Fire Fighter News - January 2018
There will be two community meetings addressing the evacuation needs during an emergency such as wildfire, earthquake, etc...
These meetings will be held on January 13, 2018, and January 20, 2018, at 1 PM at at the Guerneville Elementary School gymnasium, 14630 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville, CA 95446.
Information presented will cover:
1. Warning siren systems – county wide or local?
2. Emergency communication systems
3. Evacuation maps and shelter locations
4. Formation of neighborhood groups to inform and aid residents in our canyons and forests, as well as in towns, through phone trees, door to door meetings, etc. This will include the CERT program volunteers.
The programs will entail +/- 45 minutes of information, followed by +/- 45 minutes of questions and answers. Questions raised in the 1st meeting that need more research will be answered more fully in the second meeting.
These meetings are being presented by the Russian River Fire Protection District, Monte Rio Fire Protection District and Cazadero Community Service District, CalFire, and theEvacuation Planning Committee.
Holiday Tree Disposal
Thirty seconds is all it takes for a dry Christmas tree to be consumed by fire. Many people will leave their trees up through the New Year — but fire doesn’t take a holiday. The Sonoma County Fire Prevention Officers Association urges everyone to dispose of their trees as soon as possible, once it begins to show signs of drying out. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), one-third of all Christmas tree fires occur in January.The first rule of tree disposal: Never put the tree or branches in a fireplace or wood burning stove! Sonoma County Waste Management has made it easy to recycle with four options:
There are many locations, dates, & times throughout the County; please confirm before dropping off your tree. Residents may take up to two trees to any of the drop-off locations at no charge.
The longer Christmas trees are in the home, the more they dry out and increasingly become fire hazards. Removing the tree from your home and properly disposing of it as soon as possible will minimize the risk of a treasured holiday season becoming a tragic one.
Blood Bucket Brigade
Winter and holiday season is always a challenging time for blood collections due to rainy weather, busy holiday schedules, vacation and flu season.
The recent wildfires that devastated multiple North Bay counties, along with the Gulf Coast hurricanes in September, serving as a reminder of the importance of keeping an adequate blood supply – both locally and nationally. Keeping shelves stocked by donating blood is one of many ways community members can come together to support one another. It’s the blood on the shelves today that saves lives tomorrow.
Since 2006, fire departments participating in the Bucket Brigade Challenge have recruited nearly 10,000 participants who donated thousands of units of blood for patients in Northern California hospitals. Last year, Windsor Fire Protection District took home the coveted Bucket Trophy with 86 participants.
The participating firefighters recognize the significance of their blood drives. Chief Bill Bullard of the Graton Fire Protection District is a frequent blood donor and encourages his two sons to donate. A Scout Master, Chief Bullard takes the scout slogan “Do a good turn daily” to heart stating, “As a Volunteer Fire Chief, I do my good turn through fire service and supporting my neighbors. As a Scout Master, I can instill the same level of community support to my boys and other young men.” Chief Bullard views blood donation as another way his sons and young scouts can be civic-minded and sacrifice just one hour of their time for the possibility of saving one life. That’s a great return.
Multiple fire departments are hosting blood drives throughout December and January. To find one near you, please see the list below. To make an appointment, visit bloodcenters.org/bucketbrigade or call 888.393.GIVE (4483). For your donation, please arrive well hydrated and nourished with photo identification. Donors will receive a special event T-shirt.
To make an appointment and for eligibility information, visit www.bloodcenters.org/bucketbrigade or call 888.393.GIVE (4483).
For your donation, please arrive well hydrated and nourished with photo identification. Donors will receive a special event T-shirt.
1/5 - Cloverdale Fire Protection District
2:00pm – 6:00pm Fire Station: 451 S. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
1/6 - Rohnert Park Public Safety
9:00am – 2:00pm Truck Bay: 5200 Country Club Drive, Rohnert Park
1/9 - Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue