vernonia rural fire protection district
february21
2019
15
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
Wild Land Cleanup
Spring is around the corner, and
that means eventually we’ll see warmer
temperatures and drier weather condi-
tions – we’ve probably all seen enough
rain to last for quite a while.
Now is the time to start think-
ing about the coming dry season and the
threat of wildland fires.
Start thinking about your prop-
erty. What trees, shrubs, or open fields
of grass on your property need to be cut
back or mowed down? When you re-
move the fuel (trees, brush, shrubs) you
limit what a wildland fire has to burn.
And it’s especially important to remove
those fuels when they are near your
home or outbuildings.
This year will probably be simi-
lar to those in years past. It will become
very dry and the fire danger will once
again rise to levels of concern. So please
take the time to start off early this year
and remove those fuels.
Things that you can do:
• Clean out your gutters
• Trim trees back that are near structures
• Trim back or remove large shrubs that
are near your home or outbuildings
• Mow down tall grasses and weeds
• Create a safe approved area to burn
yard debris
• Get all of your yard debris burned early
in the season (with valid burn permit)
Please remember that you need
a valid burn permit to burn yard debris
in the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection
District. You can pick up your burn per-
mit at the Fire Station located at 555 E.
Bridge Street in Vernonia.
When burning yard debris,
please remember that you cannot burn
anything other than yard debris.
You cannot burn:
• Household trash
• Construction materials of any type
• Tires or petroleum products
• Old furniture such as mattresses,
couches, chairs, etc.
For more tips on how you can prepare
and protect your property during Wild-
land Fire Season, go to https://www.
ready.gov.
Build Your Own Emergency Supply Kit
The recent stretch of bad weather
and the flooding around areas of Colum-
bia County, along with some periodic
regional power outages, was a good re-
minder that most of us are probably not
as prepared for a disaster, big or small, as
we should be.
Having a simple Emergency
Supply Kit on hand and accessible is one
thing all of us can do to be better prepared.
A disaster supplies kit is simply a
collection of basic items your household
may need in the event of an emergency.
Try to assemble your kit well in advance
of an emergency. You may have to
evacuate at a moment’s notice and take
essentials with you. You will probably not
have time to search for the supplies you
need or shop for them.
You may need to survive on your
own after an emergency. This means hav-
ing your own food, water, and other sup-
plies in sufficient quantity to last for at
least 72 hours. Local officials and relief
workers will be on the scene after a di-
saster but they cannot reach everyone im-
mediately. You could get help in hours or
it might take days.
Additionally, basic services such
as electricity, gas, water, sewage treat-
ment, and telephones may be cut off for
days or even a week, or longer. Your sup-
plies kit should contain items to help you
manage during these outages.
Food
Consider the following things when put-
ting together your emergency food sup-
plies:
• Store at least a three-day supply of non-
perishable food.
• Choose foods your family will eat.
• Remember any special dietary needs.
• Avoid foods that will make you thirsty.
• Choose salt-free crackers, whole grain
cereals, and canned foods with high
liquid content.
• Following a disaster, there may be
power outages that could last for several
days. Stock canned foods, dry mixes,
and other staples that do not require
refrigeration, cooking, water, or special
preparation. Be sure to include a manual
can opener and eating utensils.
Suggested Emergency Food Supplies
The following items are suggested when
selecting emergency food supplies. You
may already have many of these on hand.
• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits,
vegetables, and a can opener
• Protein or fruit bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Peanut butter
• Dried fruit
• Nuts
• Crackers
• Canned juices
• Non-perishable pasteurized milk
• High energy foods
• Vitamins
• Food for infants
• Comfort/stress foods
Food Safety and Sanitation
Flood, fire, national disaster, or the loss
of power from high winds, snow, or
ice could jeopardize the safety of your
food. Knowing what to do before and
after an emergence can help you reduce
your risk of illness and minimize the
amount of food that may be lost due to
spoilage.
Power outages can occur at any
time of the year and it may take from a
few hours to several days for electricity to
be restored to residential areas. Without
electricity or a cold source, food stored
in refrigerators and freezers can become
unsafe. Bacteria in food grow rapidly at
temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, and
if these foods are consumed, people can
become very sick.
Do:
• Keep food in covered containers.
• Keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
• Keep garbage in closed containers
and dispose outside, burying garbage if
necessary.
• Keep your hands clean by washing
them frequently with soap and water that
has been boiled or disinfected.
• Discard any food that has come into
contact with contaminated floodwater.
• Discard any food that has been at
room temperature for two hours or
more.
• Discard any food that has an unusual
odor, color, or texture.
• Use ready-to-feed formula, if pos-
sible, for formula-fed infants. If using
ready-to-feed formula is not possible,
VRFPD Budget Meeting
Ever wonder where your tax dollars go?
Now is your chance to find out how the Fire District is spending its funding.
Budget meetings for the 2019-2020 fiscal year start March 12 at 6:00 pm.
We always encourage our community to be involved and would like a few
people to join our budget committee.
it is best to use bottled water to prepare
powdered or concentrated formula. If
bottled water is not available, use boiled
water. Use treated water to prepare for-
mula only if you do not have bottled or
boiled water. Breastfed infants should
continue breastfeeding.
Don’t:
• Eat foods from cans that are swollen,
dented or corroded, even though the
product may look safe to eat.
• Eat any food that looks or smells
abnormal, even if the can looks normal.
• Let garbage accumulate inside, both for
fire and sanitation reasons.
Note: Thawed food usually can be eaten
if it is still “refrigerator cold.” It can be
re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals.
To be safe, remember, “When in doubt,
throw it out.”
For more information about food safety
during an emergency, visit FoodSafety.
gov.
Water
Water is an essential element to survival
and a necessary item in an emergency
supplies kit. Following a disaster, clean
drinking water may not be available. Your
regular water source could be cut-off or
compromised through contamination.
Prepare yourself by building a supply of
water that will meet your family’s needs
during an emergency.
You should store at least one gal-
lon of water per person for three days. A
normally active person needs about three
quarters of a gallon of fluid daily, from
water and other beverages. However, in-
dividual needs vary, depending on age,
health, physical condition, activity, diet,
and climate.
To determine your water needs, take the
following into account:
• One gallon of water per person per day,
for drinking and sanitation.
• Children, nursing mothers, and sick
people may need more water.
• A medical emergency might require
additional water.
• If you live in a warm weather climate
more water may be necessary. In very
hot temperatures, water needs can
double.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of
water per person.
• It is recommended you purchase
commercially bottled water, in order
to prepare the safest and most reliable
emergency water supply. Keep bottled
water in its original container and do not
open until you need to use it. Observe
the expiration or “use by” date. Store in
cool, dark place.
Preparing Your Own Containers of
Water
If you decide to prepare your own con-
tainers of water, follow these recommen-
dations:
• Purchase food grade water storage
containers from surplus or camping
supply stores to use for water storage.
• Before filling with water, thoroughly
clean the containers with dishwashing
soap and water and rinse completely so
there is no residual soap.
• If you choose to use your own storage
containers, choose two-liter plastic
soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or
cardboard containers that have had
milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein
and fruit sugars cannot be adequately
removed from these containers and
provide an environment for bacterial
growth when water is stored in them.
Cardboard containers also leak easily
and are not designed for long-term
storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass
containers, because they can break and
are heavy.
You can view these safety tips and
find other resources for Emergency
Preparedness at: Ready.gov.
Calls responded to January 1-31
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
2
42
0
10
1
0
0
0
1
56