Perched
spectacularly on cliff and creek and accessible by land only via torturous
mountain road, Muir Beach might look to outsiders like a community where
personal safety has been forfeited for beauty and serenity. The nearest hospital,
after all, is a 12-mile, 30-minute drive.
Fast and competent life-saving help, however, is just minutes away. A call to 9-1-1 sets in motion an incredible life-saving apparatus.
Emergency 9-1-1 calls are answered by Marin County Sheriff Department dispatchers at the Civic Center. Highly trained personnel prompt callers for information which is immediately entered into a computerized system. If an individual can dial the emergency number, but cannot speak, specialized Caller-ID-type devices can automatically pinpoint the address. A sheriff's deputy may be sent, fire departments notified or, in the event of a medical emergency, an ambulance or even a helicopter will be dispatched.
For fire and medical emergencies, the county almost always dispatches both the Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department and the Marin County Fire Department located on Throckmorton Ridge, insuring a speedy and adequate response.
In most Muir Beach emergencies, members of the Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department will be the first help to arrive. The 17-member department includes six Emergency Medical Technicians who are thoroughly trained and drilled to the same levels and standards as paid professionals.
The MBVFD practices year round to handle a wide variety of emergencies,
structure and wildland fires, cliff and open space rescues, car and bicycle
accidents, household emergencies, flood evacuations and virtually any other
situation in which someone may be injured. The vast majority of local responses
are for non-fire emergencies.
MBVFD personnel are trained to stabilize accident and medical emergency victims until an ambulance and paramedics arrive. For critical situations, a helicopter air ambulance is also available and can land at several designated sites.
Marin is updating the system that handles cellular calls to 9-1-1. In the past, all cellphone calls for help were answered by the California Highway Patrol. A new system being phased in will route local 9-1-1 cell phone calls to city or county dispatchers.
Thanks to trained, and dedicated personnel, both unpaid volunteers and full-time professionals, Muir Beach is well protected.
