American Canyon Fire Protection District August 2023 News-Ladder

AMERICAN CANYON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT News-Ladder

A Message from the Chief

Dear AmCan Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and high spirits. As the Fire Chief of AmCan, I am pleased to share that the 4th of July celebrations in American Canyon were a resounding success, thanks to your cooperation and vigilance. We started the day by participating in a well-attended and wonderful parade celebrating the uniqueness that is American Canyon. We were pleased to reintroduce ‘Franny the Firetruck’, our robotic public education tool, which was named after a prominent member of our community, Mrs. Fran Lemos.

As the summer months come to an end, we are still in danger of wildfire. As you can see by big fires occurring all over the nation and world, vigilance is still imperative. Clearing away dead brush and weeds can assist in keeping your home and property safe. Cleaning out your gutters of any debris, and trimming trees are other key components of keeping fire away.

The school year starts August 16th in American Canyon and across Napa County. As students return to class, we would like to remind you to slow down and watch for pedestrians. While we are ready to respond to any emergency, we would prefer to keep everyone safe.

This past month, we had the opportunity to work with the California Cadet Academy. The program is designed to give the students who attend a head start when applying to college and/or attending certification programs to become Firefighters, Police officers, Deputy Sheriffs, Park Rangers, Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. Our crews were able to provide hands-on experience in vehicle extrication, allowing the cadets to use our tools, and understand the in-depth process of stabilizing a vehicle before having to remove a patient. We are happy to assist in growing the next generation of first responders. For more information on this program, please visit: calcadet.com

Last night, we had the pleasure of accompanying AmCan PD for the community celebration of National Night Out. This is a great way to get out and meet your neighbors. Knowing your neighbors is a tool that is especially important during a crisis.

Next week, August 8th, 9th, and 10th, Station 211, located at 225 James Road, will be temporarily closed for required safety upgrades. During this time, Firefighters will be relocated to our other Fire Station, located at 911 Donaldson Way E with the priority of maintaining excellent service throughout our community. For additional questions, please call our administrative offices at 707-551-0650 and follow us on social media.

Sincerely,

Belyea, Fire Chief

Geoff

OUTREACH COMMUNITY

Community

July 4th Parade Hands

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July Events

On the evening of Tuesday, July 25th, Director Helems, accompanied by several members of the ACCERT team, attended the American Canyon Board of Directors meeting to present the Board with a program update.

This presentation highlighted the various training opportunities, and service to the AmCan community through over 5 years of incident responses and community involvement.

To see the presentation please click:

ACCERT Presentation

Member Spotlight: Michael Tadewald

Michael has been with ACCERT for over 4 years and holds the Communications Director and Public Information Officer position.

Michael said that was inspired by his father, a former Fire Chief to join ACCERT as he engrained self-sufficiency, volunteering, and the tight-knit bond that first responders share with one another.

He enjoys performing complicated tasks and procedures as it builds 'muscle memory'. In crisis situations, he has found that you fall back on your training. In the 2020 fires, ACCERT was deployed to assist Napa CART (animal rescue). Due to the continued training, ACCERT was functioning as a well-oiled machine, and watching a grateful resident retrieve their pet, knowing we had made a difference was an addictive and satisfying feeling.

Michael would encourage anyone to join ACCERT to meet people, assist your community, and life saving skills. Helping others is one of the most fulfilling things in life.

ACCERT Anniversaries

1 Year of Service:

Kristen Klein

Carrie Massey

PJ Massey

ACCERT Birthdays

August 12: Beth Marcu

August 28: Chris Preovolos

Next General Membership Meeting

Monday, August 14th @ 7pm

225 James Rd, Station 211

To learn more about the 'Basic CERT Class' scan the QR Code

EXPLORER EXPLORER CORNER CORNER

July welcomed five new explorers to AmCan Fire Explorer program: Explorers Calix, Smith, Arcilla, Juarez and Benitez.

Training subjects included basic ropes and knots which are used frequently in the fire service for securing equipment, fire suppression, rescue work, and emergency medical applications. This training was led by Firefighter/Paramedic Cano.

EMS skills focused on Engine 11 EMS gear location familiarization. This training was led by Probationary Firefighter/Paramedic Kreps.

Explorer Torchie recently completed his EMT training and is now a part of the National EMT registry and working as an EMT in the Bay Area. He plans to return to school to further his education and obtain his Paramedic license.

Career Goals: To become a Firefighter/Paramedic.

Favorite Drill: Evolution 1. After learning and training to get ready for Evolution 1 we put all the pieces to the puzzle together and were able to show our advisors what we could do.

Explorer Torchie has been surprised by how each of the Explorers' personal Physical Training has improved each month.

Fire Explorer Torchie said 'I decided to join the AmCanFire Explorer program because it is a great way to get your foot in the door and the Firefighters push you to do better. When I do join a fire academy I know I will be ready because I am learning from the BEST!'

Interesed in becoming an Explorer?: amcanfire.com

Angel Torchie III, 20

SUCCESS WITH SAFETY

August -BBQ Safety