California Fire News - Updates in your mail box
California Fire News - Updates in your mail box |  |
| South Lake County Fire receive new OES engine Posted: 14 Apr 2009 02:43 PM PDT  From left, paid call Engineer Bob Cummesky, Fire Marshal Dave Miinch, paid call Firefighter Dave Watkins and Battalion Chief Jim Wright. Courtesy photo.MIDDLETOWN – The South Lake County Fire Protection District has a new piece of equipment in its arsenal. On April 8, the district took delivery of a new Office of Emergency Services engine identified as OES-359. This new engine was provided to the South Lake County Fire Protection District to utilize in response to California's ever-increasing threat of fire and earthquake related emergencies. The Office of Emergency Services provides the engine free of charge with the agreed upon understanding that should a catastrophic emergency arise within the State of California the South Lake County Fire Protection District will provide the staffing needed to respond. The fire district can use the engine to augment its existing apparatus inventory in an effort to quell the threat of fire and other related emergencies locally. "Our Fire District has been providing this needed staffing since 1971 upon signing our first agreement with Office of Emergency Services," said Fire Marshal Dave Miinch. "Much appreciation goes out to our paid call fire staff who answer the call of duty when an emergency arises in the state of California. Several times each year this engine will be called upon to respond to emergencies and without the help of our Paid Call Fire Staff that wouldn't be possible." This most recent delivery provided what is known as a Type I Fire Engine and a Type III Urban Search and Rescue Unit. The new unit has the capability of delivering 1,250 gallons a minute with a tank capacity of 850 gallons of water. It carries specialized equipment, which can be utilized in the search and rescue of victims during earthquake emergencies and other related disasters. "It's one of the finest pieces of rescue apparatus I've seen in my fire service career of 22 years," said Miinch. "The California Office of Emergency Services should be commended for providing such a quality piece of fire apparatus to protect the people of California from the threat of fire and other related disasters." Source: Lake County News  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SAR NEWS: New Hampshire - Two Climbers ride avalanche 800 feet down Mt. Washington Posted: 14 Apr 2009 10:45 AM PDT "Injuries included a broken pinky finger, a sprained ankle, a bruised pelvis, and various lacerations and abrasions." Two men ride avalanche 800 feet down Mt. Washington April 14, 2009 Noon
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff A Massachusetts man and his climbing partner were caught in an avalanche and tumbled about 800 feet down a slope on Tuckerman Ravine at New Hampshire's Mount Washington last weekend but sustained only minor injuries, US Forest Service rangers said. Tim Finocchio of Holbrook and Daniel Zucker of Danville, Vt., were "incredibly fortunate," the rangers said in an incident summary by the forest service's Mount Washington Avalanche Center. "Ironically, the avalanche which caused their fall likely helped protect them from more significant injuries as they probably rode on the debris cushion to their resting point. � That they were able to walk themselves down from an incident such as this is remarkable to say the least," the report said. Finocchio and Zucker, who were described in the report as "athletic and experienced mountaineers," were climbing Saturday in an area known as "Dodge's Drop" when they were enveloped by the avalanche, the report said. The avalanche carried them over a small cliff (Zucker told rangers it felt like he was airborne for "three heartbeats") and then into a treed slope below, where they came to rest on top of the snow in the trees. "They managed to pass through the rocky section of the fall unscathed, with the injuries being sustained only after being carried into the trees," the rangers reported. The men, whose injuries included a broken pinky finger, a sprained ankle, a bruised pelvis, and various lacerations and abrasions, were taken to a ranger cabin where they were more thoroughly assessed and treated, then back to their car so they could drive to a local hospital, the report said. Neither Finocchio nor Zucker could immediately be reached for comment.Source: Boston.com - Link  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECCFPD: East Contra Costa Fire Protection District - LAFCO - EMS - MSR Posted: 14 Apr 2009 10:31 AM PDT Bottom Line: ECCFPD provides minimally adequate service levels.
