Page 45 - Sonoma County Gazette May 2020

Gold Ridge Fire District:
Defensible Space
While times have definitely not
been “normal” with our Shelter-In-
Place Mandate, we cannot afford
to be stuck in the “now”, we need
to think about the future. Wildland
fire season is just around the corner
and the Shelter-In-Place Mandate
may provide a unique opportunity
for us to take a look at our property
and see what we can do to help
make our properties defensible
from wildfire. While we are
mandated to stay at home during this
unprecedented time, we can use this
as an opportunity to work on clearing
the brush and weeds from around
structures on our properties as well
as trimming trees (removing low
hanging branches and clearing branches off of our rooflines).
Please take some time to review the Ready, Set, Go document that was developed by Fire Safe Sonoma. The document can be found electronically at: https://srcity.org/DocumentCenter/View/23630/FireSafe-Sonoma
Forestville Fire Protection District
We are still holding our annual Easter coloring contest this year. The deadline for entries will be May 15th, 2020. The contest is open to all children ages 4-12. The entries can be mailed to the firehouse at: Forestville Fire, 6554 Mirabel Rd, Forestville CA 95436 or scanned and emailed to FD51@forestvillefire.org.
Please call us if you have any questions (707) 887-2212.
STAY SAFE!
An example of a home hardening project is to inspect your exterior siding for dry rot, gaps, cracks and warping. If you find any of these situations after inspection, caulk or plug gaps in the siding or replace damaged boards.
Please contact your local fire agency with questions regarding defensible space or wildfire preparedness.
2) The CDC reports we can be infected for up to 48 hours and not have any symptoms. That is why everyone, including fifirefifighters,
Graton Fire:
We’re not ready to say our annual pancake breakfast is cancelled! Our hope is that we can reschedule for later this summer or early fall. Would really miss the opportunity to see everyone. Stay tuned!
Blood Drive! Sunday, May 17, 10a - 3p: while the pancake breakfast
is postponed, that’s no reason to postpone saving a life! The blood
drive donation is an essential tool to saving lives and will still happen
– with proper social distancing and protection, of course. Please make appointments at www.vitalant.org so they know how much staff to send. OUR GOAL: 42 appointments, 31 donors and35 lifesaving units of blood. What steps will be taken to reduce transmission of COVID-19?
• We are encouraging appointments to reduce crowding.
• Appointments are limited to reduce waiting.
• Walk-ins will be accommodated only if space allows. Otherwise, we will take the person’s contact information and call them when/if a space opens .
• We are changing our set up to meet social distancing requirements.
• Vitalant staff follow rigorous safety and disinfection protocols at blood drives and donation centers.
• We are taking temperatures upon entry of the donation center/blood drive.
New Firefighters and Engineers
At the April Board meeting, the directors released job openings for three firefighters and three engineers – the first career employees in Graton Fire’s history! This was a historic decision and moment in the 70-year history for our community. However, it is only possible because you voted and passed the tax measure to hire these six positions. From a department running 100 calls/year in the 50’s to one that surpassed 800 last year, our community has changed, and we are adapting to meet it with your help. The new firefighters will start after July 1st, the start of our next fiscal year (when the tax revenue will begin).
COVID-19
It’s impossible to miss every print, radio, TV, and social media story about the coronavirus – COVID-19. To keep it short...
1) Thank you staying home and preventing the spread. Fire departments, ambulance providers, and hospitals nationwide are reporting a decrease in overall demand because of your efforts. This creates capacity to handle the potential surge of COVID-19 patients.
Pancake Breakfast – Postponed
Home Hardening is another area we can look at to help make our homes fire-safe. Hardening a home can best be defined as making your home’s structural components more resistant from an approaching wildfire.
are wearing facial coverings... to prevent us from spreading the virus. Please do the same – it’s
For more information visit: Sonoma County Fire at: sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Fire-Prevention/
or CAL FIRE: fire.ca.gov or www.ReadyForWildfire.org
We’re here when you need us!
faces, we will make it through this and be more resilient for the next thing to challenge us! Thank
now a public health order to wear a mask in public... outside or inside.
3) All communities are different, and Sonoma County is “behind” most of the
state and country because our first case was much later. That means we should expect
it to take longer to relax social distancing/
shelter-in-place than other places.
4) It is probably realistic to expect restrictions to relax in reverse order – non-
essential businesses may come back first (with restrictions) and large gatherings (e.g., sports,
fairs, festivals, concerts) to take the longest. Like every fire and flood that Sonoma County
you for your personal efforts to stop this pandemic!
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