Firefighter News - February 2018
Thank you Sebastopol Fire Department for providing this Month’s Safety Message.
Winter Home Heating Tips
Space Heater • Keep anything that can burn, such as bedding, clothing and curtains, at least 3 feet away from the heater. • Make sure the heater has an automatic shut-off, so if it tips over, it shuts off. • Turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. • Plug portable heaters directly into outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip. • Only use portable heaters from a recognized testing laboratory.
Fireplace
Wood Stove
Furnace
Kerosene Heater
2017 Fire Department Incident Summaries
Forestville Fire Department
Our daytime temperatures have been favorable, so let’s not forget about the fog and potential icy conditions that may exist in the evenings. On behalf of all fire departments and EMS responders, please consider leaving a little sooner for your destinations than you normally would, allowing for slower and more cautious driving. Please drive safely!
Forestville Fire Alarm Recap 2017
The Forestville Fire District’s paid and volunteer staff participated in 663 hours of in house training and logged over 20,512 hours responding to 978 calls for service during the 2017 calendar year. The District’s volunteer staff provided coverage for the District’s first out engine company to assure that it was staffed by a total of 3 personnel, 2 paid and 1 volunteer, at all times. In 2017 members of the District also served the community by donating to local youth groups and charities as well as, setting up for the Youth Park Barbeque, Toys for Tots and local toy giveaways, installing the Christmas Lights in town, delivering Santa Claus to the tree lighting, EMT standby at El Molino football games and a host of other events and charities. The Forestville Fire District Board of Directors would like to thank all of the members of the Forestville Fire District and their families for another year of Service and Sacrifice.
Graton Fire Department 2017 in Review
As 2017 ended, the firefighters of the Graton Fire Protection District completed 763 calls – A New Record! Annually, the number of calls grows – 20 percent this year (608 in 2016). This may not seem like much when compared with larger city departments, but Graton Fire still runs every call with volunteers – from the Fire Chief to the Trainees... they interrupt their paying jobs and personal lives to serve the community. Graton is one of the busiest volunteer fire departments in Sonoma County. Thank you to all of our volunteers, employers, and families for their understanding and support.
Russian River Fire Department
Russian River Fire, along with Forestville Fire, Monte Rio Fire, CalFire, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office held two public meetings in January to address concerns and develop a plan in the event evacuation orders are given in the community. Both meetings were well attended, and we received valuable feedback.Thank you to all who attended!
As a reminder, the Russian River Fire Protection District Board of Directors will hold their next meeting on February 14th at6pm at the fire station at 14100 Armstrong Woods Rd in Guerneville. We hope you’ll consider attending.
Visit us online at www.russianriverfire.org.
Bodega Bay Fire Department
The coastal emergency response agencies have had a recent increase in cliff and ocean rescues with one of them being a fatal incident at Goat Rock State Beach. The Bodega Bay Fire Protection District would like to remind everyone that while beautiful, our coastline can be a treacherous and deadly area if not respected. Residents and visitors alike are reminded to be ever vigilant when visiting the coast and to use good judgment when exploring new areas. Be mindful of the tides and of which stage they are at, areas that are accessible on foot at one time may not be accessible later and cut off beach access or egress. Never turn your back on the water and refrain from walking on the beach at the water line, Northern California beaches are known for large unexpected waves that can strike without warning. Never let your children near the water without adult supervision and do not let them or others climb on the crumbly coastal cliffs. Stick to designated beach access trails and be aware of your location in case an emergency arises, and help must be called for
There are many websites and services such as Sonoma County’s SoCo Alerts, Nixel, and NOAA, that offer notifications for weather, fire, law enforcement, and special interest activities.
The Bodega Bay Fire Protection District is proud to welcome new EMS Volunteers Steven Johnson and Support VolunteerTami Pennington; new part-time employee FF/EMT Kevin Comalli.
BBFPD is proud to announce the promotion of volunteer Nate Buck to Firefighter/Paramedic. Nate is a local success story. Nate joined BBFPD in August of 2013 as a Marine Support Volunteer, a position he is very well suited for. Nate then completed his firefighter training and earned his Firefighter 1 certification. Nate promoted to part-time Firefighter/EMT and began working available shifts. Nate then took advantage of BBFPD’s sponsorship of the SRJC-Paramedic Program and graduated last year. Nate’s promotion to Firefighter Paramedic became effective January 1. Congratulations Nate!
