vernonia rural fire protection district
april20
2017
15
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
It’s Almost That Time of Year!
By Robert Schattschneider
As I sit at my desk while writing
this article, the heavy rain is pounding
on the rooftop and living room windows.
So my inspiration for writing doesn’t
come from looking out the window or
checking the local weather forecast. I
guess it comes from wishful thinking
and a strong imagination.
Very soon the skies will clear,
things will dry out, and we will get
outside to begin yet another year of
mowing the yard, planting our gardens,
and cleaning up the mess that fall and
winter dropped all over our yards and
rooftops.
That brings me to the topic of
“Burn Permits.” Get yours early and get
it out of the way. If you live within the
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District,
you can pick up your 2017 Burn Permit
at the fire department, which is located
at 555 E. Bridge St. in Vernonia. The
burn permits only cost $5 for the year,
and you’ll receive a list of things that
you CAN and CANNOT burn. Burning
items that are prohibited could result in a
costly fine. So, BEFORE you begin your
open burning this year, please pick up
your Burn Permit paperwork so you’ll
be legal and know all of the rules for a
safe burn season.
Now, let’s move on to that
dreaded topic of “Driving Safely.”
When the drier weather gets here, so
will the influx of bicyclists, motorcycles,
joggers, and tourists who love to come to
our sweet spot called Vernonia.
Not all bicycle riders make
full use of the Banks-Vernonia State
Trail. You will still come upon them
riding along the edge of Highway 47
and Scappoose-Vernonia Highway. So
please be prepared to encounter them
over every hill and around every bend in
the road.
The same holds true for the
joggers. Although they aren’t as
prevalent on the roadways like the
bicyclists are, they still stray away
from the trail on occasion.
Now, any of you who
have lived in or near Vernonia for
any period of time, know how the
motorcycles show up, especially
on the weekends. They often tend
to keep their speed closer to or just
under the posted speed limits. They
are much harder to see, especially if
they aren’t using their headlights, so
keep an extra eye out for them as the
temperatures rise and things dry out.
For those of you who do use the
trail, please pay special attention to the
warning signs that are posted throughout
the trail. Those “Stop” signs are there for
a reason!
On several of the cross streets
on Highway 47, traffic turning off of the
highway onto one of these side streets
are not able to see the foot and bicycle
traffic approaching the intersections on
the trail. There have been many close
calls at these intersections because trail
traffic did not obey the warning signs. So
it’s also up to the trail users to pay close
attention to traffic as well.
Please do your part to help
ensure that we all have a safe and
enjoyable spring and summer here in
Vernonia!
Cooking and Kitchen
Safety Tips for Older Adults
Cooking is the leading
cause of home fires and home fire
injuries year after year. Adults
over the age of 65 are at
significantly higher risk of dying
from a cooking-related fire. These
tips will help you cook safely and
minimize fire hazards in your
kitchen.
Cooking Safety
• Do not cook if you are sleepy,
have been drinking alcohol, or
have taken medications that make
you drowsy.
• Stay in the kitchen when you
are frying, grilling, or broiling
food. Turn off the stove if you
leave the kitchen for even a short
period of time.
• If you are simmering, baking,
roasting, or boiling food, check it
regularly. Use a timer to regularly
remind you that you’re cooking.
• Turn handles of pots and
pans to the side so you don’t
accidentally bump them and spill
the contents.
• Wear short, close-fitting, or
tightly rolled sleeves when
cooking.
Loose clothing can
easily catch fire if it comes in
contact with a gas flame or electric
burner.
• Check the kitchen after you
finish cooking to make sure the
oven burners and other appliances
are turned off.
Kitchen Safety
• Keep the stovetop and oven
clean. Spilled or baked on food
can ignite and start a fire.
• Clean the exhaust hood and duct
over the stove regularly.
• Keep towels, dish cloths, and
other flammable items away from
the stove and other hot surfaces.
• Plug countertop appliances into
ground fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI)-protected outlets.
• Unplug the toaster and other
countertop appliances when not in
use.
• Never use an oven or stove for
heating your home.
For more information go to:
http://www.esfi.org/resource
CAN YOU FILL
THESE BOOTS?
Calls responded to March 1-31
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
3
36
0
14
1
1
0
0
1
56
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
Call Dean Smith
for more information
on free training
(503)429-8252