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San Geronimo Commons:
Fire Headquarters Project
San Geronimo Commons: Fire Headquarters Project
Project Background
Meeting a critical training need
Firefighters must train regularly to maintain the skills needed to respond safely to wildland fires, structure fires, rescues, and other emergencies. Marin County Fire’s current primary training site at the former U.S. Coast Guard facility in Point Reyes, known as Commodore Webster, is being converted to housing and will no longer be available for firefighter training.
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Although training facilities exist in San Rafael and Novato, they are fully utilized by their respective departments and cannot accommodate Marin County Fire’s daily training needs or regional academy programs.
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A dedicated training facility will allow firefighters to train close to their response area while remaining available for emergency calls. This is especially important during peak fire season, when staffing increases and seasonal firefighters require structured, hands-on training.
A centralized West Marin facility
is the largest fire agency in the county, with approximately 300 firefighters during peak fire season. A centralized facility in West Marin will bring training and essential Department functions closer to the communities we serve.
The existing Woodacre Fire Station, built in the early to mid-1900s, is located within a residential neighborhood and presents ongoing operational and safety challenges. The site limits the Department’s ability to safely accommodate emergency vehicle movement, equipment maintenance, and the needs of modern 24-hour fire operations. Rebuilding at the existing location would not fully address these limitations.
The San Geronimo Commons site offers a more central location within the Valley, improved roadway access, and better conditions for emergency response. The new location will support safer ingress and egress, more efficient operations, and modern fire service requirements.
A purpose-built facility
The facility will provide realistic, controlled training environments designed to build skills in equipment use, emergency response, and team coordination. Smoke machines will simulate conditions firefighters may encounter in the field, including black smoke from live-fire containers and white smoke within the training tower.
Firefighting foam will not be used, and training activities will be designed to minimize environmental impacts.
The site will also support Marin County Fire’s Special Operations teams. These teams respond to complex emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and rescues.
A design for the facility has not yet been developed. The Marin County Board of Supervisors awarded the progressive design-build contract to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (McCarthy) and COAR Design Group (COAR) on July 7.
The project is intended to reflect the rural character of the San Geronimo Valley and integrate thoughtfully with the surrounding natural landscape. Community input will be shared with the design team to help inform site planning and architectural visions. As the design progresses, decisions will balance operational needs, environmental considerations, fiscal responsibility, and community input.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $71 million. This project is being funded through a combination of fire facility funds and debt financing. Marin County has been planning and saving for fire facility improvements since the 2010 Fire Facilities Visioning Plan. The cost reflects the safety and seismic standards the building must meet, and the specialized systems needed for fire and emergency operations. The estimated cost per square foot is comparable to fire facilities across California.
Community input
We are committed to a transparent and inclusive public engagement process. Community members will have multiple opportunities to participate. We will offer public meetings, workshops, surveys, and online updates. Learn more about our events.
Maintaining community access and shared space is a key priority in project planning. Current planning includes:
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Retention of the community garden and food pantry
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Enhancing access public trails and connectivity with communities and schools
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Opportunities for open space and community-oriented features
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No final decision has been made about the future of the San Geronimo Golf Clubhouse. Preliminary studies show that upgrading the building to meet current seismic, safety, accessibility, and building system standards would need significant investment, potentially exceeding $13 million.
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