Founded in 1874, the San Rafael Fire Department has evolved over 150 years to consistently provide effective and compassionate service in our community. A notice in the Dec. 3, 1874, Marin Journal sought volunteers for a new San Rafael fire company formed by William Miller and J.B. Rice. A week later, the newspaper listed the 27 members of San Rafael Hose Co., No. 1 under the command of Sheriff James Tunstead. Four years later, the renamed San Rafael Hose, Hook and Ladder Co. was equipped with basic tools and equipment, which included a four-wheeled hose cart that was pulled by hand. In 1875, the department and locals put on its first Fireman’s Ball to raise money for the firehouse with tickets for the ball at a steep price of $2.50.
By the 1890s, the company had 90 volunteer members, two hand-pulled hose carts, two hose carriages and one hook and ladder wagon. In 1907, a pair of horses named Tom and Jerry were purchased for the department, along with a hook and ladder carriage and an alarm system that rang a bell at the firehouse and in volunteers’ homes. The horses became quite popular as they were always the first on the scene when a fire broke out.
This system of firefighting often involved residents who would help the volunteers. One night in June 1913, a fire broke out in a shed behind William Lichtenberg’s mansion, across the street from the Dominican Convent. Aroused by the fire alarm, a group of female students joined other neighbors to form a bucket brigade and help to extinguish the flames. The following year, the department purchased a motorized vehicle called a Pope chemical wagon, which was a pump and hose apparatus that ended the firefighting careers of Tom and Jerry.
On July 29, 1928, a fire engulfed the Hotel Rafael. Luckily, none of the 134 guests were seriously hurt but the elegant hotel burned to the ground within two hours despite the valiant efforts of the firefighters. Initially, the fire was thought to have started from faulty wiring, but later an angry employee confessed to setting the fire.
A fire demolished the San Rafael courthouse on May 25, 1971. For more than three hours, the fire burned the almost-empty structure with a crowd of 2,000 watching. Despite 40 firefighters operating seven fire engines at the scene, an empty shell and rubble were all that remained. As reported in the Marin IJ, Fire Chief Vance Trivett said the fire was “definitely set,” but the exact cause and presumed arsonist were never discovered.
Today, there are more than 90 paid employees who, along with firefighting, provide emergency medical care, fire suppression expertise and emergency preparedness training. The San Rafael Fire Department is a highly valued organization with a strong commitment to public safety. The department has a state-of-the-art training facility and fleet of modern equipment. The San Rafael Fire Department also works closely with the community to educate residents about fire safety.
In July 2020, San Rafael Fire Station 51 moved into the new public safety center at Fifth Avenue and D Street. The previous station house had been at C Street and Fifth Avenue since 1917. This year, the San Rafael Fire Department celebrated its 150th anniversary with open houses at the neighborhood firehouses. Next year, they will celebrate with a parade as the culmination of this momentous achievement. Most recently, the San Rafael firefighters installed a section of beam recovered from ground zero in front of Station 54 in the Canal neighborhood. A dedication ceremony was held last week on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
(Originally published as History Watch article in the Marin Independent Journal)