Mission Statement

The Salinas Rural Fire Protection District will provide excellent and fiscally responsible services to protect lives, property and the environment through efficient response, prevention and education.

The Salinas Rural Fire District

The Salinas Rural Fire Protection District was formed in 1934 on a vote of 87 citizens in favor and 42 opposed. The original boundaries surrounded the City of Salinas and ran down River Road to Pine Canyon. Over the years, annexations into the District have increased its service area to approximately 250 square miles with a population of about 30,000 residents. A five-member Board of Directors governs the Fire District. The Board of Supervisors appoints our directors. The District operates as an independent governmental entity under the California Health and Safety Code, Section 13800.

The Administrative office is located at 19900 Portola Drive in the Toro Park area. The Fire Chief, the Division Chief of Safety & Training, the Division Chief of Fire Prevention (Fire Marshal), the Deputy Fire Marshal, our Administrative Officer, Administrative Assistant, and part-time Bookkeeper are located there.

The Fire District staffs three fire stations; one is located in the Toro Park area, one at Highway 68 and Laureles Grade, and the other in the community of Chualar. The 36 full-time employees are supported by 15 volunteer firefighters.

The Toro Station, Station 1, is located at 19900 Portola Drive in the Toro Park area, the Chualar Station, Station 2, is located at the corner of Jackson and Washington Streets in the community of Chualar and the Laureles Station, Station 3, is located at the intersection of Highway 68 and Laureles Grade Road.

Each station houses a fire engine designed to fight structure fires and another designed to fight wildland fires. In addition, a water tender (tanker) and reserve structure engine are housed at the Toro Station. The Chualar Station also houses a reserve structure and wildland engine and a State of California Office of Emergency Services Engine that has been assigned to the District. The Laureles Station also houses a Breathing Support unit used to refill firefighting breathing apparatus air cylinders.

Since the early 1980's, the Salinas Rural Fire District has contracted with the City of Salinas to provide fire and emergency medical services to approximately 35 square miles of the northern corner of the district. The communities of Bolsa Knolls and Boronda and the area along Old Stage Road to and including Williams Road are included in the "Contract Area."

Salinas Rural Fire responds to structure, wildland, vehicle, and other types of fires that occur in the District. Public service calls, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents and hazardous material responses are also part of the jobs we do. In 2006, we responded to over 1,480 incidents.
All of our engines carry a full complement of medical and rescue equipment. This equipment includes the "Jaws of Life" and a semi-automatic defibrillator, which is used to attempt to shock the heart back into a proper beating rhythm. All our personnel are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and are able to perform an advanced airway management procedure using a device called the Combi-tube. In addition starting in January 2007 some of our engines are staffed with Paramedics who can proved advanced medical skills such as IV’s, airway management, and medication administration.

The Salinas Rural Fire District is part of the Monterey County Fire Service Mutual Aid system, and we provide and receive assistance when emergency situations cannot be handled by our resources. For example, our normal response to a structure fire includes the two closest on-duty engines, a chief officer and (2) water tenders. Off-duty personnel and/or volunteers also respond. If help from our neighboring departments is needed, fire engines from agencies closest to the incident will be dispatched.

We operate by Standard Operating Procedures and Emergency Operations Plans. For example, we worked with the Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, County Parks, the Emergency Medical Services Agency, County Office of Emergency Services and SCRAMP in formalizing an Emergency Operations Plan for the Laguna Seca Recreation Area. That plan formalizes in writing, what these agencies will do in terms of covering major events at Laguna Seca from an emergency service standpoint.

During a race event, Salinas Rural utilizes off-duty and volunteer firefighters to staff a reserve engine and one or two wildland engines during an event. In essence, we open up a fourth station for that event so we can maintain the Toro and Laureles crews in their stations available for the normal responses they would have to handle. The event sponsor pays for the personnel and equipment assigned to the event.