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Welcome to Our First Marin County Fire Headquarters Project Newsletter |
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Happy 2026 and welcome to the first edition of the Marin County Fire Department Headquarters Project Newsletter.
This quarterly newsletter is one of the many ways we’re keeping the community informed, engaged, and involved as the project moves forward. Our commitment is to be transparent at every step by sharing updates, milestones, and opportunities for community input.
At its core, the Marin County Fire Headquarters Project is about strengthening public safety. The project is focused on creating a right-sized, modern headquarters that meets today's and future operational needs and supports how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies across Marin County. Dedicated space for training, equipment, maintenance, and coordination is essential to providing reliable emergency services when the community needs them most.
Through this newsletter, we will share how project decisions are guided by these operational priorities, how community feedback is shaping the process, and how the project is designed to serve both the San Geronimo Valley and the broader county.
The purpose of this Newsletter is to learn about:
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Want to Learn More?
Watch the short video to understand why we need new facilities and how it supports emergency response throughout San Geronimo Valley and the greater County.
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Why is a new fire station and headquarters facility needed? The Woodacre Fire Station is a cluster of buildings dating to the 1940’s and no longer meets the operational needs of all-hazards fire service and the communities it serves. The facility, originally designed for a few firefighters and engines the size of modern-day pickup trucks, lacks both space and critical features. |
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Critical limitations at the Woodacre station include the lack of:
- Proper decontamination areas to reduce exposure to harmful substances
- Living quarters for all genders
- Safe and functional engine and equipment storage
- Training facility needed to maintain staff readiness
These deficiencies affect how firefighters can train, respond, and remain prepared for emergencies.
The fire station, originally built on the old railroad right-of-way and surrounded by a few homes, is now in the center of the Woodacre residential village. The station’s quiet residential location also creates long-standing compatibility and safety challenges. Today’s 24-hour staffing fire operations require frequent training activities, vehicle repair and movement. A more central location of the new fire station will better serve the greater San Geronimo Valley. Rebuilding at the Woodacre site would not resolve these constraints or meet the community's future emergency service needs.
Equally important, today’s fire stations must support firefighter health, safety, and well-being. Firefighters routinely work 48-hour or longer shifts, away from their families, making the station their home away from home. Modern facilities are designed to provide equitable, functional living and working spaces that support rest, privacy, and long-term health.
As one female Marin County firefighter shared: “There are only two bedrooms designated for women, and the bathroom with a shower also serves as the public restroom, which creates challenges in a place where you live, sleep, and cook.” — Marin County Firefighter
The new Marin County Fire Headquarters is intended to address these operational, safety, and equity needs, ensuring firefighters have the facilities required to serve the community safely, effectively, and sustainably for decades to come.
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Thank You for Joining Us at Our First Community Coffee
 Thank you to everyone who joined us in December for our first Community Coffee Event. We had the opportunity to connect with more than 150 community members from the San Geronimo Valley and across Marin County, and we truly appreciated the thoughtful questions, comments, and conversations.
These early conversations are an important part of the Marin County Fire Headquarters Project. As we plan for a future all-hazards fire headquarters at San Geronimo Commons, community feedback is helping guide project priorities and inform design decisions.
What We Heard from the Community
Following the event, we carefully reviewed all feedback and identified several common themes. We want the community to know that we hear you, and your input is being thoughtfully considered as planning continues. Many of the questions raised are being incorporated into our Frequently Asked Questions page, which will continue to be updated as the project matures.
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More Ways to Stay Involved
If you cannot attend the community coffee, you can still stay involved! Information boards from the event and open comment sections are available on the project website.
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Join us on April 21, 2026, for a virtual community webinar to learn about the latest project updates and input shared. Details on the webinar will be shared in our next newsletter in April.
Upcoming Board of Supervisors Meeting
The Marin County Board of Supervisors (BOS) will receive an update on the Headquarters Project on February 10, 2026. Community members are welcome to attend in person or watch the meeting virtually.
At this meeting, the Board will consider authorizing a Progressive Design-Build Entity Selection Process, which includes adoption of a required Conflict of Interest Policy. This policy is intended to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity throughout the procurement and selection process.
The Progressive Design-Build process allows the project team to select a qualified design-build team and work collaboratively to develop the project’s design and cost over time before finalizing a guaranteed price. A design-build team includes both architects and contractors working together from the start, which helps improve collaboration, efficiency, cost control, and transparency.
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BOS Meeting: 9:00am, February 10
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Stay Connected
Thank you for staying engaged with this project! We look forward to sharing more updates in future newsletters. Please feel free to share this with your neighbors so they can stay informed and sign up for future updates.
You can also follow us on your favorite social media platforms.
  
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