Mono City Fire Protection District

The Mono City Fire Protection District protects the small unincorporated community of Mono City, located at the junction of US 395 and State Route 167 northwest of Mono Lake in Mono County, California. Formed in 1972, the district covers roughly 0.7 square miles at the base of the Sierra Nevada, taking in Mono City and land along Lundy Canyon Road, with Inyo National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands surrounding the district.

The department is made up entirely of volunteer residents, who respond from a single station in the community as firefighters, EMTs, and certificated drivers. Its work spans fire prevention and suppression, wildland firefighting, emergency medical response, and rescue, with mutual aid flowing to and from neighboring Mono Basin agencies — the Lee Vining Fire Protection District sits about three miles to the south. The remote, mountainous setting is part of the job: winter weather, canyon terrain, and long distances shape how the district operates.

An elected board of volunteer commissioners manages planning, policy, and district finances, while the volunteer force handles operations. Community groups and residents support the district through local fundraising and donations, and the district engages the community through events, training, and outreach on fire prevention and emergency evacuation.

Membership in the Mono City Fire Protection District is volunteer. Residents serve as firefighters, EMTs, and certificated drivers, training on and operating the district's equipment on incident calls, while a separate group of volunteer commissioners handles administration. Interested residents can reach the district at its business line, (626) 437-8398, or by email at monocityfd@gmail.com.