AMERICAN CANYON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT News-Ladder
JUNE 2023
A Message from the Chief
Hello and welcome to the June newsletter from American Canyon Fire Protection District
As the school year comes to a close, I want to remind everyone to stay safe this summer With warmer weather, many people will be spending time around water. Please make sure to follow water safety guidelines, including wearing life jackets and never swimming alone Let's all work together to make sure that this summer is a safe and enjoyable one for everyone.
With rising temperatures, it is crucial to stay hydrated Dehydration can have severe consequences, especially during the scorching summer days Make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. By keeping yourself properly hydrated, you will be better equipped to handle the heat and stay
healthy
As part of our ongoing efforts to prevent wildfires and ensure the safety of our community, we have recently sent out weed abatement warning letters to property owners who are in violation of the regulations. We understand that maintaining your property can be a challenging task, but it is essential for the overall safety and well-being of our neighborhood.
I want to emphasize that weed abatement enforcement will begin on June 1st, 2023 Our team will be conducting inspections to ensure compliance with the regulations. It is crucial that all property owners take immediate action to address any weed overgrowth or potential fire hazards on their premises.
I am excited to announce that we have promoted two of our Captains to the newly created position of Battalion Chief This is an amazing addition to our mid-level management team and we are grateful to the Fire District Board for understanding the need for these positions. Battalion Chief Ron Prettyman and Battalion Chief Kenny Diede will serve as the District’s first-ever Battalion Chiefs and we are proud of the leadership, commitment, and dedication they have provided the District. With these promotions, two opportunities for our firefighters to advance to the rank of captain Captain/Paramedic Robert Rojas and Captain/Paramedic Eric Costello were selected to ‘sit in the seat’ and lead their crews
On Tuesday, May 23rd, surrounded by peers, family, and friends, all four of these individuals were sworn into their new positions and had someone special in their life pin their badge Please help me in congratulating all of them on their promotions and support them in their leadership roles
Finally, we are excited to unveil a new format for our newsletter We hope that this new design will make it easier for you to stay up-todate on the latest news and events from our department. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions
Sincerely,
Geoff Belyea, Fire Chief
Incident Type 2022 2023 Change Fires 31 28 10% Medical Aids 456 419 8% Hazardous Conditions 14 13 7% Good Intent Calls 22 27 22% False Alarms 29 41 41% Canceled Enroute 75 81 8% Total Calls YTD 814 825 2%
Notable Incidents May 15, Kitchen Fire May 16, Mutual Aid, Vehicle Accident, Wires Down & Vegetation Fire May 29, Grass Fire
Operations Division
Training Monthly Training Hours 1,062 YTD Training Hours 4,371 Highlights PG&E First Responder Workshops Multi-Agency PG&E Gas Drill Vehicle Exrication Wildland Fire Ground Training Module 2 Test Preperation EMS Skills Update
May
OUTREACH COMMUNITY
Station Visit from Canyon Oaks Elementary Kindergarten Classes
DARE Graduations at Donaldson Way Elementary and Napa Junction Elementary
Public Safety Appreciation
Day at Calvary Baptist School
Badge Pinning of BC Diede, Captain Rojas, Captain Costello & BC Prettyman
May Training
May 18th - Golden Eagle Excercise
May 20th - 11 Graduates from the 1st Spanish Speaking Basic CERT Class
May 20th - Yountville ART, SIP & STROLL Support
May 26th - Tactical Communication & De-escalation Training
Member Spotlight: Brian Lane
Brian is retired and joined ACCERT to be of use in an emergency. He enjoys assisting as command and team radio services. Brian felt most helpful during the Napa fires. 'Joining ACCERT is a lot of fun and informative!'
ACCERT Anniversaries - 5 YEARS!
Selwa Hamati, Jan Kuhl, Karina Servente, Gene Sullivan, Mildred Valencia & Leon Garcia
Next General Membership Meeting
Monday, June 12th @ 7pm
225 James Rd, Station 211
To learn more about the 'Basic CERT Class' scan the QR Code
www.americancanyoncert.org
americancanyoncert
AMERICAN CANYON
ARE YOU READY?
TEXT 94503 TO 888777
TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS AND UPDATES
READYNAPACOUNTY.ORG
EXPLORER EXPLORER CORNER CORNER
May's Explorer training continued with physical fitness, turnout drills and hands on Wildland training. The Explorers practiced mobile attack (a drill in which they would walk along fire apparatus and put out fires), 'Bump and Run' (simulates protecting multiple structures in advance of a fire), and progressive hose lay (a method of adding additional needed hose to the front end of the fire hose, extending the length where there is no Fire Engine access
Explorer Nolan is currently enrolled at Dominican University in San Rafael pursuing a Nursing degree He also works at Amazon in Richmond.
Career Goals: Registered Nurse and he is currently 'exploring' options of being a Firefighter.
Favorite Drill: Evolution 1 Hooking the hose to the hydrant and practicing what it would be like to attack an actual structure fire
Explorer Nolan is surprised at the camaraderie shared between the AmCan Fire Explorers
Jordan Nolan, 19
Interested in becoming an Explorer?: amcanfire.com
SUCCESS WITH SAFETY
June - Go Bags
Don't wait until an emergency strikes to prepare. A 'Go Bag' is a bag full of essential items that can quickly and easily accessed in the event of an emergency.
911 DONALDSON WAY, E AMERICAN CANYON, CA 94503 FACEBOOK.COM/AMCANFIRE INSTAGRAM.COM/AMCANFIRE AMCANFIRE.COM (707) 551-0650 IN AN EMERGENCY DIAL 9-1-1
