September-October 2009 Twit

September-October 2009Dedicated to the First Responders of the Heartland Fire Zone

Two-Alarm Structure Fire in the City of El CajonTwo-Alarm Structure Fire in the City of El Cajon

Meet the Crews at Imperial Beach and Lakeside

Bonita Tree Rescue

Lakeside Youth becomes Trapped in a Storm Drain

El Cajon Mobile Home Fire on Ballard

Strike Team 6440C: La Brea and Lockheed Fires

Alpine Fire Fire ChiefBill Paskle

Agency EditorsBrad Rushing

Patrick Dotson

Barona Fire Fire Chief

Randy SandovalAgency Editor

Mike Hook

Bonita-Sunnyside FireFire Chief

Scott WalkerAgency EditorJosh Krimston

Coronado FireFire Chief

John TraylorAgency Editor

Darren HallLarry Hogueisson

El Cajon FireFire ChiefMike Scott

Agency EditorsJay Wojnowski

Brandon FarrellyEric Edwins

Grossmont Pre-HospitalDepartment Manager

Mary Meadows-PittAgency Editors

Dianne Idman-GervaisMaude Deklerk

Heartland CommunicationsDirector

Chip YarboroughAgency Editor

Nikki Lewis

Imperial Beach FireFire Chief

Frank SoteloAgency Editor

Jason Bell

La Mesa FireFire Chief

Dave BurkeAgency EditorScott Springett

Lakeside FireFire Chief

Mark BakerAgency EditorChuck Palmore

Lemon Grove FireFire Chief

Tim LaffAgency EditorBrian Hayward

National City FireFire Chief

Roderick Juniel

San Miguel Consolidated FireFire Chief

August GhioAgency Editors

Leonard VillarrealKevin Clark

Nick Williams

Santee FireFire Chief

Mike RottenbergAgency Editor

Rick WilliamsChris Thompson

Viejas FireFire Chief

Donald ButzAgency Editor

Ray Trussell

Project CoordinatorMark Grow

WebmasterRay Trussell

FacebookHeartland Zone News

[email protected]

from the Editor

LODD: Agent Robert RosasOn July 23rd, while patrolling the US-Mexico border in the area of Campo US Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas was killed while performing his duties off Shockey Truck Trail.

This 30 year old agent leaves behind a family that includes a 2 year old son and an 11 month old daughter. Our thoughts and prayers are with

this family while they deal with the loss of a son, husband, and father. You will not be forgotten....

LODD: Firefi ghter Thomas Marovich Jr

On July 21st Firefi ghter Thomas Marovich Jr lost his life while rappelling from a helicopter during qualifi cations on the Backbone Fire.

Twenty year old Marovich was a second year apprentice with the Modoc National Forest.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marovich family as they deal with the loss of their son.

You will not be forgotten.....

LODD: Lieutenant Charles (Chip) McCarthy and Fire Fighter Jonathan Croom

Mayor Byron W. Brown and Buffalo Fire Commissioner Michael Lombardo today issued the following statement: Lieutenant Charles (Chip) McCarthy and Fire Fighter Jonathan Croom lost their lives today (August 24, 2009)while fi ghting a fi re that was reported at 3:50 a.m.in a convenience store at the corner of Genesee Street and Burgard Place. Today was a day of great tragedy and loss for the brave men and women of the Buffalo Fire Department. The City of Buffalo and the Fire Department mourns the loss of Lieutenant McCarthy and Fire Fighter Croom, who responded to their call to duty and did what every fi re fi ghter does every day – sought to protect anyone who might be in danger. We honor the memory of these true heroes

You will not be forgotten...

On the Cover

El Cajon Fire Captain Mike Chasin and Firefi ghter-Paramedic William Thron on the roof of a well involved structure on Grossmont Ave.

Multiple Heartland agencies assisted on this second alarm structure fi re.

Photography By: Ted KakurisBattalion ChiefEl Cajon Fire Department

Two Alarm Structure in El Cajon: Report on a diffi cult residential fi re that went two alarms.

Bonita Tree Rescue:A tree trimmer became trapped 40’ above the ground. Multiple agencies respond to the emergency

Intranasal:Medic have a new route for Narcan and Versed administration.

El Cajon Mobile Home FireEl Cajon and San Miguel fi refi ghters respond to a working fi re on Ballard.

