Fire Protection Partnerships
A Deliberate Model
SHFPD has never fielded a single firefighter or fire truck of its own. Since 1949, the District’s job has been to secure fire protection through a succession of partnerships — a deliberate model, not a stopgap. It’s let a small community access big-agency resources without running its own department.
Three Chapters of Partnership
From 1949 to 1956, the Marin County Fire Department, headquartered in Woodacre, was first in. In 1956, SHFPD signed on with the Town of San Anselmo, whose fire department carried the District for the next 26 years — including the contract dispute covered on the Formation & Early Years page. In 1982, San Anselmo and Fairfax merged their departments into the Ross Valley Fire Department, a joint powers authority, and SHFPD came along for the ride.
A Growing Voice
SHFPD’s seat within RVFD started small — a single non-voting seat in 1982 — and grew. By 2010, the District held two full voting seats and a real say in how the region’s fire service is run. Ross joined RVFD in 2012, rounding out the partnership that protects Sleepy Hollow today. Now operating from three stations, RVFD is the direct result of 75 years of the District choosing partnership over ownership — and steadily building more influence within it.