Beginning the week of May 13, 2019, the recently hired Defensible Space Inspectors started home site visits. The Department is taking an “educational” approach to assist residents in understanding what they can do to protect homes and communities from wildfire.
Visit www.rossvalleyfire.org where you will find links with detailed information on how to protect your home from wildfire. You will also find information on how to become a FireWise community.
The goal is to conduct site visits at approximately 3,800 residences within our jurisdiction over the next year, areas not inspected this year will be scheduled in subsequent years. The Department has scheduled the 2019 inspection areas with the Ross Valley Fire Board’s concurrence. Due to the large number of parcels within our jurisdiction, there is not an opportunity to visit each parcel each year. However, if you notice a property that you believe is a fire hazard, please visit our website (http://www.rossvalleyfire.org/prevention/hazard-report ) where you can submit a Fire Hazard Complaint, and it will be visited and inspected by the Fire Department. If you need help determining what you can do to make your home fire safe after reading the material on the Fire Safe Marin website, we are happy to have an engine company come out and meet with you. These can be scheduled by emailing info@rossvalleyfire.org.
Before conducting an inspection, the staff will obtain permission to inspect the outside of the home and surrounding vegetation. If residents are not home, only a street view inspection will be conducted.
The visit will be documented utilizing the Ross Valley Fire Department “Notice of Defensible Space Inspection” forms and will include other fire preparedness information. These items will be left at the front door/entrance of the home. No information will be left in mailboxes.
The Defensible Space staff will be working Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. They will be dressed in Ross Valley Fire Department uniforms.
If you see the inspectors in your area, please don’t hesitate to ask them questions. They are here to educate and assist you in preparing and hardening your home in the event of a wildfire.
Thank you for your cooperation.