Alameda County spans from the shores of the San Francisco Bay to the golden inland hills. Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) is comprised of multiple consolidated agencies that began joining forces and sharing resources in 1993. Protecting unincorporated county land as well as Ashland; Cherryland; San Lorenzo; Castro Valley; San Leandro; Dublin; Union City; Newark; Emeryville; and the National Laboratories at Livermore and Berkeley; ACFD serves over 500 square miles and 330;000 citizens. This legacy stretches back 140 years; recalling the shared experiences of bucket brigades; teams of horses pulling steam-engine pumpers down muddy roads; the advent of motorized apparatus; and the days when school boys would be pulled from class to ride tailboard to fight blazes in the hills. These agencies have sent soldiers to two world wars; survived massive earthquakes; fought catastrophic wildfires; and touched the lives of Bay Area citizens for over a century. The ACFD is the sum of its many unique parts; which together form a premier; all-risk fire department.
#1624168 in eBooks 2016-05-02 2016-05-02File Name: B01GF5I5K0
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The story of an early California community in words and picturesBy D. JamesonRedwood Valley is a small rural expanse of vineyards. fruit orchards and grain fields about 120 miles north of San Francisco in the coastal mountains of California. It has now become mostly a bedroom community for the nearby town of Ukiah as well as a comfortable retreat for retires from afar. But when I was growing up there in the 1940s and 50s. the third generation of a family whose forbears were among the original settlers. it still had something of a frontier atmosphere. I vividly recall my grandfathers tales of herding the sheep into timbered barns every night to protect them from prowling grizzly bears. And I will never forget the experience. as a toddler. of observing local hunters display a mountain lion which they had killed in the nearby hills in front of the general store.In their compact volume of pictures and prose. Marvin and Linda Talso. whose roots in the valley also go back several generations. have well documented the lives. the grit and the civic spirit of the early residents who laid the foundations for a strong and enduring commune. In terms that no doubt echo the experience of countless other places across America. they depict the lives of the peaceful Native Americans who eked out an existence in this favored place before the arrival of the Europeans. They show how the early settlers of many nationalities: Scots. Finns. Italians. Germans. Irish and Greeks established their homesteads and grew together into a broader family. They portray the one room school houses where the children of early arrivals received a rudimentary education. They tell of the first local industry. a charcoal kiln. and of the railroad line which ran next to it where freight trains paused to pick up an extra helper engine to boost them over the steep grade going north. And they describe the clubs and associations which grew up to meet common needs. especially the development of a fire protection association from bucket brigade into a modern well equipped and trained force. all through local initiative. leadership and funding.While this book will naturally be of greatest interest to those with a direct connection to Redwood Valley and its citizens. past and present. it is more broadly a tribute to the spirit and determination that built our great nation. I left this engaging place over 50 years ago to follow a career that took me across the country and around the world. returning only for brief visits with family and friends. But these pages bring back deep memories of what in retrospect seems a near idyllic childhood among a strong and resilient people.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great quality for the priceBy Ladinamy husband is from Redwood Valley and served on their RVCFD for a few years as paid staff. His family has lived in the area off and on for many years. We found the book more of a photo album but still very interesting with the stories surrounding the photos. Great quality for the price! I would recommend this purchase!
