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We respond to fire and medical emergencies as well as other "unique"
emergencies if a member of the community calls 911.
Medical and Rescue Emergencies
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We are the first response on medical emergencies in our area of
service. Unlike a city fire department, our staff must be able to
stabilize a patient and keep them stable for at least 35 minutes before the
ambulance and paramedics arrive from Shaver Lake. A typical city fire
department usually only has a 5-9 minute time period before the paramedics
arrive. A more detailed description of our capabilities can be found
by following the above link.
- Fire Emergencies
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When fires of any kind occur, we are the first response in our area
of service. Our first response vehicle is a 4 wheel drive unit that
can get into all the cabins on the lake, so long as the owners continue to
maintain the clearance we need on the roads leading in. We also have
two other units, a larger, 2006 Pierce structure engine carrying 1000
gallons of water and fire suppression foam with a high pressure pump and a
1959 vintage water tender carrying 1500 gallons of water and a low pressure
pump. These units typically are second into a fire and provide the
longer term fire suppression capability. On occasion, we are also
asked to assist other fire departments, on a mutual aid basis, with our
equipment and staff.
- Education and Prevention
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The very best way to handle a medical or fire emergency is to avoid
it in the first place. We assist this approach with printed materials
and brief educational sessions delivered typically during annual tract or
homeowner meetings. When requested, we also will go to individual
dwellings and give advice on how to reduce fire hazards and minimize sources
of fuel for fires. Our most common discussion centers around how
individual dwelling owners can properly trim trees and bushes around their
property ( in accordance with both USFS and CDF printed guidelines) to
minimize fuels that would allow a ground fire to get into the crowns of
trees. We also provide Emergency call prompter cards (see example) to
minimize confusion in case a 911 call needs to be made from a residence.
Finally, we work with vendors such as the Jorgensen Company in Fresno to
bring their technicians and maintenance personnel to the annual Pancake
breakfast so that smoke alarms and fire extinguishers kept in each resident
can be properly maintained.
Fund Raising
We exist exclusively on the
generous donations from the members of the community we serve. Our efforts
to raise funds for operations are broken into two large categories (the Annual
Appeal and the Capital Campaign). Early in the year we contact all
residence owners and request that they contribute at least $140, the pro-rata
share of our operations and maintenance budget. In approximately May, we
send out our Capital Gift request. This effort is intended to raise the
money we need for improvements, such as the expansion of the firehouse or the
acquisition of a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance. This latter effort is what
has allowed us to replace our main fire engines, to acquire Automated Electronic
Defibrillators and to provide radio contact for all of our personnel.
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