San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Fire Department is planning to have its 46-year-old Tomales Fire Station rebuilt from the ground up. The renovation project, orchestrated by Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW), will provide a modern station to help keep West Marin safe for many years to come. An informational public workshop about the project is set for 6 p.m., June 6, at Tomales Fire Station, 599 Dillon Beach Road, Tomales.
The Tomales Fire Station was built in 1971 for a one-engine, one-person 'company.' The station was constructed in 1971, 30 years after Marin County’s fire department was formed, and originally was designed to provide living quarters for a single-person, single-engine company. Today three fire engines operate out of the two-bay facility, water search and rescue operations and equipment is deployed from the station, and during fire season, a six-person crew provides wildland fire protection to the greater area under contract with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL Fire. The station serves Tomales, Dillon Beach, Marshall, and Chileno Valley and provides mutual aid to the communities of Bodega Bay, Two Rock, Valley Ford, and the U.S. Coast Guard. This constitutes the largest service area of any Marin County Fire Department station and also happens to be the only one that supports a local volunteer fire company.
A Fire Facilities Vision Plan, conducted in 2010, assessed Marin County’s fire stations and determined that the Tomales station does not meet modern essential services requirements, including seismic codes. The modernizations require a redesign and rebuild of the entire facility. The Marin County Board of Supervisors started setting aside reserve funds after the 2010 study to implement the long-term vision.
“Tomales Fire Station has served West Marin commendably for decades and it’s time for these much-needed upgrades,” said Marin County District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents West Marin. “This is a big step in providing our rural communities with the emergency services and facilities they need.”
Patrick Zuroske, DPW Capital Projects Division Manager, said the station renovation “is a significant undertaking, but the result will be a prime example of a modern fire service facility integrated into the unique environment of West Marin.”
DPW has contracted with Ross Drulis Cusenbery Architecture, Inc., for $581,732 for design and engineering services for the new station. The project objective is to design a highly efficient facility that will bring the fire station up to today’s standard for an essential services building, including maximum seismic strength. It is anticipated that the building will double in size from the current 4,181 square feet and will maximize the utility of the surrounding grounds. The project is still in the early design phase, and the June 6 informational workshop will provide residents an opportunity to review site restraints and assist in the design process.
The project will undergo an environmental review this fall in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. Following that process, DPW anticipates that construction will start in early summer 2018. During the estimated year-long construction, the fire safety services will remain fully functional and operate out of a temporary facility. The location of that facility has yet to be determined.