Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association Keeping the Tradition Alive
By Anna Pier
Sonoma will once again host the wonderful, traditional Fourth of July events that have brought joy to our Valley for decades. Jason Campbell, Battalion Chief, is excited to be in charge as once again the Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association brings the Fourth of July Celebration to our Valley. This year’s event honors our nation’s 250th anniversary and the strong small-town traditions that define Sonoma Valley.
Campbell told the Sun this is the ninth year that the Volunteer Firefighters have been in charge of running the event. The Sonoma Community Center was formerly responsible. When that organization looked for another nonprofit community organization to put it on, the Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association stepped up. The organization was already doing the fireworks and, as Campbell explained, “a fire department trains to run large events.” He elaborated that their internal structure, the incident command system, makes them prepared to take this on. He also affirmed, “No one regrets taking it over.”
In addition to the parade, the celebration includes a festival, live music and entertainment, family activities, and the keystone event, the fireworks show. The firefighters particularly underscore that the whole event, and especially the fireworks show that begins at dusk, helps keep illegal fireworks out of the Valley neighborhoods.
It takes six months to plan the infrastructure for the parade and the whole celebration, as explained by Campbell and Joe Boldt, the Head of Maintenance for the Fire District, head pyrotechnician of the fireworks, and a volunteer firefighter. They added that their families know they will be taken up with planning, arranging and implementing for that time period, “A weight is lifted off our shoulders on the 6th of July – we can get back to regular life.” On the 5th, the day after, they are busy with clean-up at the field at General Vallejo’s home and the Field of Dreams.
Go to the Association’s website for all the details about the event. You can still sign up to be a vendor, a volunteer, or a sponsor, and to be in the parade. https://sonomavolunteerfirefighters.org.
The $60,000, the approximate cost of the free community celebration, is entirely paid for by sponsorships and by community members’ contributions. Campbell pointed out that many costs have increased, even tripled, since the Volunteer Firefighters originally took over the event. 10,000 targeted mailers were sent out, and donations are coming in through those and also online. If you haven’t yet made your contribution to the event, you can mail a check or send your card information in the envelope, or you can go online to donate: https://sonomavolunteerfirefighters.org
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