Badge Pinning

On July 16, 2026 the District held a badge pinning ceremony honoring Firefighters Lance Li, JW Reynoso, Blake Olson, and Connor Nielsen. (Firefighters Arcangel Martinez-Villegas and Jordan Argue were unable to attend the ceremony because they were at the Santa Rosa Junior College Fire Academy.) Family, friends, coworkers, and Board Members were on hand to witness the event.

The ceremony opened with bagpipes followed by a color guard from Cloverdale Fire Protection District. Firefighters took the oath of office after being pinned by family members. These six firefighters have been working hard over the past year to complete the required training while working shifts to gain experience. During this ceremony they were recognized for coming off Trainee status to the rank of Firefighter.

Li, Reynoso, Olson, Nielsen, Martinez-Villegas, and Argue all joined the District as volunteers. Volunteer firefighters still play a vital role in our ranks. They provide additional staffing in times of need and supplement paid staff in daily activities. Volunteers are held to the same standards as paid staff but are not paid for their service. This District is proud to have been served by volunteer firefighters for over 100 years and continues to honor all past and present volunteers.

Water Tender 6192

The District maintains and replaces apparatus to maintain its response strength and reliability. In an effort to update our apparatus and retire surplus apparatus, we will soon be decommissioning “Water Tender 6192.” 

Water Tender 6192 was manufactured in 1984 and donated by the Gauer Family in 1991. It is a specialized apparatus that can carry over 3,000 gallons of water to help with extinguishing fires. The amount of water it carries requires specialized training to navigate steep terrain and narrow roads. 6192 was primarily stationed in Alexander Valley and operated by Gene Saini and Dick Dilworth for many years. More recently, Chris Munsell has been its primary operator. It has responded to most of our largest fires, including the 2004 Geysers Fire, 2017 Tubbs Fire, and 2019 Kincade Fire.

6192 will be listed for sale soon on GovDeals. If you are interested in owning this piece of history, visit Surplus Equipment & Apparatus on our website. To be notified when 6192 and other surplus items are for sale, click "Join our mailing list" in the bottom right corner of our homepage. Follow the prompt to enter your email address, check the box next to Surplus Equipment & Apparatus For Sale, and click the Sign Up button. 

2026 Vegetation Fires

The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District responded to thirteen (13) vegetation fires between January 1 and June 30.

• January & February:  No vegetation fires
• March:  Three fires caused by burn piles
• April:  Six fires caused by burn piles
• May:  No vegetation fires
• June:  Two fires, one caused by a UTV driven in dry grass and the other fire still under investigation

District Welcomes New Defensible Space Inspector

The District is excited to introduce our new Defensible Space Inspector, Thuy Pham. The Defensible Space Inspector is a new position fully dedicated to conducting in-person property assessments that focus on wildfire hazards such as overgrown vegetation, flammable materials near structures. This position demonstrates our agency's commitment to wildfire preparedness.

Homes with proper defensible space have a significantly higher chance of surviving a wildfire. Just as importantly, defensible space allows firefighters to safely access and defend your property during an emergency. If you requested a defensible space inspection earlier this summer but have not heard back from us, please resubmit your request through our website: Defensible Space Inspections.

Notice of Election and Notice of Offices to be Filled

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform District Election Law of the State of California, that a general district election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in the following districts located either wholly or partially in Sonoma County, and that candidates may be voted upon at said election. NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that, in accordance with the Uniform District Election Law of the State of California, candidates may be nominated for the following offices:

For more information about the election, visit Election Procedures and Filing Deadlines.