PLIOCENE RIDGE — The Pliocene Ridge Community Services District has put into service a new command vehicle donated by the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. Pliocene Ridge District Chief Chris Dorn will use the retired patrol vehicle to respond to incidents for which he had previously used his personal pickup truck. Dorn believes the donation will help give the Pliocene Ridge a more professional image.

Talks began between Dorn and Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher after Fisher had been tasked with finding the gravestone of the mother of a local who could no longer visit the Alleghany area. Though the gravestone could not be found, Dorn ran into Sheriff Fisher on Ridge Road during the search, and the conversation shifted to the need for a new fire department vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Office has donated out-of-service patrol vehicles to several Sierra County fire agencies in the past, including a Dodge Durango to Sierra City and a Jeep to Downieville Fire. No longer useful as patrol cars, they can be invaluable tools for increasing fire district response.

Pliocene Ridge’s new vehicle was given a paint job by Caliber Collision in Grass Valley and decals by OCD Graphics in Roseville, both of which donated their services. The car was painted black instead of the traditional white and red to save cost while still distinguishing itself from the police. The required red emergency lights were also salvaged from different vehicles, and the entire outfitting cost Pliocene Ridge about $3,000. Cost savings were necessary to stay within the Community Service District’s approximately $35,000 annual budget.

Pliocene Ridge has now gained four vehicles in the past three years, including two engines and a water tender. They also hope to add a rescue operations vehicle to their growing fleet. As the Pliocene Ridge fire resources grow, Dorn stressed that the most challenging hurdle they’ve always had is finding volunteers. With a laugh, Sheriff Fisher noted that he struggles even to find paid workers. Dorn strongly encourages people to become involved in the community, saying, “You won’t know how rewarding it is until you actually do it.” He described the great feeling of being there to help when people are most in need: “The compensation is what you receive internally. It’s the truest form of [being a] fireman.”