Geyserville Fire Protection District

The Geyserville Fire Protection District (GFPD) covers an area of 216 square miles in northern Sonoma County, bordering on the City of Healdsburg, the Cloverdale Fire Protection District, and various unincorporated areas under the jurisdiction of the county (see Figure ). It serves a population of approximately 5,000.

The District receives the majority of its funding from a combination of property taxes and a contract with the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians, which owns a local casino. These sources are sufficient for the District to meet current and anticipated demand.

GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS

GFPD was formed in 1996 and is empowered to provide services including fire protection, rescue, emergency medical care, and hazardous material emergency response. It is primarily a volunteer force, with a contract fire inspector, part-time administrative assistant, a fire chief who receives a small stipend, and 31 volunteers. It is governed by its own five-member Board of Directors, which meets the second Wednesday of every month. Meetings are open to the public. The District also posts a call log in the local newspaper and maintains a web site.

Property taxes comprise approximately 12 percent of the District’s total revenues. Other funding comes primarily from a contract for service with the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians, which owns the River Rock Casino. Negotiated in December 2003, the contract requires the Pomo tribe to contribute $336,000 per year toward emergency services. The Pomos also committed to providing an adequate water supply and including coverage for the fire district in their $2 million liability insurance policy. The District does not charge any special taxes or fees. Its FY 04-05 budget includes $1.4 million in operating expenditures, with reserves of around $339,000, or approximately 24 percent of operating expenditures. The District has a $3.5 million lease purchase obligation on its new station, built in 2000 in Dry Creek Valley. This lease purchase obligation will be paid back over the next 20 years.

GFPD has automatic response agreements with neighboring districts to provide more efficient coverage to high-risk areas. It does not share staff or facilities, nor does it contract with CDF.

INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES

GFPD’s ISO rating is 8 in nonhydrant areas and 6 in areas with access to water. Because the District covers such a wide area, response times can range from 4 minutes to as long as 30 minutes. The District responds to between 550 and 600 calls per year; in general, 50 to 60 percent are for medical emergencies, 20 percent are for fires, and the remaining 20 to 30 percent are vehicle accidents or miscellaneous incidents.

The District’s equipment includes five engines, one water tender, one rescue squad, one rehab trailer, and two support vehicles. GFPD has three fire stations, located in Geyserville, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. Rebuilding of the main Geyserville station will begin in late 2004. Funding for the new construction has been secured through a lease purchase agreement. The District purchased a new fire engine this year; no additional new acquisitions are anticipated for the next five years. The District states that current revenue sources are adequate to cover necessary equipment upgrades.

The District believes that general improvements to local infrastructure, such as better water mains or roads, will also contribute to the District’s overall cost and management efficiency.

FIRE PROTECTION DEMAND AND CAPACITY

The District does not anticipate any major growth beyond the current rate of 1 to 2 percent per year. According to Sonoma County PRMD projections, the population of the rural northeast area (i.e., the unincorporated area outside the Cloverdale USA) is expected to grow by 1,561 between 2000 and 2020, an annual increase of 1.37 percent. Growth in the unincorporated area outside Healdsburg is anticipated to be somewhat less, increasing from 6,799 in 2000 to 8,000 in 2020, an average of 0.88 percent annually.

The arrival of the new River Rock Casino in 2002 led to increased call volume for GFPD. Because the tribe that runs the casino is exempt from paying property taxes, GFPD negotiated a revenue-sharing deal with the Pomo tribe. At present, the arrangement has allayed the District’s fears regarding its capacity to meet increasing demand for services in the short term. There is a possibility that the casino may eventually provide its own fire protection, but this is unlikely to happen in the near term.

The District hopes to develop a Master Plan in the near future, which will help it to plan for any future growth.

The demand from one fire department to another varies significantly. The table below provides a snap shot on the calls for service for the department.

Emergency Incident Activity
Structure Fire Res. / Structure Fire Com. / Medical Aid / Vehicle Accident / Vehicle Fire / Vehicle Accident: Extrication / Outside: Trash, Dumpster / Wildland / Auto Fire Alarm / Other / Total
2009
2010
2011
Total
% / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / %
Cumulative Total
% / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / % / %

Figure:Geyserville Fire Protection District Sphere of Influence

DETERMINATIONS – Draft 2013

Growth and population projections for the affected area

According to Sonoma County projections, the population of the County’s rural northeast area will increase at an annual rate of about 0.79 percent between 2000 and 2020, while the unincorporated areas around Healdsburg will grow at about the same each year. No major growth is anticipated within the District.

The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence

In Sonoma County the State Department of Water Resources and Sonoma LAFCO has designated, Boyes Hot Springs, Cazadero, Glen Ellen, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Temelec and Valley Ford as “disadvantaged unincorporated communities”.

None of the “disadvantaged unincorporated communities” are located in the district.

Present and planned capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services, including infrastructure needs or deficiencies

Geyserville Fire Protection District recently replaced an engine and will soon begin construction of a new fire station. These improvements will serve the District’s facilities and equipment needs for at least the next five years; the District states that current revenues are adequate to cover necessary equipment upgrades.

Financial ability of agencies to provide services

Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities

GFPD has automatic aid agreements with neighboring districts. No additional opportunities for shared facilities have been identified or considered.

Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies

The District’s Board of Directors meets the second Wednesday of each month at Fire Station #1. Meetings are open to the public. Call logs are posted in the local newspaper, and the District maintains a website.

Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by commission policy

None