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Ross Valley Fire News

01 July 2025
NOTICE OF FIRE STATION CLOSURE Date: June 27, 2025 Subject: Closure of Ross Valley Fire Station 18 – Effective July 1, 2025 The Ross Valley Fire Department Station 18, located at 33 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA, will be officially closed effectiv...

Fire Board

Ross  |  San Anselmo  |  Sleepy Hollow FPD  |  Fairfax

Representing the Town of Ross

Elizabeth Brekhus | 

Director Brekhus was elected to 4-year terms on the Ross Town Council in 2012, 2016, 2020. She served as Ross Town Mayor in 2014-15 and 2019-20.   She has served on the Ross Valley Fire Board since 2016, and President of the Board in 2018-19. Director Brekhus’ law practice, Brekhus Law Partners, specializes in real property litigation and municipal law. She has represented individuals and businesses in Marin County since 1997. She served on the Board of Directors of the Marin County Bar Association for over a decade, and was elected President in 2014-15.  Director Brekhus obtained her B.A at Kenyon College in 1993. She graduated from the University of San Francisco, School of Law in 1997.  She resides in Ross with her three children.

Director Brekhus can be reached at:

Email: elizabethb@brekhus.com

Beach Kuhl 

Director Kuhl has lived in Ross since 1974. He is largely retired from his practices as a trial lawyer. After a term on the Marin County Grand Jury, he was elected to the Ross Town Council in 2012 . Director Kuhl  currently also serves as a commissioner of the Transportation Authority of Marin. He joined the board of directors of the Ross Valley Fire Department in 2015. 

Director Kuhl can be reached at:

Phone: 415-627-1411

Email: beachkuhl35@gmail.com

Representing the Town of San Anselmo 

Ford Greene |  

Director Greene grew up in next-door Ross as a fourth generation Ross Valley native (where Natalie Coffin Greene Park at Phoenix Lake is named for his grandmother). Ford attended local public schools. A sole practitioner, for over 30 years Greene has litigated redress for wrongful treatment of individual constitutional liberties. This includes criminal defense to civil tort litigation against global religious corporate entities. The National Lawyers for Public Justice gave Greene national recognition when it awarded him its running Trial Lawyer of the Year award for his successful work against the Church of Scientology. 

Director Greene can be reached at: 

Email: fordgreene@comcast.net   

Steve Burdo |  

sburdo@townofsananselmo.org |                                                                                                                                                                                          

 Bio coming soon!        

Representing Sleepy Hollow FPD

Thomas Finn |  2013 - Present

Director Finn is a Ross Valley native. He completed his undergraduate schooling at the University of California at Davis and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He has served on the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District Board of Directors since 1999. His service on the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority Board began in 2006, and included a term as president of the Board from 2009- 2011. He has served on the Ross Valley Fire Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors since 2013.

Director Finn can be reached at:

Email: tfinn@well.com 

Richard Shortall|  2010 - Present

Director Shortall promoted through the ranks of the San Francisco Fire Department starting as a Firefighter and retiring as Assistant Deputy Chief. He also served as the San Francisco Fire Emergency Medical Services Chief, was Deputy Director of the San Francisco Office of Emergency Services, and General Manager of the Bay Area Super Urban Area Security Initiative Homeland Security program. He is employed now as the full time Executive Coordinator for FIRESafe MARIN, and serves as President of the Board of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District, Director of the Ross Valley Fire Department and member of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority Operations Committee.  He and his wife Diana are 40-year residents of Sleepy Hollow.

 Director Shortall can be reached at:

Email: rich_shortall@att.net 

Representing the Town of Fairfax

Renee Goddard

rgoddard@townoffairfax.org  |  

Bio coming soon! 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Stephanie Hellman 

Bio coming soon!

Director Hellman can be reached at:

shellman@townoffairfax.org

thumb NOTICE OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE INSPECTION 2018

DID YOU RECEIVE A NOTICE OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE INSPECTION?

Did you receive a NOTICE OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE INSPECTION?  If you received a notice, you may have questions about the meaning of the different requirements and specific hazards noted.  Click here to see FAQs and learn more about the requirements.

Click here to learn more


Wildfire Preparedness

Evacuation Information

Your family's best chance of survival requires being ready and evacuating early.  Prepare your home if time allows, and follow your Wildfire Action Plan.  Know when to evacuate and what to do if you become trapped.

Learn more...

Hardening Your Home

A wildfire-safe home must be resistant to ignition from wind-blown embers. Even if the flames never reach your home, it must be able to withstand exposure to millions of tiny embers that can be carried a mile or more in front of a wildfire.

Learn more at FIRESafe MARIN...

Defensible Space

Defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it.

 Learn more...

Today's Fire Danger

It's important to monitor current and predicted weather conditions, be aware of "Red Flag Warnings" issued by the Weather Service, and prepare in advance when severe fire weather is anticipated.

Learn more at FIRESafe MARIN...

Defensible Space is required by law for all properties in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) in the Ross Valley.

Ross Valley Fire Stations

Fire Station 19 - San Anselmo
Fire Station 20 - Sleepy Hollow
Fire Station 21 - Fairfax

Our Mission

To protect the lives, property and environment of Ross, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow and Fairfax through education, prevention and community service in a professional and caring manner that is fair, honest, respectful and ethical.

Contact Us

Ross Valley Fire Department
777 San Anselmo Avenue
San Anselmo, CA 94960 USA
Tel: (415) 258-4686

For Emergencies, Dial 9-1-1