What: Municipal Service Review - MSR is a comprehensive study designed to better inform LAFCO, local agencies, and the community about the provision of municipal services. Service reviews capture and analyze information about the governance structures and efficiencies of service providers and identify opportunities for greater coordination and cooperation between providers. The MSR is a prerequisite to a Sphere of Influence determination and may also lead a LAFCO to take other actions under its authority. The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) was formed in 2002 as a county-dependent district through the consolidation of the Bethel Island, East Diablo and Oakley fire districts. Included in the ECCFPD are the cities of Oakley, Brentwood, a portion of Antioch and Clayton, the unincorporated communities of Bethel Island, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, and other areas of unincorporated Contra Costa, 238 square miles. The District's staff consists of 55 full-time staff and 25 paid on-call staff. The sworn permanent staff includes 53 full-time equivalents (FTEs), and the civilian staff is composed of two FTEs. The Fire Chief is responsible for organizational productivity and accountability, and is directly responsible for finance and personnel. The District is organized into divisions for operations, administration, EMS and training, and fire prevention. Three battalion chiefs report directly to the Fire Chief; battalion chiefs are responsible for operations, fleet, training, and reserves. The District provides EMS services until AMR, a privately-owned ambulance company, arrives to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) and ambulance transport services. The District contracts with ConFire for dispatch, radio, information and fire prevention services. ECCFPD contracts with CAL FIRE to provide fire protection service to the Marsh Creek area of the District. Some observation made in the report: ECCFPD relies on property taxes for 94 percent of its revenue, and receives a below average share of property taxes compared with other fire districts in the County. Its share of property taxes (net of redevelopment) is seven percent in Brentwood, five percent in Oakley, and nine percent in unincorporated areas; by comparison, the average fire district share was 12 percent in incorporated areas and 13 percent in unincorporated areas. There are no feasible opportunities whereby the District would elicit a portion of the property tax share received by other local agencies (e.g., the cities, the County or the schools). Residential population growth in the ECCFPD boundary is projected to be significantly faster than the countywide average. Brentwood is projected to be the fastest-growing city in the County. Growth in Oakley is projected to be on par with neighboring Antioch and Pittsburg. Residential growth areas include Trilogy at the Vineyards, Rose Garden, Palmilla, Cypress Corridor, the Lakes and Cecchini Ranch in Discovery Bay, Byron Airport, and Delta Coves in Bethel Island. In the long-term, growth is expected to increase the population from 106,386 in 2008 to 158,515 in 2030. Commercial growth is also projected to be significantly faster in ECCFPD compared with the countywide average. Oakley and Brentwood are projected to have the highest job creation rates in the County, outpacing neighboring Antioch and Pittsburg. In the longterm, growth is expected to increase the job base from 17,480 in 2008 to 34,251 in 2030. The District's facility needs have evolved rapidly in the last decade due to consolidation of formerly separate fire districts, a shift from on-call to staffed stations in much of the service area, and rapid growth. There are as many stations and personnel serving the Discovery Bay and Byron area (with a combined population of about 13,368 and 673 annual service calls) as the cities of Oakley and Brentwood (with a combined population of about 84,000 and 3,500 annual service calls). A number of the fire stations are no longer strategically located to minimize both costs and response times. At a minimum, FS 54, FS 58 and FS 93 (Oakley) are not strategically located. In the urban areas, ECCFPD provides minimally adequate service levels. ECCFPD staffs fire stations with two personnel per station regardless of whether a station is located in an urban area or outlying town; by contrast, four personnel per apparatus is the recommended urban staffing level. The District does not offer paramedic services. Response times meet certain guidelines some of the time, but fall short of meeting guidelines 90 percent of the time. ECCFPD's staffing level of 0.5 sworn staff per 1,000 people is substantially lower than the countywide average (0.8), as well as the Bay Area average for urban fire providers (0.9). Based on staff certification levels, ECCFPD staff credentials and skills appear to be adequate. Training hours per sworn staff member are lower than the countywide average. Info Source: romickinoakley.wordpress.com - Link  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAL FIRE - Atwater contract - Average response time - 3 minutes and 44 seconds Posted: 14 Apr 2009 10:04 AM PDT "Report showed that over a six-month period Cal Fire's times beat those of the Atwater Fire Department."Atwater puts to rest Cal Fire concerns By JONAH OWEN LAMB jlamb@mercedsun-star.com The Atwater City Council resolved the concerns of some council members' over Cal Fire's effectiveness in a unanimous vote on Monday night. The impetus behind these concerns came mainly from council member Gary Frago. In early March, Frago asked Cal Fire