Crime & Safety

Fire Engines Blast Sirens in San Rafael for Annual Relay

Did you hear the sirens? Tell us in the comments!

By Bay City News

North Bay fire departments, emergency response agencies and the California Highway Patrol raised money for burn victims Wednesday during the annual North Bay Firefighter Burn relay.

The relay, benefiting the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, left Healdsburg Wednesday morning and ended at the Southern Marin Fire Station 1 in Sausalito at about 5:30 p.m.

A bit after 2 p.m., fire engines and other emergency vehicles paraded through downtown San Rafael, blasting their sirens as they headed toward the Ross Valley Fire Department station at 777 San Anselmo Ave. in San Anselmo. Other Marin areas the relay went through included Novato, Marinwood, Kentfield, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Tiburon and Mill Valley.

When the relay went through downtown San Rafael, San Rafael firefighters, police officers and city officials (including Mayor Gary Phillips, Chief of Police Dana Bishop and Assistant City Manager Jim Schutz) were on hand to present a check for $5,000 to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, according to San Rafael Fire Chief Chris Gray.

"Last year this relay raised over $31,000 which helped us serve over 300 burn survivors and provide prevention education to over 22,000 students throughout the state of California," Jennifer Radics, executive director of the Alica Ann Ruch Burn Foundation said.

Along the route in Sonoma and Marin counties local firefighters collected donations raised by fire and public safety agencies through community events that included golf tournaments, pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners.

Eight-year-old Alisa Ann Ruch was fatally injured in a backyard barbecue accident in Southern California. Her parents, local firefighters and medical professionals created the Foundation in 1971 to prevent burn injuries by teaching Stop Drop and Roll.

Services for burn survivors include a Champ Camp, young adult summit, in-hospital support groups and school re-entry programs.


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