A Casino, a Tribe and a Fire District: Unlikely but Auspicious Trio

In a unique inter-governmental pact, firefighters and officials from a Sonoma County casino, a tribal reservation and a large municipal fire district are joining forces for the common goal of public safety and fire protection.

Taking part in the agreement are the and the Geyserville Fire Protection District, which oversees what is thought to be the largest geographical fire protection area in Sonoma County.

Geyserville, the Rancheria and the casino are located about about seven miles north of Healdsburg. The fire district stretches north to Asti and west almost to the Sonoma Coast.

“Developing a partnership between a tribe and a neighboring district is a model that’s never been done before in California,” said Harvey Hopkins, chair of the board of directors of the Dry Creek Rancheria, at ribbon-cutting ceremonies Monday for a new Dry Creek Rancheria fire station.

“I want to thank the Hopkins added. "The new Dry Creek Rancheria fire station means more protection for the rancheria, for our visitors, for our neighbors, and for everyone in the area.”

With the new inter-governmental pact, Dry Creek Rancheria firefighters will be allowed to fight fires off the reservation, while Geyserville firefighters will continue to receive the $28,000 monthly payments that they were given under their former Rancheria fire protection contract, which expires at the end of the year.

"I think it's a win-win situation for both the fire district and the Rancheria," said Harry Bosworth, president of the Geyserville Fire Protection District board of directors.

"They wanted their own fire district, but if it was strictly an Indian fire district, they would be restricted to Indian lands," Bosworth said. "They have a couple properties that are not on Indian lands, and if those burned, they couldn't go onto those properties."

Both groups of firefighters will be able to use the new satellite Dry Creek Rancheria Fire Station, which will be installed -- at the tribe's expense -- on reservation land near the casino in November. The 2,800-square-feet prefab metal unit will hold three engines, and will have living quarters in an adjacent 75-foot trailer.

Currently, the new station has temporary quarters inside the Dry Creek Rancheria board offices, just downhill from the casino off Route 128.

“We will be working together as a collaborative team while maintaining two distinct fire departments,” said Robert Nelson, Fire Chief for the Dry Creek Rancheria Fire Department.

“This is a true collaboration," Nelson added. "Our fire department’s uniforms will have a Dry Creek patch on the right shoulder and a Geyserville patch on the  left, and the engines will have both seals on their doors.”

Bosworth said the Rancheria satellite station will be Number 4 for Geyserville, which has its main new $4 million headquarters station in the downtown area (Number 1), with satellite station Number 2 in Alexander Valley and Station Number 3 in the Dry Creek Valley.

“I want to welcome Fire Department Number 67 to the area, and look forward to an excellent working relationship with the new department,” Bosworth added. “At a time when fire departments throughout California are threatened with closure due to budget problems, it is wonderful to see a new fire station in Sonoma County."

Bosworth said the two groups will work together to get the optimum and most effective use of their collective fleet of new and old fire engines.

"They are part of us, and we are part of them," Bosworth said.

The new Dry Creek Rancheria fire station is part of Sonoma County’s REDCOM system that dispatches fire and emergency service units throughout the area. Its engines can assist other agencies as well as respond quickly to any emergency on the Rancheria.

 “The Tribe has taken a more proactive approach in their efforts to maintain an optimum level of fire and medical emergency needs of the Rancheria and surrounding community," Geyserville Fire Chief Paul Pigoni said. "Their focus was on meeting the safety needs of all sides while maintaining a cost-effective and efficient approach.”

The Dry Creek Rancheria fire station will be staffed by at least two firefighters 24/7, plus other volunteers. Ten volunteer firefighters graduated from the department’s first training class in September, including six tribal members, one spouse of a member, and three employees of the tribe.

They and other trained volunteers from around the area will help staff the fire station. The department’s next training class is expected to start at the beginning of 2013.

According to staff at Monday's ceremonies, the combined partnership includes 57 paid and volunteer firefighters, paramedics and other staff.

This is the second major step announced this year by the Dry Creek tribe and the casino to enhance emergency response in North Sonoma County.

In July, the tibe and River Rock said they were

 "Our fuel bills are down and the mileage is up," said Pamela Bell Simmons, present and co-owner of Bell's Ambulance at Monday's ceremonies, when asked how she was enjoying the new vehicle. "Everyone likes it -- they can stand up inside.

"It's wonderful," she added. "It's quite the blessing, in more ways than one."

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