for a comparison of the response times of the former Atwater Fire Department and Cal Fire. Frago also asked city staff to explain the steps needed to terminate Atwater's contract with Cal Fire. Frago voted against the contract with Cal Fire, which started in October 2008. Ed Banks, Cal Fire's Atwater battalion chief, presented the report on response times to the city. His report showed that over a six-month period Cal Fire's times beat those of the Atwater Fire Department. For instance, the average response time for the 585 emergency medical calls that Cal Fire responded to was three minutes and 44 seconds. For Atwater Fire the response time for 546 such calls was four minutes. For fires in the same period Cal Fire's average response time was three minutes and 57 seconds. For Atwater Fire the time was four minutes, although they did respond to almost three times as many calls. Frago's request for an idea of the cost and feasibility of ending the contract with Cal Fire was not responded to in writing, said Stan Feathers, the assistant city manager, since the staff would need more time. "What this projection does not include is an estimate of reconstructing a fire department that is run by the city of Atwater," he said. Such a move, said Feathers, would be challenging and contain some risk. The city would have to shell out for the initial start and he could not project those costs at present. It is estimated that the city will save $1.4 million over the next five years with Cal Fire. It was Frago who made the motion to accept the report and give staff no further instructions on the issue. Source: www.mercedsunstar.com - Link | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High Wind warning and watches, Dust Storms possible Posted: 14 Apr 2009 09:47 AM PDT TRAVELERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY. A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH AND...OR GUSTS OF AT LEAST 58 MPH CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.
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| Posted: 14 Apr 2009 09:00 AM PDT  Update: 4-14-09 AM - Molestation, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, and Rape with a foreign object charges and enhancements being considered by District Attorney - Additional charges will be announced today. Formal charges have not been filed, but San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau said Monday a murder charge against Huckaby would "likely" include the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping. Huckaby, a mother of a 5-year-old and a neighbor of Sandra's, was arrested late Friday night. Sandra's body was found in a suitcase in an irrigation pond April 6. She went missing from her mobile home park community March 27, sparking a massive search. Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman declined to comment on Himmelblau's comments. However, media sources who met with Himmelblau in person Monday said he confirmed that the additional charges would be announced today and said that because of the special circumstances charges, Huckaby would be eligible for the death penalty. Last related post: Breaking News: Sunday school teacher was arrested, suspicion of killing Sandra Cantu  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego: Arsonist arrested for multiple arson fires Posted: 14 Apr 2009 09:04 AM PDT  SAN DIEGO -- A man arrested last week in connection with several arson fires had a previous history of confrontations with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel, authorities reported Monday.San Diego Police and investigators with MAST, the Metro Arson Strike Team, arrested the man in connection with multiple arson fires earlier this month in the North Park area. Police spokesperson, Mónica Muñoz identified the suspect as Joseph Benenati, 43, of University Heights. Benenati was arrested at his residence without incident. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on 14 counts of arson, Muñoz said. The arsonist set a total of 15 fires during the early morning hours of Sunday, April 5, 2009. The worst damage was to a carport at 4536 Idaho St. that was ignited by a burning vehicle, he said. Damage was estimated at $10,000. Investigators said Monday that a Crime Stoppers tip and surveillance video from a business near one of the arson fires were instrumental in making the arrest. According to Fire Department officials, on April 3, 2009, Benenati was served with a 3 year injunction requested by the City of San Diego, requiring him to stay at least 100 yards away from personnel and facilities of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and San Diego Medical Services Enterprise, the City ambulance provider. The legal action prompted after Benenati was involved in several confrontational incidents with ambulance personnel, one in which he brandished a weapon. Benenati is scheduled for arraignment in San Diego Superior Court on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. Source: News10 - Link  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red Flags: Riverside, Imperial counties Posted: 14 Apr 2009 07:16 AM PDT Instruction: PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING. Area: ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 132SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST DESERTS-CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- Affected Counties or parts of: Riverside, Imperial Sent: 2009-04-14T05:12:22-07:00 Original Sender: KPSR@nwws.oes.ca.gov From: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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