Child Trapped in Drain OpeningLakeside and El Cajon crews work to free child in Lakeside

Strike Team 6440CHeartland crews respond to the La Brea and Lockheed Fires.

Agency ReportsNews from the participating agencies.

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Sometime around noon the younger of the two residents of the 800 block of

Grossmont Avenue not iced a f i re in their converted garage. She assisted her elder ly mother f rom their home, only to see her run back inside to rescue her pet dog. Other c iv i l ians t r ied to assist her, but were dr iven away by the “blowtorch- l ike” f lames blast ing out of the garage into the breezeway. The elder ly woman eventual ly came out wi th her dog, and burns to her arms.

Narrative By:

Mike ChasinFire CaptainEl Cajon Fire Department

Photography By:

Ted KakurisBattalion ChiefEl Cajon Fire Department

Photography By:

Carly KakurisFeatured Photographer

ON SCENE

Engines 6, 7, 9, Truck 6, Medic 6 and Battal ion 3 were dispatched to the blaze. Engine 6 was the f i rst engine to arr ive on scene, just 4 minutes later. They met Fire Chief Mike Scott , who happened to be nearby and not iced the column of smoke. They arr ived to f ind a 60 year old s ingle story home wel l involved in f i re. The converted garage was engul fed in f lames, and the breezeway that at tached the garage to the main home was aiding the f i re spread to the main residence. Battal ion 3 Chief Phi l Snow arr ived on scene moments later and assumed Incident Command. He quickly directed crews to make a f i re at tack and vent i late the structure. He also requested a second alarm response.

Engine 6 Captain Rick Smyl ie saw the large amount of f i re coming from the garage, and thought that a quick deployment into the home would be the only way to save anyone inside as wel l as their property. Captain Smyl ie and Firef ighter/Paramedic Paul Roman advanced a hosel ine into the home. Once inside they encountered smoke down the f loor and high heat. This s lowed, but did not stop their effor ts. Engineer Joe Howarth worked hard to keep the water coming, as wel l as manage about 3 other hosel ines.

Meanwhi le, Truck 6 Captain Mike Chasin, Engineer Tony Al iano and Firef ighter/Paramedic Bi l l Thorn went to the roof of the home. Their f i rst move was to cut a vent i lat ion hole over the breezeway to l imi t the spread of the f i re f rom the garage to the home. Their next two holes were cut over the residence, making the inter ior at tack crew’s work much easier. As you can see from the pictures, each center-louver hole released a copious amount of smoke and heat. The

Truck 6 crew got their work done and got down within 6 minutes of c l imbing to the roof.

Whi le Engine and Truck 6 were busy, the rest of the f i rst a larm assignment got involved as wel l . Medic 6 Firef ighter/Paramedics Kyle Kleinschmidt and Josh Royer, as wel l as Reserve Firef ighter Ryan Abel l got busy secur ing ut i l i t ies and gett ing exposure and backup l ines in place.Engine 7 crew Captain Ed Simmons, Engineer Larry (short-t imer) McKim, and Firef ighter/Paramedic Al len Hazel ton took on the RIC and Accountabi l i ty dut ies, and Engine 9 Captain Joe Hudelson, Engineer Derek Dozier, and Firef ighter/Paramedic Travis Timmins got the water supply and assisted f i re at tack.

The second alarm response consisted of Engines 8, 12, and 19, Truck 4, Rescue 5, Medic 8, Battal ion Chiefs 4 and 6. Thanks al l for the quick response and

ON SCENE

aggressive work. Also, thanks to off -duty Chief Ted Kakur is for the amazing photos that accompany this art ic le.

The f i re was knocked down in about 25 minutes. The garage was found to be the room of or ig in, a l though the cause of the f i re is unknown. In addi t ion

to f inding their chihuahua, the residents were pleased that the f i ref ighters were able to recover a large amount of cash the fami ly had hidden in their home. The property and contents damage was est imated to be in excess of $250,000.

Among the lessons learned and relearned were the need to

“Lastly, it’s always good to remember what your role is at

the fire, and to ensure that you stay within

your assigned duties”

establ ish a water supply before commit t ing mult ip le l ines to the f i re. Communicat ions proved chal lenging, as i t does at every f i re. Whi le we al l know radio t raff ic is important, we need to work to make sure we are l is tening, and keep our t raff ic concise to ensure that other uni ts can get their messages heard. Last ly, i t ’s a lways good to remember what your role is at the f i re, and to ensure that you stay wi th in your assigned dut ies. No matter what your role is, i f you receive an order that doesn’ t seem to f i t the c i rcumstances, i t ’s important to c lear the matter up.

