Firetrucks parked in front of firestation ready for action.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors are making a series of agreements to consolidate several fire agencies and revamping funding. The Board agreed to commit $9-million to help unify and improve fire protection and emergency response services provided by independent fire agencies in unincorporated areas of the county. Ultimately, there will be 23 local fire agencies across Sonoma County, down from 43 that served the county and its cities in 2014, when the county launched its initiative to unify and improve fire services. Despite these pivotal gains, board members acknowledged that additional funding is needed to support a countywide system of emergency response. A new poll released by the county today found that 75-percent of voters believe it is crucial to have high-quality fire protection services, even if it means raising taxes.