Why is Sebastopol Considering Reorganizing its Fire Department with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District?
Why is Sebastopol Considering Reorganizing its Fire Department with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District?
March 24, 2025
Sebastopol is pursuing a reorganization with Gold Ridge to provide better fire protection and emergency response while managing costs. Rising calls for emergency services – up 16% since 2019 – have stretched the Sebastopol department’s volunteer model. The reorganization is designed to deliver substantially improved services.
The time it takes for firefighters to respond to emergencies is crucial, and the increased demand on our local volunteer force has seen response times take as much as a minute longer in recent years. The reorganization leverages Gold Ridge’s larger scale to provide better coverage, faster response times, and more backup crews when needed.
Gold Ridge has more firefighters, trucks and equipment, which means they can respond to emergencies faster and have backup crews ready when needed. Previous reorganizations in Sonoma County have demonstrated Gold Ridge can lower response times, meaning residents in crisis get help faster.
The reorganization will also allow for additional resources to anticipate needs in the City, and plan for threats such as wildfires and other natural disasters. It will require extending Gold Ridge’s existing parcel taxes to properties in Sebastopol. These taxes will total approximately $265 per year for a typical single-family home and could vary based on the number of structures on the property. See Question re How Will Gold Ridge Services be Funded?
