Page 46 - Sonoma County Gazette June 2017

Safety First
“We had a good discussion around the re house table this morning, where all good discussions take place at the re house. I am simply stating an observation from my point of view as a re ghter and sharing a prospective that has been stated before.
By Darrin DeCarli, Gold Ridge Fire Battalion Chief
Spring has sprung and the grass is growing. With the abundance of rain that
Until the day comes that both sides agree on what our model of health care looks like and it truly helps everyone in one way or another, 911 will be the closest we will ever come to Universal Health Care in our current operating system.
we have received this past winter, the grass/weeds are growing like we haven’t seen in quite some time. With this being said, it’s time to start preparing for wild re season. While we may go about clearing our property of vegetation with the best of intentions, there are times where we need to consider if we are using the right “tools” for the job. The following are some helpful tips from Cal Fire as it relates to creating defensible space on your property or simply working in the yard:
Yes, I am serious! If you really stop and think about it the 911 system is built for caring for everyone!
Are you doing the right thing, the wrong way?
In the area that I work as a re ghter if you dial 911 within 3 to 15 minutes depending on your geographic area relative to the re station a $500,000
re engine and a $250,000 ambulance arrive in front of your house with a minimum of 3 highly trained people who have spent hundreds or thousands of hours in school and training and we are there for one purpose, to take of care of you!
Are you doing the right thing the wrong way - for example, trying to eliminate the re hazards around your home and in the process starting a wildland re? Each year CAL FIRE responds to more than 1,600 res started by Californians using equipment the wrong way.
We don’t care about your socioeconomic status, your race, religion, political a liation, or any other number of things that society tells us we have to identify with.
Whether working to create a defensible space around your home, just mowing the lawn, or pulling your dirt bike over to the side of the road, if
you live in a wildland area you need to use all equipment responsibly. Lawn mowers, weedeaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors, and trimmers can all spark a wildland re. Do your part, the right way, to keep your community re safe.
We only have one goal at that point in time, and that is to provide you with the highest possible and most appropriate care that we can based on our protocols.
Here’s how to do it the Right Way:
• Do all yard maintenance that requires a gas or electrical motor before 10 am,
In a world of maybes, we are a guarantee, a guarantee that you will
be listened to, treated with respect and compassion and not judged or undervalued because you can’t a ord a certain policy with a speci c company. A guarantee that the only reason we care about pre-existing conditions is so that we can give you the appropriate care. And a guarantee that regardless of your ability to pay we are going to use all of tools and training to what is best for you the patient!” ~ Sean Grinnell, Fire Chief.
not in the heat of the day, or when the wind is blowing!
• Lawn mowers are designed to mow lawns. Never use lawn mowers in dry vegetation.
• Use a weed trimmer to cut down dry weeds and grass.
Graton Fire
• Remove rocks in the area before you begin operating any equipment. A rock hidden in grass or weeds is enough to start a re when struck by a metal blade.
• In wildland areas, spark arresters are required on all portable gasoline powered equipment including tractors, harvesters, chain saws, weedeaters, mowers, motorcycles, and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).
• Keep the exhaust system, spark arresters and mower in proper working order and free of carbon buildup. Use the recommended grade of fuel and don’t top o .
• Keep the engine free of oil and dust, and keep the mower free of ammable materials.
• In wildland areas, a permit may be required for grinding and welding operations, and spark shields may be required on equipment. Be sure to have 10 feet of clearance, a round point shovel, and a backpump water-type re extinguisher ready to use.
• Hot exhaust pipes and mu ers can start res you won’t even see, until it’s too late! Don’t pull o into dry grass or brush.
• Keep a cell phone nearby and call 911 immediately in case of a re.
Additional information can be found at re.ca.gov.
June is the month for pancake breakfast. On Sunday June 4th, the Gold Ridge Fire ghter’s Association will be hosting their annual pancake breakfast at the Twin Hills Station, 1690 Watertrough Rd, Sebastopol. The event will start at 7am and go until noon. Ra e tickets are available at the door for great prizes. The Hessel Volunteer Fire ghter’s Association are hosting their annual pancake breakfast on Sunday June 11th. The breakfast will be located at 4500 Hessel Rd, Sebastopol and will start at 7:30 am nishing up at 11:30am. Ra e tickets are available at the door for great prizes. Come out and enjoy a great breakfast getting to know your neighbors and your re ghters.
46 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 6/17
A Pancake Breakfast “Thank You!” – 1,500+ Served Our 39th annual Graton Fire ghters Association Pancake Breakfast was a huge success because of you, the community! Thank you to everyone that used the shuttle to alleviate parking at the new re station. We served over 1,500 plates of pancakes, eggs, and sausage along with gallons of Roasters co ee, orange juice,
Bodega Bay Fire
Recently, our duty crew was talking about our role in providing healthcare to our community. One of the crew presented a perspective in a way I found so profound that I asked him to write it up so I could share it. What follows are his words:
Manzanaapple juice, and milk. Everyone enjoyed tours of the REACH and Sheri helicopters, re engines, Sheri ’s SWAT armored vehicle, bomb squad truck, dive team trailer, search and rescue dogs, and incident command unit, CHP patrol
The funds raised at the breakfast will go to support the re ghters, the new station, and the equipment used by the department. Being that we are an all-volunteer re department, we try to create an inviting atmosphere at the new re house so volunteers are encouraged to hang out; thus improving our response times to the 600 medical aids, vehicle crashes, and res in our community each year. Thank you again for your continued support and devotion in our endeavor of providing protection to life and property in our community... we couldn’t do it without you!
Gold Ridge Fire District
teaching hands-only CPR!Soon, everyone that won a ra e prize will be noti ed. A huge thank you goes to the local businesses in and around our community for donating over 200 ra e prizes to help support our fundraising cause. Thank you to all the family, friends, and Boy Scout Troop 20 who came and donated their time to help work at the breakfast.
Graton’s Finest cooking breakfast for 1,500 people at annual fundraiser.
car, and Sonoma Life Support Ambulance