FIRE SAFE SONOMA

What FIRE SAFE SONOMA does

Fire Safe Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation designated as the countywide Fire Safe Council for Sonoma County, California, and as the Firewise USA Regional Coordinator for the county. The organization was formed as a nonprofit entity in 1998 (with predecessor coordination activity dating to 1988) and is headquartered at P.O. Box 11734, Santa Rosa. Its mission is to provide education, exchange information, and foster fire prevention and fire safety within the County of Sonoma.

The organization delivers a portfolio of community-focused wildfire-mitigation programs rather than technology products or software platforms. Core offerings include Firewise USA community recognition support, the Ready Set Go! personal preparedness program, Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development at the county and local levels, the Resilient Landscapes Coalition, a Red Flag Warning visual-alert system coordinated with local fire departments, a Tool Trailer lending program, chipper-deployment support, and a No Cost Defensible Space Work Program that deploys trained workers to qualifying homeowners. Programs are delivered free of charge and reach Sonoma County residents through public presentations, agency partnerships, and direct community outreach.

Fire Safe Sonoma is funded through tax-deductible donations and grants, with operational costs not grant-supported but rather donation-funded. Documented grant activity includes a $1.0M CAL FIRE grant for the Northwest Roadway Safety, Fuels Reduction, and Community Chipper and Engagement Project (2022), a $50K PG&E grant for Ready Set Go materials (2022), and a 2025 County Coordinator Grant to fund staff. The organization is governed by a board comprising current and retired fire-service leaders (including a former CAL FIRE Division Chief as Executive Director, a former Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal as Past President, and sitting fire chiefs and fire wardens), and has access to a sustained pipeline of California Climate Action Corps and GrizzlyCorps Fellows.

Name

FIRE SAFE SONOMA

Legal name

Fire Safe Sonoma

Website

https://firesafesonoma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fire Safe Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the countywide Fire Safe Council and Firewise USA Regional Coordinator for Sonoma County, California. It delivers wildfire education, Community Wildfire Protection Plan development, Firewise recognition support, defensible space work, and emergency-alert programming free of charge to residents and partner agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire safety and community education services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE), Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Wildfire prevention education
• Community wildfire protection
• Defensible space services
• Firewise USA coordination
• Wildfire mitigation outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Fire Safe Sonoma is funded primarily through donations from individuals. The organization states that operational costs are not grant funded but instead funded by donations from supporters. Donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law for this 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Grant Funding: Fire Safe Sonoma actively seeks and manages grant funding for wildfire safety related projects. Over the past two decades, Fire Safe Sonoma has managed over $2 million in grant-funded projects including the first Sonoma County curbside chipper program and the first Sonoma County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fire Safe Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the countywide Fire Safe Council for Sonoma County, providing wildfire prevention education, community wildfire protection planning (CWPP), Firewise USA recognition coordination, defensible space and home hardening guidance, and coordination of fuels reduction and emergency preparedness programs. The organization delivers programs such as Ready, Set, Go! education, the Tool Trailer Lending Program, the Red Flag Warning System, and grant-funded chipper and vegetation management projects to residents of Sonoma County free of charge.

