Cottage Grove sentinel., October 14, 2015, Image 27

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Presents:
S O UT H LANE FIRE & RESCUE
F IRE C HIEF ' S M ESSAGE - J OHN W OOTEN
Hel
Hello,
It has been a year since our last
mes
message to you, and almost a year and
a h half since I started at South Lane
C
County Fire and Rescue. We have
m
made some great new friends, and
r
re-connected
with old ones. My
family and I love the area and all
it has to offer. The past year has
been very busy for SLCFR, as
our call volume has increased. We
accomplished a lot this past year,
and want all of you to know it was
your
support making it possible.
y
CRESWELL FIRE STATION
We are continuing to staff the
Creswell Fire Station 24/7, and actually
Cres
increased our staffi ng September 1, 2015
increa
due to the
th voter approved operational levy.
Station 3 in Creswell is now home to two
career and on
one to two resident volunteers 24/7.
The addition of a second career position allows
for a fi
fire
re response even when the medic unit is on a
call. The continued staffi ng of the Creswell station
is due, in large part, to the levy our voters approved.
The station houses an ambulance, 2 fi re engines,
brush engine and water tender. Response times have
been signifi cantly reduced since 24/7 staffi ng began.
While SLCF&R has made several improvements and
upgrades to the Creswell station, totaling thousands
of dollars, we have simply outgrown it and need to
begin planning for expansion. As stated last year, one
of my goals is to begin planning for a new Creswell
station. This will require partnerships with the City
and community members. I am happy to report the
SLCFR Budget Committee and SLCFR Board of
Directors established a budget line for a new fi re
station in Creswell going forward. This will be a long
term capital budget item and a committee will be
established in the future to evaluate design concepts
and to discuss potential locations.
TECHNOLOGY
The fi ber optic project and other related
technology upgrades were completed last spring
under budget. This assisted in increasing our point
score with ISO. The District is making strides toward
becoming paperless. We have projects in the works
to reduce our carbon footprint as well. This year the
District did away with paper schedules and now uses
software any District member may access from any
smart device or computer 24/7. In the future we will
be evaluating doing away with paper time sheets and
other records.
FIRE MARSHAL
April of 2015 saw the retirement of Division
Chief Paul Eckstine who served as the Fire Marshall
for many years. I appointed Division Chief Danny
Solesbee as Fire Marshall and he has been working
toward required certifi cations for the position. Fire
Marshall Solesbee will continue the development of
standard driveway specifi cations mostly consistent
with other fi re districts in the county. Don’t forget to
contact FM Solesbee or Captain Smith if you need
smoke detectors installed in your home. The Oregon
State Fire Marshall (OSFM) recommends one in
every room. We are part of the OSFM smoke detector
program and are happy to help keep you fi re safe.
While we already work closely with our local
governments, we are always seeking improvement.
We are happy to have the cities of Cottage Grove
and Creswell participating with us in a joint venture
to upgrade all fi re hydrants to accommodate
modernized large diameter hose fi ttings. The
District, in cooperation with the water departments
from each city, have dedicated funding each year to
work toward this goal. Our inspection programs are
moving forward with good result, having the goal
of making our District fi re safe. We work closely
with the Oregon State Fire Marshal and the planning
departments from Cottage Grove and Creswell on
inspection and plan review. Losing a life to fi re in
a building is not something to take lightly, which
is the reason the prevention effort is supported and
encouraged. I would trust all business owners will
participate in, and understand the intent of our pre-
planning and inspection processes.
VOLUNTEERS
The District actively uses volunteers to
supplement and enhance our career workforce. We
are always seeking new recruits, and encourage those
with a desire to be part of something rewarding to
help serve your community by volunteering as a
fi refi ghter with the District. Recruit classes begin on
a rotating basis with the District providing all costs,
uniforms, PPE and equipment. If you are interested
please go to our web site www.southlanefi re.org or
come into the Cottage Grove station and pickup an
application.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SLCF&R recently hosted movie night at the fi re
house in Creswell and Cottage Grove. Both events
went very well and we believe it is a way to get the
fi re prevention message front and center. This is one
way we educate and say “thank you” for allowing us
to serve you and give a little back. I wish to thank
the following people and organizations who donated
time and/or materials to the event; Michael and
Janet Abshere for the popcorn, and cotton candy,
Oregon Department of Forestry and Smokey Bea,
Lane County Sheriffs, Oregon State Fire Marshal,
Cottage and Life Flight Network. I also want to send
a big thank you to all of our sponsors who made this
possible including; Bi-Mart for the bags, Jim’s Tire
Factory for the water, and Creswell Tire Factory for
the water. Our career staff, resident and volunteer
fi refi ghters put in many hours to make the even run
smoothly. A big thank you goes to them and to our
Community Outreach Coordinator Captain Aaron
Smith.
In closing, I look forward to an exciting and
productive second year at SLCF&R. Thank you for
the introductions and warm welcome. We are blessed
to be called to serve our community and wish to
thank you for all of your support.
Stay safe, John Wooten, Fire Chief