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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2017)
vernonia rural fire protection district july20 2017 11 Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District 4 th of July Fireworks Show By Robert Schattschneider Each year the Vernonia Volun- teer Fire Fighters provide the fireworks show for the community. This year was no exception to providing a great show for everyone’s enjoyment. There is quite a bit of work involved, personal time donated, and monetary donations from groups and the community at large. Lt. Loomis has been in charge of receiving and generating donations, ordering the fireworks, finding personnel to help setup and fire off the fireworks, and cleanup of the area after the show. Lt. Loomis arranged to have donation jars placed at R&S Market, Mini Mart, and Mario’s Restaurant. Most of this year’s donations were collected at R&S Market. In addition to receiving dona- tions at these locations, the Vernonia Volunteer Fire Fighters and the Verno- nia Volunteer Ambulance Association also donated money that they had earned throughout the year. There is quite a bit of expense involved to provide the fireworks show for the community, both monetarily and the donation of personal time. This year the cost to put on the fireworks display came to $5,126.97 for the fireworks, donation jars, and permits. The donations collected from the community came to $1,416.63. The balance of $3,710.34 was paid by the Vernonia Volunteer Fire Fighters and the Vernonia Volunteer Ambulance Association. Both of these associations volunteered many hours of their personal time putting on fund raising FOR SALE Rescue Built by H&W 1998 Ford F550 4x4 7.3L Diesel Engine Automatic Transmission Mileage: 18,069 Comes as pictured, minus the AOL, Radio, and MDT system. Asking $30,000 Contact Chief Smith Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 (503) 429-8252 FireChief@VernoniaRFPD.us Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District Could Use Your Help Recently we have received some inquiries from the public concerning volunteer opportunities with the department. We do have several areas where we could use an extra hand from any interested citizens from our community. We realize that not everyone is cut out for becoming a fire fighter, with all of the training requirements and personal time commitments, so we have come up with some areas where you can volunteer to help us out, without having to go through a lot of training and time away from your families. If you are interested in learning more about the areas where we could use your help, contact the Fire Chief, (503) 429-8252. We could use some volunteers to help with: • Vetting Map Books • Answering Phones • Filing Paperwork • Public Education Program • Grant Writing • Computer Data Entry • Station/Grounds Maintenance • Fire Prevention Program • Address Program Calls responded to June 1-30 Fire Emergency Medical Service Hazardous Condition Service Call Good Intent Severe Weather & Natural Disaster Special Incident No Emergency Found False Alarm Total 1 38 0 5 1 0 0 0 2 47 activities so that they can donate the money towards the purchase of the fireworks. In addition to having a crew of men working most of the day to setup the fireworks and then keep watch over them until the time of the fireworks show, Lt. Loomis and Fire Fighter Jason Smith went to a 5 hour pyrotechnics class in order to receive their pyrotechnics’ license. Lt. Loomis will be placing the donation jars in area businesses starting in late February or early March in an attempt to raise enough money to purchase next year’s fireworks for the 4th of July. If any of the local businesses or residents of the community would like to donate towards next year’s fireworks display please contact the Vernonia Volunteer Fire Fighters or the Vernonia Volunteer Ambulance Association to make your donation. Or you can wait until the donation jars are placed at the local businesses starting in February or March. Your donations are very much needed and appreciated. The associations would like to thank all of you who donated for the 2017 fireworks display. Safety Tips for Fire Season We would like to remind the residents of our district to get your property ready for this year’s fire season. There are several steps that you can take to prepare your property and protect your home from wild fires. Action steps for around your home: • CLEAR leaves and other vegetative debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks. This helps prevent embers from igniting your home. • REMOVE dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house. • SCREEN in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating. • REMOVE flammable materials (wood piles, propane tanks) within 30 feet of your home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch your house, deck or porch. • PRUNE trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground. Wildfire can spread to tree tops. • KEEP your lawn hydrated and maintained. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce fire intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire. • Don’t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. DISPOSE of these items quickly to reduce fuel for fire. • INSPECT shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair the shingles that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration. • COVER exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home. • ENCLOSE eaves and screen soffit vents using 1/8 mesh metal screening to prevent ember entry. When it comes to grilling: Here are some safety tips for outdoor grilling that will help protect you and your home: • Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors. • The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. • Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area. • Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill. • Never leave your grill unattended. • Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it. Charcoal Grills: • There are several ways to get the charcoal ready to use. Charcoal chimney starters allow you to start the charcoal using newspaper as a fuel. • If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire. • Keep charcoal fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources. • There are also electric charcoal starters, which do not use fire. Be sure to use an extension cord for outdoor use. • When you are finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container. To view these tips and many more, go to http://firewise.org/ and search their website for hundreds of safety tips that cover numerous topics. Please take the fire season seriously and follow all of the safety tips to help protect you, your family, and your property. Follow VRFPD on Facebook for notices, burn conditions and closures, and updates concerning what’s going on in the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District. Feel free to call Chief Smith for questions or concerns at (503) 429-8252.
