Sonoita-Elgin Fire District

What Sonoita-Elgin Fire District does

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District (SEFD) is a publicly established Arizona special fire district that provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (ALS/BLS treatment and transport), technical rescue, wildland fire response, fire prevention, and disaster preparedness to the rural communities of Sonoita, Elgin, Canelo, and Patagonia in Santa Cruz County. The district operates as a combination volunteer/career department with a certified bench of 32 EMTs, 5 CEPs, 24 Firefighter I/IIs, 35 red-card Wildland Firefighters, and 12 Dispatchers, all Hazmat First Responder trained. Its operational technology consists of a specialized apparatus fleet — including Type I, I/III, and III engines, five Type-6 brush trucks, three ALS/BLS ambulances, a Type-2 tender, rescue unit, command vehicles, and shared county MCI and light trailers — covering 325 square miles for fire/EMS response and 750 square miles for ambulance transport.

SEFD's service area contains approximately 3,000 permanent residents, 1,374 homes, one school, twelve wineries, and tourism flows that often match or exceed the resident population on weekends. Call volumes have grown 58% over five years and 110% over ten years, reaching 59 total calls in May 2026 and 62 in June 2025. The district supplements core emergency response with community-facing services including car seat fitting assistance (via certified technician Katherine Prentice), Firewise property assessments, and disaster preparedness education aligned with FEMA and the Ready, Set, Go! framework.

SEFD is funded primarily through property taxes levied on district constituents, with ancillary service fees published in the SEFD Fee Schedule 2024. The district maintains mutual aid and joint training agreements with Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Rio Rico Fire Department, and Tubac Fire Department, plus an Intergovernmental Agreement with Santa Cruz County for shared water and MCI Trailer resources. Governance is provided by a five-member elected Board of Directors (Chris Johnson as Board Chair) under Fire Chief Marc D. Meredith, with a published Strategic Plan covering 2024-2026 guiding operations, retention and recruitment, and capital planning.

Name

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District

Legal name

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District

Website

https://sefd911.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District is an Arizona special fire district providing fire suppression, ALS/BLS emergency medical transport, rescue, and wildland fire response across 325 sq mi (fire/EMS) and 750 sq mi (ambulance) for ~3,000 residents in Sonoita, Elgin, Canelo, and Patagonia, funded primarily by property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160), Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Wildland firefighting
• Rescue operations
• Disaster preparedness

Headquarters

HQ city

Sonoita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: As a special fire district, SEFD is funded primarily through property taxes levied on properties within the district boundaries. The district posts current fiscal year budgets, past three years' budgets, audits, tax rates, and fee schedules publicly for transparency.
2. Service Fees: The district maintains a published fee schedule for services (SEFD FEE SCHEDULE 2024), indicating fees are charged for certain non-emergency services such as car seat fitting assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District is a combination fire/EMS department that provides fire suppression (structural and wildland), emergency medical services and ambulance transport, and rescue operations across 325 square miles of response area and 750 square miles of ambulance transport coverage in rural Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The district also provides fire prevention education, car seat fitting, Firewise wildland risk assessments, and disaster preparedness resources funded primarily through property taxes.

