The Sonoita-Elgin Fire District is inviting the community to help celebrate its 20th birthday on Monday, Sept. 28.
The open-house celebration will immediately follow the district board meeting, which is also open to the public. Community members will have an opportunity to meet and mingle with district personnel, learn about the district’s history and get a closer look at the station house.
As part of the celebration, fire chief Marc Meredith is asking for the public’s help in documenting the district’s history.
“My guess is there are people who might have photo albums or old documents, maybe from before we became a district, or early on when we became a district,” Meredith said. “Anything that might be interesting, we’re putting together a bit of a history timeline to put on display. I’d be happy to see anything.”
Meredith said the birth of the fire district was a significant milestone for the Sonoita-Elgin area. The bay at the fire station was built in 1989, but prior to 2006, the community relied on Sonoita-Elgin Emergency Services Inc., a nonprofit private entity, for fire and emergency medical services.
“They were relying on donations,” he said. “Flipping pancakes in order to put fuel in the truck, in order to buy turnouts for the firefighters.
“You don’t have anybody at the station 24-7, you don’t have anybody paid to be at the station. By becoming a special tax district, we immediately had more ability to take care of this community from the get-go.
“The expectations of us as a department have only increased, as they should. I think what we’re able to offer folks is pretty remarkable being a small rural agency.”
There are three options for anyone wanting to contribute photos and documents for the celebration: By email to flaherty@sefd911.ofg; by text to 520-988-5162; or hand deliver them to the station Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.