Ross Valley Fire Service, San Anselmo, California
What They Bought With the Grant:
· Live fire burn trailer
How the Grant Helped Has Helped:
The Ross Valley Fire Department in Marin County provides firefighting and emergency medical services to the approximately 22,000 residents living in the towns of Fairfax, San Anselmo, and Sleepy Hollow. Ross Valley is a Joint Powers Authority between the towns and responds to approximately 2,000 calls per year, including a large number of medical emergency calls.
Ross Valley Fire Service’s 2002 AFG Program grant
purchased this live fire burn trailer for training firefighters.
In 2002, Ross Valley received an AFG Program grant to purchase a live fire burn trailer to train firefighters. The trailer gives firefighters the opportunity to train in realistic live fire conditions, something that would be very difficult to do otherwise. “Our first full year of operation was a great success,” says Battalion Chief Roger Meagor. He estimates that more than 500 firefighters have been trained in the unit, including the Department’s 41 members, both paid and volunteer, new recruits and veterans, and firefighters from 10 different Marin County fire departments
| A firefighter trainee’s view from inside Ross Valley’s live burn trailer. | Another view from inside the live burn trailer. |
The trailer also has been used for training outside of Marin County at programs such as the Santa Rosa Fire Academy (25 students) and California Fire Explorer Academy (160 Explorers). In February 2004, the trailer was taken to the Firehouse World Exposition and Conference in San Diego, where more than 150 firefighters received training.