Product overview

Sonoita-Elgin Fire District operates as a combination fire and emergency medical services department providing a unified suite of emergency response services. The district's core offerings center on fire suppression (with Type I, I/III, and III engines), emergency medical treatment and transport (via three ALS ambulances), and technical rescue services. Supplementary services include car seat fitting assistance, disaster preparedness education, and Firewise property assessments. The district maintains mutual aid agreements with regional fire departments and operates a fleet of specialized apparatus including engines, ambulances, brush trucks, tenders, and command vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services Structural fire response and firefighting services across a 325-square-mile response area, delivered via Type I, I/III, and III engines (Engine 821, 822, 823) and a Type-2 Tender (Tender 828) for water supply.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Treatment and Transport Emergency medical treatment and ALS/BLS ambulance transport services across 750 square miles, staffed by 32 EMTs and 5 CEPs, using three ALS ambulances (Medic 831, 832, 833).
• Wildland Firefighting Services Wildland fire response and suppression across the district's high-desert terrain, delivered via five Type-6 brush trucks and 35 red-card certified Wildland Firefighters.
• Rescue Services Technical rescue operations including rescue unit (ALS/BLS), brush truck rescue, MCI trailer response (shared County resource), and mountain/wilderness rescue across 100+ miles of trail access.
• Car Seat Fitting Assistance Car seat installation assistance and safety consultations provided to district families by certified Car Seat Technician Katherine Prentice.
• Disaster Preparedness Program Emergency preparedness resources, training materials, and community education on disaster readiness, including the Ready, Set, Go! preparedness guide and FEMA app integration.
• Firewise Assessments Wildland fire risk assessments for properties to help homeowners reduce fire hazards and improve defensible space within the district's high-risk wildland-urban interface.
• Mutual Aid Response Mutual aid agreements with Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue (Automatic Aid formalized April 2026), Rio Rico Fire Department, Tubac Fire Department, and Santa Cruz County for coordinated regional emergency response.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58% call volume increase over 5 years; 110% increase over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Cruz County (Wildfire Protection)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026In March 2026, the SEFD Board adopted the Santa Cruz County Wildfire Protection Plan (CCWPP). SEFD participates in county-wide mutual aid and wildfire preparedness initiatives coordinated through Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Management.
• Patagonia Volunteer Fire & RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEFD cooperates with Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue on mutual aid response and community events. SEFD participated in the 4th of July Parade in Patagonia hosted by Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue. An Automatic Aid agreement with Patagonia was formalized in April 2026.
• Tubac Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEFD participates in joint training exercises with Tubac Fire Department, including live burn exercises and cross-training. Tubac held the Certificate of Need (CON) for the southeastern part of Santa Cruz County historically.
• Rio Rico Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEFD conducts joint training exercises with Rio Rico Fire Department, including live burn training at model homes in Rio Rico. Mutual aid cooperation exists between departments.
• Santa Cruz CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEFD has an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Santa Cruz County for use of county water stored at the County Complex in Sonoita. County Emergency Services Coordinator provides support and coordination. MCI Trailer is a shared County resource.
• FEMAminorOthersSEFD references FEMA's mobile application and disaster preparedness resources for community emergency preparedness education. The district has received FEMA grants for equipment including new turnouts, air fill station, wildland fire uniforms, and some truck equipment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Drexel Heights Fire District: Larger Arizona special fire district providing fire, EMS, and rescue services in a mixed rural/urban footprint southwest of Tucson. Comparable governance model (Arizona special district) and service mix, with greater scale.
• Golder Ranch Fire District: Large Arizona special fire district serving northern Tucson metro and surrounding areas. Comparable as an Arizona special district delivering fire, EMS, and community risk reduction services with a published fee schedule and broad service portfolio.
• Northwest Fire District: Major Arizona special fire district providing fire, EMS, and rescue services in the Tucson metro area. Comparable governance and service model (special district, ALS transport, wildland response) but at materially larger scale.
• Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Management: County-level agency that coordinates the Wildfire Protection Plan SEFD adopted in March 2026 and supports MCI/shared apparatus. Comparable as a coordinating and funding entity in the same regional public-safety ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue: Neighboring combination volunteer fire and EMS provider in the Patagonia/Sonoita area with which SEFD has a formal Automatic Aid agreement (April 2026) and shared 4th of July Parade participation. Directly comparable in service mix (fire, rescue, EMS) and rural Santa Cruz County geography.
• Avra Valley Fire District: Rural Arizona special fire district northwest of Tucson with significant wildland and dispersed-residential exposure. Comparable governance model and service mix to SEFD, including fee-funded community services and mutual aid.
• Tubac Fire District: Adjacent Santa Cruz County fire district that historically held the Certificate of Need (CON) for the southeastern county. SEFD conducts joint training with Tubac and operates in overlapping response areas, making it a directly comparable peer in service area and scope.
• Rio Rico Fire & Rescue District: Nearby Santa Cruz County fire and EMS district with which SEFD conducts joint training (live burn exercises at model homes) and maintains mutual aid. Comparable as a paid/volunteer combination department covering a broader suburban-rural area south of Tucson.
• Picture Rocks Fire District: Rural Arizona special fire district west of Tucson serving a dispersed, high-WUI population. Comparable in scale, mix of volunteer and career staff, wildland risk profile, and ambulance transport obligations across a large geographic area.

Others

• FEMA / Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management: State and federal agencies that fund SEFD apparatus acquisitions (FEMA grants) and coordinate wildland response. Not a direct peer but a key enabler and counterparty for revenue, training, and incident command that shapes SEFD's operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SonoitaElginFire/events
• Instagraminstagram.com/sonoitaelginfire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Sonoita-Elgin Fire District