RIO LINDA FIRE DEPARTMENT
By WULBUR DONSING
Commissioner Rio Linda Fire District, Sacramento County
RIO LINDA, Outpost of Fire Protection. This was the term used in the early days of fire protection in Northern Sacramento County.
Organized in 1923, the Rio Linda Fire Department consisted of a Chief and 13 firemen, with one piece of equipment (the soda and acid variety). What memories one could recall from those early days.
The accompanying pictures tell a story in contrast of the change from soda and acid to today’s modern pumper.
Rio Linda, being primarily a poultry farming area, with large acreages of grass, has built her department for the protection of the scattered ranches from grass fires. Building to this end has paid Rio Linda, for the loss of buildings and property from direct grass fires has been low.
With the increase in population and formation of the Rio Linda County Water District, it has been necessary to add the 750-gallon-per-minute American La France pumper, carrying 1200 feet of hose and 500 gallons of water.
Rio Linda, today, has six pieces of modern fire fighting equipment, consisting of Chief’s car, one 750-gallon pumper, one high-pressure fog, one squad with pump, resuscitator, first aid and salvage materials, one 250- gallon pumper, one 100-gallon grass fire truck. All trucks carry from 250 to 500 gallons of water, booster lines and are equipped with two-way radio.
Our first truck, somewhat modified but still serviceable, known to all residents, young and old as “Betsy” is on pension and used for parade.
With the formation of the water district, the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific gave our district a thorough survey and determined our farm area to rate No. I Rural and the area served by the water district to rate a city of sixth class. This resulted in a reduction of the fire insurance rate on dwellings of one-third and almost one third on mercantile. This is always welcome news to any fire district and is a “pat on the back” to the active personnel, as well as management.
The present Commissioners: Merrill L. Clark, chairman; Wilbur Donsing, clerk, and A. Stanley Anderson were all active firemen on the Department before being elected to office. Each has served as commissioners from six to nine years, and have been active firemen from 10 to 20 years.
The active personnel of the department consists of Chief Ray F. Gilmore, First Assistant Chief C. D. Best, Second Assistant Chief C. F. Walsingham, Captains Paul Penoff, Les Crane, Lee Brown, C. R. Gerolomy, R. W. Winters, Firemen Waldo Berg, R. C. Bolden, J. L. Griggs, Ollie Gross, W. G. Gross, R. C. Johnson, Charles Klein, Jack Klein, Frank Kral, Ivan McCurdy, A. W. Kuss, Robert Schulte, T B Smith, Jack Stephens, James Welliver, and Willard R. Wilt.
