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Mt. Shasta Vista Volunteer Fire
Company
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13502 Roland Dr.
Montague, CA 96064
Mt. Shasta Vista Volunteer Fire
Company |
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Mt. Shasta Vista Volunteer Fire Company will receive a commission when you choose our host, IPOWER, for your web site! |
Mt. Shasta Vista Volunteer Fire Company's Second Annual Free
Chipper Days - 2007
Mt. Shasta Vista Volunteer Fire Company (MSVVFC) held its second annual Free Chipper Days in April. Funded by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grant, the fire company visited 22 properties and chipped more than 16 tons of debris. Grant program coordinator Marjorie King met with officials from CalFire and United States Forest Service (USFS) and asked them to supply the educational materials thought would best inform our neighbors of the fire risk and appropriate prevention and preparedness measures. Both of the agencies went well beyond the request and supplied a generous number of incentive gifts as well. We filled CalFire's Smokey Bear litter bags with fire safety materials, Smokey Bear coloring books, rulers, jar grips, bandanas, refrigerator magnets, bumper stickers and more from the two fire agencies. Local businesses chipped in key rings, note pads, pens, pencils, magnets, screw drivers and calendars. A non-resident property owner donated D.A.R.E. rulers. State agencies have long recognized the value of these incentive items, not only in encouraging people to participate in outreach programs, but to be a constant reminder of the lessons learned through these programs. Many of the items include contact information to make it easy for our neighbors to find answers to other fire preparedness questions, fire event information and questions about California fire laws. The agencies appreciated the opportunity to reach the community with their messages, and the recipients were delighted with the "Thank you for participating" gifts. The free chipper program is a community service but we also appreciate the participants because they are doing the community a service. We are all safer when our neighbors take steps to improve the safety of their properties. Each fire safe property reduces fuels that add to heat and spread of wildfire, as well as reducing the risk of fire spreading outward in the event of a house fire. And each participant increases the success of our program, which will help us as we compete for grant funds to continue these programs. In a recent bid for funds, we learned that only one in six applicant agencies would be funded. success in a previous program is our best means of increasing our chances of being that one in six applicants. The program was a wonderful outreach opportunity for MSVVFC as well. Fire Chief Mary Cameron and Marjorie King visited with most of the property owners while the contractors chipped the debris. Mary and Marjorie were able to answer people's questions, make suggestions to improve the safety of their properties, tell residents about the many opportunities to help the fire safety effort in our community via the fire company and its auxiliary and Juniper Flat Fire Safe Council (JFFSC), hear our neighbors' ideas and needs, and even collected some donations toward more chipper days. And it was fun! We included a feedback survey in our program which helped us to learn the best use of our limited volunteer time and funds. We found out the best ways to reach our neighbors. The most effective way to get the word out is a personal contact. Two property owners said they participated because Chief Cameron told them about it, one said she heard from Colleen Welch, one from Marc Horney (our ally from USDA), one from Bob and Betty Parkison, twelve said Marjorie King influenced their participation, four saw it on bulletin boards and two learned of it in a letter sent by Marjorie King and JFFSC secretary Pamela Simpson. We encouraged property owners to keep their chips and every single one of them did that, saying they would use the chips to control weeds and dust on their properties and improve the soil. Two families also planned to use the chips for animal bedding. Federal funding agencies consider "utilizing biomass" as a plus on our grant report, so these people helped all of us to help ourselves. Survey respondents could think of no way to improve the program, all said they would participate next year. Several non-resident property owners were inspired by the chipper days to come to their Juniper Flat properties and create "shaded fuel breaks". Shaded fuel breaks are areas where the quick-to-ignite and spread ground fuels (taller grasses, weeds, shrubs and brush) are eliminated and lower limbs of trees are removed, resulting in a pleasant, cooling, park-like appearance and reduced risk of fire spreading to the crowns of trees, where dangerously high heat is generated. Every year MSVVFC is called to at least one escaped debris burn, so we were happy to hear that all of the participants reported that the chipper services had prevented them from burning debris on their properties. We may have already averted a disaster! Mary Cameron, Colleen Welch and Marjorie King wrote the grant which funded the first two years of the chipper program, this web site and provided start-up money to found JFFSC.
The funding is made possible by federal financial assistance provided by a
National Fire Plan grant from the Bureau of Land Management through the
California Fire Safe Council. For more information about the funding, please
contact the California Fire Safe Council at 800 372-2350 or visit the web site
at www.grants.firesafecouncil.org. So many people helped make this project a success taht there is not room to mention them all here, but we wish to extend special thanks to CalFire Battalion Chief Jeff Burns, USFS Goosenest District Ranger Laura Allen and USFS Goosenest District Prevention Specialist Gary Craddock for supplying educational materials and incentive items. Thanks to the businesses which showed their concern for the safety of our community by providing incentive gifts: Siskiyou Pellet Mill, Tri Counties Bank, Northern California Resource Center, Minton Hometown Properties, Fergie's and Reel Mowers, Etc. MSVVFC is a non-profit organization under contract to Siskiyou County to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to a region of the county which includes Mt. Shasta Vista subdivision and surrounding area. To volunteer for MSVVFC, please contact Chief Mary Cameron at 530 340-2297 or email to msvvfc@yahoo.com. There are many ways to serve your fire company, even if you cannot be a fire fighter. Please click here for information about the MSVVFC service area |
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Mt. Shasta Vista
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