Cottage Grove sentinel., October 08, 2020, THURSDAY EDITION, Image 21

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020
S entinel
C ottage G rove
S OUTH LANE FIRE & RE SCUE
2020 F IRE P REVENTION W EEK M ESSAGE - J OHN W OOTEN
Hello,
It is my pleasure to share this news with you during the 2020
Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme for the 2020 Fire
Prevention Week is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.”
Kitchen fires can be devastating and have a number of
causes. Have a previously established evacuation plan and
meeting place. Keep a fire extinguisher handy and make sure
to test your alarms and change the batteries.
This year our Fire Prevention Week activities will be adjusted
due to the COVID-19 Executive Orders. Our thoughts and
prayers are with the victims of the recent devastating fires.
Fire Station Replacement and Upgrades
The District will continue planning for the replacement
of Station 203 (Creswell) and renovation of Station 201
(Cottage Grove). These projects are a priority for the District
going forward. The facilities upgrades are part of our
Strategic Plan.
Fire Prevention Programs
We will be engaging in an aggressive campaign through-
out the District and working with our partners to enhance
Wildland Urban Interface preparation utilizing the Fire
Wise program. One key focus of our efforts will be around
creating defensible space. The recent tragic fires in Oregon
and across the Northwest have demonstrated we need to do
more.
2020 Fire Season
To say this fire season has been tragic is a major under-
statement. Our crews have been busy responding to fires.
We responded as part of the Oregon Strike Teams to the
Northern California
Fires as well as the
Holiday Farms Fire.
The District itself
did not see a large
fire this year.
Personal Message
I am committed as
ever to the safety of
our communities.
I have always per-
formed my duties
regardless of my
personal or political
beliefs. I apologize
for the divisions
resulting from the
release of social
media posts from
my page. I have
always asked those under my command to accept respon-
sibility, learn from their mistake and make better decisions
going forward. I accept responsibility for the divisions this
caused and I am sorry. I have learned from my mistake and
will be a better leader for it.
Be Safe,
Chief Wooten