Page 44 - Sonoma County Gazette November 2018

Sebastopol Fire
We are celebrating our 13th year of serving the community in a different way... selling Christmas trees.
As the temperature drops outside, wood and pellet stoves may be fired up inside the home.
As many of you know, we purchased the Del Davis Tree Farm on Highway 116, just below Green Valley Road,
What you may not realize is that heating equipment is one of
the leading causes of home fires during the winter months.
• Have a qualified professional install stoves, chimney connectors, chimneys. • Stoves should be listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
• In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only
to be the location of our
new fire station. For the 6th
year, we will feature pre-
cut Noble, Nordmann, and
other trees from a certified,
sustainably-grown tree
farm in Oregon. They are
kept in water so they will
last significantly longer and
be safer in your homes. We
highly encourage the pre-cut
trees, especially if bought early in the season—they will actually last longer than the choose-n-cuts!
dry, seasoned wood pellets.
• Have your chimney and stove inspected and cleaned by a certified chimney
sweep every fall just before heating season.
• Clean the inside of your stove periodically using a wire brush.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Place ashes in a covered metal
container. Keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home and other
Come get your Christmas Tree and Support the Graton Fire Department! Visitgratonfire.com for your picture from past years.
buildings.
• Keep a close eye on children whenever a wood or pellet stove is being used.
Remind children to stay at least 3 feet away from the stove.
• Stoves need space. Keep anything that can burn 3 feet away from the stove. • Install and maintain carbon monoxide alar-s (CO) outside each sleeping area
and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect the CO
We will be open Thursday-Sunday from 9am to 5pm after Thanksgiving Day. We invite you to come and enjoy homemade apple cider as you wander through our natural tree farm. Did you sponsor a tree seedling in the past? Come find your tag in the nursery or out in the plantation. Did you know that each acre of Christmas trees generates enough oxygen for 18 people?
alarms. When one sounds, they all sound. NFPA Public Education Division • 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169
Smoke Alarm Sense - Install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each separate sleeping area and inside each bedroom. For the best protection, interconnect the alarms.
When one sounds, they all sound. Test all smoke alarms east monthly.
Bodega Fire - Thank you all who attended our last
We realize several long-standing tree farms have retired and with them the traditions of family togetherness, holiday smells, and all the “little” things that make a fresh tree and Christmas so special.
major fundraiser of the year last month, we had a great turnout at our Polenta and Stew Dinner Fundraiser. Keep an eye out for our 2019 fundraising event schedule being released soon.
We look forward to continuing to give our community these special times and our volunteer firefighters enjoy the opportunity of seeing each of you, year after year.
As you pass through Bodega you may notice some upgrades to the buildings the Bodega Fire Department owns and maintains. The Post office received a fresh coat of paint and our fundraising facility/Fire Station #2 (McCaughey Hall) will be getting a new roof soon.
Please come and say hello to Heather O’Dell, our tree farm manager, who continues to nurture and maintain the trees on our behalf. With her efforts, our firefighters, and the support of our community, we anticipate another great season! Always remember to breathe deeply...
We received a Sonoma County TOT grant for roadway signage and are working to design some signs for the town. Within the next 6 months you should see “Welcome to Bodega, CA” signs on each end of town along with a new Bodega Volunteer Fire Department sign in front of our fire station that will have space for department announcements.
Firefighter Awards
Firefighter of the Year: Lindsay Cruckshank Most Improved Firefighter: Zach Colenzo Most Improved Trainee: Shane Spelman
The Graton Fire Board of Directors said thank you last month
Our new water Tender 8792 is in service and has responded to several fires in neighboring departments. The water tender and our Wildland Type 3 engine have been participating in recent task forces that have been upstaffed during Red Flag Warnings to be ready to respond to any significant fires in Sonoma County. Luckily, there has not been any significant events during these critical fire weather events.
to the volunteer firefighters for another year of service. This is a time each year, when we can acknowledge the efforts of our firefighters and the sacrifices our families and friends make so that we can serve the community... this is a night to thank them as well.
Graton Fire
Graton Fire Christmas Tree Farm Opens 11/23; Thurs-Sun 9am-5pm
Pre-Cut & Choose-n-Cut
It is also time to recognize those individuals that went above and beyond the call of duty – Lindsay Cruckshank was singled out as Firefighter of the Year. After joining the department in 2010, Lindsay has been a tremendous asset to the department. He regularly responds to day time calls, participates in training, completes station projects, and finished his driver/operator certification. Great job!
We also recognized firefighters for their years of volunteer service. Some reached milestones this year:
44 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 11/18
Assistant Chief Robert Sabrowsky—20 years Firefighter Zach Colenzo—5 years Firefighter Josh Skikos—5 years
ALL SoCo Fire Departments are WELCOME to JOIN this Column. EM: vesta@sonic.net