Soledad Fire Department

10/04/2026

To the City of Soledad, my coworkers, and the members of the Soledad Fire Department,

As I prepare to leave the Soledad Fire Station and move into another position within the Department, I want to take a moment to express how truly grateful I am for the eight years i have been assigned to Soledad Fire station.

Serving this community as a Fire Captain has been an incredible privilege. I am extremely thankful for the support the City of Soledad has shown the fire station and its personnel throughout my time here. Over the years, I have been fortunate to witness tremendous growth and improvement within the department. From increased staffing and additional resources to the addition of the ladder truck and its expanded capabilities for incident response, I am proud of how far we have come and excited to see where the department continues to go.

While I am proud of the improvements we have made, what I will miss most are the people.

The relationships, friendships, experiences, long nights, difficult calls, laughs around the station, and memories I have made with my coworkers are things I will carry with me for the rest of my career. The fire service is built around people trusting one another, depending on one another, and knowing that when things are at their worst, the person beside you will be there. I have been fortunate to work alongside some outstanding people during my time in Soledad, and I will miss you all greatly.

As I leave this station and begin a new chapter in my fire service career, I want to leave the personnel of Soledad with one piece of advice:

Train and motivate each other—always.

Train when you are rested, and train when you are tired. Train even after you have been up all night and would rather do anything else. Push each other to become better firefighters, better leaders, and better teammates. Never allow complacency to take the place of preparation.

Because one day, the training you did when you were tired, frustrated, or didn't feel like doing it may save your life, your partner's life, or the life of someone in this community who is depending on you.

Take care of each other. Continue to build this department. Be proud of the uniform you wear and the community you serve.

Thank you to the City of Soledad for your support, and thank you to everyone I have had the honor of working beside during these past eight years.

I will miss this station, this community, and most of all, the people.

I wish all of you nothing but success, safety, and good health moving forward.

Until our paths cross again,

Fire Captain Isaiah vanZee

09/11/2026

September 11th Memorial Ceremony

This morning at 8:00 AM, the Soledad community came together to remember and honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to recognize the courage, sacrifice, and service of the first responders who answered the call that day.

We gathered to remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost and the firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, military members, and civilians who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Twenty-five years later, we still remember. We still honor. And we will never forget.

A special thank you to the Soledad High School NJROTC cadets, Main Street Middle School, Soledad Police Department, Public Works, Mayor Anna Velazquez, and everyone who attended, participated, volunteered, and assisted in making this morning’s memorial ceremony possible.

Your presence and support helped make this a meaningful morning of remembrance for our community and helped ensure that the sacrifices of September 11th continue to be remembered by future generations.

From all of us at the Soledad Fire Department, thank you for standing with us as we remember those who were lost and honor those who continue to serve.

🇺🇸 We Remember. We Honor. We Will Never Forget. 🇺🇸

September 11, 2001 — Always Remembered. Never Forgotten.

🇺🇸🚒

09/04/2026

📚🚒 Soledad Fire Department Goes Back to School! 🚒📚

The Soledad Fire Department had a great time participating in Jack Franscioni Elementary School’s Back to School Night! Our firefighters enjoyed meeting students and families, answering questions, and sharing a little about what we do to help keep our community safe.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table and made the evening such a fun event. We hope everyone has a safe, successful, and amazing school year! 🍎✏️📓

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

08/12/2026

Thank You San Vicente Elementary School for the invite this morning to welcome students back for another school year!

07/20/2026

🚨 NEW INCIDENT – Vegetation Fire | South Monterey County

Firefighters are currently responding to a reported vegetation fire west of the community of San Ardo in South Monterey County.

Please avoid the area and use caution if traveling nearby to allow emergency personnel to safely access the incident.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.