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Firefighter News - November 2018 - Wood / Pellet Stove & Smoke Alarm Safety, Graton Fire Christmas Tree Farm & Firefighter Awards

Sebastopol Fire

As the temperature drops outside, wood and pellet stoves may be fired up inside the home.

What you may not realize is that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months.

Wood and Pellet Stove Safety:

Source: NFPA Public Education Division • 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169

Smoke Alarm Sense

Thank you all who attended our last 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.

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.

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.

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 up-staffed 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.

Graton Fire

Graton Fire Christmas Tree Farm – Opens 11/23 - Thursday-Sunday 9am-5pm, Pre-Cut & Choose-n-Cut

We are celebrating our 13th year of serving the community in a different way… selling Christmas trees. As many of you know, we purchased the Del Davis Tree Farm on Highway 116, just below Green Valley Road, 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!

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?

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. 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. 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...

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 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.

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 daytime calls, participate in training, completes station projects, and finished his driver/operator certification. Great job!

Zach Colenzo received the award for Most Improved Firefighter. In addition to completing our academy in 2012. Zach has been a great help. He continues to run calls, cover sleeper shifts, and use his skills as a welder to repair things around the station. Congratulations!

This year’s recipient for Most Improved Trainee goes to Shane Spelman. Joining the department at 16 as a Cadet, he has quickly become a great asset... We are lucky to have him. He is currently taking EMT at the SRJC. Thank you for your hard work in training and we look forward to your participation for years to come! Congratulations to all of the recipients and a BIG thank you to all of our volunteers and their families.

We also recognized firefighters for their years of volunteer service. Some reached milestones this year:

Assistant Chief Robert Sabrowsky – 20 years Firefighter Zach Colenzo – 5 years Firefighter Josh Skikos – 5 years

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