vernonia rural fire protection district
june21
2018
15
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
District Updates
Building and Grounds:
The district is looking at the sale
of property next to the station and pur-
chase of property to the rear of the station.
These transactions will allow future flow
and expansion of the district with fewer
obstacles, while making fiscal sense for
the present. We are currently seeking
someone willing to donate their time to
use district equipment for upkeep of the
grounds. This would include mowing,
weed eating and basic outdoor clean up.
Apparatus and Equipment:
The new water tender is in ser-
vice and has officially responded to its
first fire. This was a mutual aid call to
assist with the wildland fire near Chap-
man. There are still a few small items to
be installed which will help keep the wa-
ter tender organized and run efficiently.
The camouflage rig that has been parked
at the station is slated to be a type three/
Heavy Brush rig. We are currently work-
ing on bids and plans for its outfitting.
Call volume and response:
As of June 14, VRFPD has responded
to 284 calls for service. The average re-
sponse per call is two personnel.
Personnel:
The current roster is seven re-
sponding volunteers, three logistics vol-
unteers, two recruit volunteers and two
administrative responding personnel.
The Training Captain position,
held by Will Steinweg, has helped the
district immensely with being more ac-
tive in county operations, assisting with
outside training opportunities, has so-
lidified our training program, as well as
integrating drills with Mist-Birkenfeld
Fire personnel. Captain Steinweg has
not been able to secure a home within
the community yet, but is continuing
his search. This means he stays at the
station overnight on the weekend shifts
that he covers, and when other needs
arise. Trish Smith holds our Volunteer
Coordinator position and just recently
was able to secure a matching grant in
the amount of $5,200 for wildland per-
sonal protective equipment.
Recreational Vehicle Fire Safety: Preventing RV Fires
By: Robert Schattschneider
With the beginning of summer
finally here, many of you are packing
up your campers and RVs for some re-
laxation, fresh air and sunshine. Are you
ready for all of the things that can go
wrong?
With some help from the Or-
egon Office of State Fire Marshal, here
are some safety tips and advice to help
ensure that your camping vacation will
turn out just as fun and problem free as
you anticipated.
Make sure that you have proper
ventilation before using that gas stove or
oven. Open overhead vents and turn on
exhaust fans.
One of the leading causes of
kitchen fires, in your home or RV, is
leaving things unattended. Just as you
would at home, make sure that combus-
tibles are well away from burners and
skillets. Never use cooking appliances
for heating your camper.
Before and after using your
gas appliances, check to make sure the
knobs are in the off position. Accidently
leaving the knobs in the on position can
cause a buildup of gas which can be dan-
gerous in more than one way. Extinguish
all open flames, pilot lights, and shut
off the gas supply. In the event that you
smell gas, do not operate any electrical
switches or any other device that can
produce a spark or open flame.
If you smell gas or even think
that there might be a gas leak, open the
windows, ceiling vents and doors to ven-
tilate the camper or RV, then get every-
one outside while the camper ventilates
itself. Again, shut off the main gas sup-
ply. Do not open the gas supply again
until you have found and corrected the
source of the gas leak.
Electrical heaters can be just as
dangerous in your camper as they are at
home. All heaters need plenty of space
away from anything that can burn. Keep
all paper, furniture, bedding, and cur-
tains at least three feet from your heating
equipment.
Make sure that your power cord
connecting the RV to the campground
electricity supply is in good condition.
Inspect it for cracks or any kind of dam-
age, including broken plugs or missing
grounding blades. Check all electrical
appliances for loose connections or con-
trols that seem to be loose or missing.
Avoid electrical overload by limiting the
number of appliances operating at one
time.
If you have your camper plugged
into a power source at a campground you
should disconnect the power cord before
using any generators to supply power to
your camper. Suppling your camper or
RV with both power sources at the same
time can cause your electrical circuitry
to malfunction, causing an electrical fire.
Make sure you check your gen-
erator’s exhaust system. Check all of the
connections regularly for leaks and tight-
en as necessary. Also check to make sure
the generator’s tailpipe extends past the
edge of the RV. Whether your generator
is built in or external, make sure that you
always operate it in an area where the
wind will carry the exhaust fumes away
CAN YOU FILL
THESE BOOTS?
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
Call Dean Smith
for more information
on free training
(503)429-8252
from the RV. Always allow the generator
to cool down properly before refueling.
Make sure that your camper or
RV has a smoke detector and a carbon
monoxide (CO) alarm. Check the batter-
ies prior to each trip to make sure your
alarms are working properly. If either
type of alarm makes a chirping sound
replace the batteries right away. Check
the age of your alarms and replace them
if they are 10 years old or older, or if the
age of the alarm cannot be determined.
You are going to want to make
sure your camper is equipped with the
correct type of fire extinguisher. Con-
firm that it is the proper size and securely
mounted in a convenient location. Ev-
eryone should know where the fire ex-
tinguisher is located and how to properly
use it in the event of a fire.
After you finish setting up your
campsite, go over your escape plan with
everyone, including where to meet in the
event of an emergency. Once everyone
has been accounted for, make sure you
alert anyone else in the immediate area
that might be affected.
Lastly, lets talk about campfire
safety. Select a spot that is away from
grasses and shrubs, overhanging branch-
es, and stacked firewood. Scrape away
leaves and litter to bare soil, at least 10
feet on all sides, and circle it with rocks.
Keep your fire pit small and easy to man-
age.
Before you light any campfires,
make sure that campfires are allowed in
your campground. Always have a shovel
and a bucket of water readily available.
When you turn in for night, or before
leaving your campsite, make sure your
campfire is completely extinguished.
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 firefighter,
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
family.
If you are interested in learning
more about the areas where we could
use your help, contact the Fire Chief.
We could use some volunteers to
help with:
• Vetting Map Books
• Answering Phones
• Filing Paperwork
• Public Education Programs
• Grant Writing
• Computer Data Entry
• Station/Grounds Maintenance
• Fire Prevention Programs
• Address Program
Calls responded to May 1-31
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
1
36
1
7
0
0
0
0
2
47