Product overview

Fire Safe Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) non-profit countywide Fire Safe Council serving Sonoma County since 1988. The organization offers a portfolio of community-focused fire safety programs and services rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include the Firewise USA Community Recognition Program (which helps neighborhoods achieve national wildfire preparedness certification), the Ready Set Go! education program (teaching evacuation readiness), Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development services, a Tool Trailer Lending Program (providing equipment to community groups), and the Red Flag Warning System (visual alert system at fire stations). The organization also manages defensible space work programs, supports local wildfire mitigation groups, and participates in the Resilient Landscapes Coalition. These programs are educational, consulting, and community-organizing services rather than software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Firewise USA Community Recognition Program A nationally coordinated program that provides a framework helping Sonoma County neighborhoods get organized, increase the ignition resistance of homes, and reduce wildfire risks at the local level. As Firewise USA Regional Coordinator, Fire Safe Sonoma supports communities through recognition, three-year action plans, and annual renewals.
• Ready, Set, Go! Program A nationally recognized education program that teaches Sonoma County residents about proactive measures to take before a wildfire and the actions to follow when communities are threatened, distributed via printed booklets in English and Spanish and accompanying social media and in-person content.
• Tool Trailer Lending Program A fully outfitted defensible-space tool trailer lent to Sonoma County community groups for vegetation removal and hazard fuel reduction work parties, supporting community-led defensible-space efforts.
• Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Development A collaborative planning service that assesses wildland fire risks, identifies mitigation projects, and creates actionable Community Wildfire Protection Plans for Sonoma County communities, with Fire Safe Sonoma developing the county's first CWPP and the template used for local-area plans.
• Defensible Space Work Program A no-cost defensible-space service for qualifying Sonoma County homeowners that includes chipper program support, vegetation removal, and property assessments through the Safer West County CAL FIRE Defensible Space Project and other grant-funded initiatives.
• Red Flag Warning System A community alert system in which fire departments display red flags marked 'High Fire Danger' when the National Weather Service issues red flag warnings, deployed jointly with the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association and PG&E.
• Wildfire Mitigation Group Support Support services for Firewise Communities, local Fire Safe Councils, COPE groups, CERT teams, and other wildland fire mitigation organizations operating throughout Sonoma County.
• Resilient Landscapes Coalition A partnership program promoting sustainable landscaping practices that reduce wildfire risk while preserving biodiversity and aesthetic value, co-led with the Habitat Corridor Project, Sonoma Ecology Center, and UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2 million in grant-funded projects managed over two decades
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CAL FIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAL FIRE is the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Fire Safe Sonoma works with CAL FIRE on Firewise USA recognition programs, defensible space projects, and CWPP development. CAL FIRE serves as the Firewise USA state coordinator for California communities.
• Sonoma County Fire Chief's AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire Safe Sonoma partners with the Sonoma County Fire Chief's Association on the Ready, Set, Go! Program and the Red Flag Warning System initiative. This partnership enables coordination across all fire departments in the county.
• California Fire Safe CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe California Fire Safe Council is the statewide organization supporting Fire Safe Councils. Fire Safe Sonoma works with them on grant funding, Firewise program coordination, and community wildfire protection planning at the state level.
• Santa Rosa Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Rosa Fire Department is a key partner in wildfire mitigation efforts within the largest city in Sonoma County. Fire Safe Sonoma coordinates with them on Firewise communities and community outreach programs.
• Habitat Corridor ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Habitat Corridor Project is part of the Resilient Landscapes Coalition partnership with Fire Safe Sonoma, focused on promoting defensible space and resilient landscaping practices that don't require removing all vegetation.
• Sonoma Ecology CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sonoma Ecology Center is part of the Resilient Landscapes Coalition partnership, contributing expertise on ecology and sustainable land management practices in relation to wildfire risk reduction.
• UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma CountysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UC Master Gardener Program is part of the Resilient Landscapes Coalition, providing gardening expertise and sustainable landscaping guidance to support wildfire-resilient property maintenance.
• Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma CountysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire Safe Sonoma partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County to provide full service home assessments followed by needed improvements to qualifying households. The Listos Tool Trailer is also made available for Habitat for Humanity use.
• WRA Environmental ConsultingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRA Environmental Consulting assisted Fire Safe Sonoma in providing CWPP development assistance to four emerging local Fire Safe Councils through funding from the California Fire Safe Council.
• County of SonomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe County of Sonoma provided funding for the partnership with Habitat for Humanity for low-income home assessment and improvement programs. Fire Safe Sonoma is also a stakeholder in the County's CWPP Update grant application to Cal OES.
• Sonoma County Transportation and Public WorkssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire Safe Sonoma teamed up with Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works for the Northwest Roadway Safety, Fuels Reduction, and Community Chipper and Engagement Project, a $1.2 million initiative with CAL FIRE providing $1 million in funding.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFPA operates the Firewise USA national recognition program. Fire Safe Sonoma collaborates with NFPA and CAL FIRE to provide the framework for communities to organize and take action to reduce wildfire risks.
• Safer West CountysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafer West County partnered with Fire Safe Sonoma to support west county communities in creating and maintaining defensible space through the CAL FIRE Defensible Space Project with chippers leased to local fire departments.
• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBHS developed the Wildfire Prepared Home voluntary program. Fire Safe Sonoma provides information about this program and hosted a presentation by IBHS's Senior Director on home hardening and defensible space science.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• California Fire Safe Council:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firesafesonoma
• Instagraminstagram.com/firesafesonoma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fire-safe-sonoma

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FIRE SAFE SONOMA