department. 

Vehicle Extrication 

Our beautiful geography and windy cliffside roads, unfortunately, account for a high percentage of vehicle accidents. Volunteers and district staff regularly train and respond to incidents requiring vehicle stabilization, emergency extrication, and traffic management.

Water Rescue

We are a beach community and we take pride in our water rescue program. Many of our volunteers are local surfers, fishermen, and former lifeguards. Over the last several years, this program has developed into an industry-standard rescue team of rescue swimmers and rescue watercraft (RWC) operators. Led by Assistant Fire Chief Toby Bisson, the water rescue team responds to water related emergencies via tube and fin, paddleboard, or RWC.

Neighboring Agencies 

While we pride ourselves on the ability to handle most emergencies, we are grateful for the support from our neighboring agencies. The size of the list below alone shows how close we work with and how much we rely on our partner agencies.

  • Marin County Fire Department

  • Bolinas Fire Protection District

  • Seadrift Security

  • Stinson Beach County Water District

  • National Park Service GGNRA Rangers & Lifeguards

  • CA State Park Rangers

  • Southern Marin Fire Protection District

  • Marin County Sheriff's Office Deputies

  • Marin County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services

  • Marin County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team

  • Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority

  • California Highway Patrol

  • CHP Golden Gate Air Operations Helicopters H30 & H32

  • Sonoma County Sheriff's Helicopter Henry 1

  • REACH/CALSTAR

  • Con Air

  • CAL Fire Air Program

  • Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department

  • US Coast Guard

  • Local Tow Services

  • Plus many more!