Despi te these chal lenges, the f i ref ight went very wel l . What could have been a total loss ended as a good stop, wi th some valuable contents saved. Whi le one resident was br ief ly hospi ta l ized, no f i ref ighters were hurt .

Unt i l the next t ime…

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Narrative By:

Leonard VillarrealPublic Information Offi cerSan Miguel Fire Protection District

Photography By:

Josh KrimstonEngineer-ParamedicBonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District

It is a too common occurrence, but this time it did not end in death. Just before 10 AM members of the Bonita-Sunnyside

Fire District responded to the report of a man trapped in a palm tree, in the 5600 block of Sweetwater Road. While the victim could not be seen from the ground Firefi ghters could hear the man calling for help. Rescue teams quickly raised their truck ladder 40 feet into the air and began cutting away at the palm fronds that had fallen on the 40 year old tree trimmer. Firefi ghters

must proceed cautiously because any major shift in the palm fronds could cause additional injury. In many cases, trimmers cut the palm fronds above their head but don’t knock them down immediately. After a buildup, the ring of the fronds can slip down over the trimmer and the safety line. The weight of the fronds can be so heavy the victim cannot breath and can asphyxiate. The weight on the safety lines can prevent the victim from freeing themselves or even moving.

In total, 14 Firefi ghters responded to the “high rise” rescue and the victim was carefully freed in about an hour. The victim was transported to Grossmont hospital for evaluation but no major injuries were reported. Fire Offi cials remind residents that the trimming of a large buildup of dead palm fronds can be extremely dangerous, work best left to professionals. However even professionals need to be reminded to drop the cuttings as they go, so there will be no life threatening buildup.

ON SCENE

One of the most distressing calls are the ones where obtaining an IV to give life saving medications is

impossible, or problematic. Two of these situations are narcotic overdoses, and seizures.

In the past the routes were pretty much limited to devices that required “sharps”, unfortunately in some of these situations opening up a needle runs a risk of a “stick” type exposure.

With the July changes came a new skill that allows for the administration of two medications, Narcan and Versed.

In the case of Versed the IN administration route is limited to seizure activity and severe agitation. In the administration of Narcan it can be utilized throughout the treatment guidelines.

Intranasal is part of an emerging treatment route that is fi nding acceptance within the medical community. The administration of tiny droplets across the nasal plexus is a very effective route and provides excellent bio-availability of the medication. In addition medication blood levels can exceed that of the traditional IM route and is painless to the patient.

In addition the IN route is not a sterile technique thus reducing the potential for secondary infection. Given the proximity of the nasal cavity to the CS fl uid around the brain, medication may rapidly reach therapeutic levels.

But since we’re all not wired the same way their are factors that can infl uence the effectiveness of this route:

Blood fl ow to the nasal mucosa.• Rate of clearance activity (ciliary activity)•

Pathological conditions.•

Their maybe signifi cant blood fl ow issues in patients that have has previous sinus trauma or surgery,

and chronic cocaine users may have signifi cant damage that may affect the effectiveness.

San Diego County protocols allow for the standing order use of the IN route with no contradictions listed. Volumes over 1cc tend to be too much and result in runoff, thus volumes can be split between the two available nasal openings.

Narcan

Indication:

Symptomatic suspected opioid OD Dose-Route:

Adult with RR <12. 2mg IN (SO), MR. In pain management patients 1-2mg IN (BHO)

Peds: PDC, IN (SO), MRIn pain management patients PDC IN (BHO)

Versed

Indication:

SeizuresGeneral seizures lasting =/> 5 minutes.• Focal seizures with respiratory compromise.• Recurrent seizures w/o lucid period• Eclamptic seizures of any duration.•

Severe Agitation

Dose-Route

Adult: 0.2mg/kg to max of 5 mg. MR x10” (SO)

Peds: PDC, IN (SO)

“The administration of tiny droplets across the nasal plexus is a very effective

route and provides excellent bio-availability of the

medication”

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Narcan

Indication:

InIn paipain mn manaanagemgementent pa patietientsnts PD PDC IC INN (BHO)

Versed

Indication:

Some of the information for this article was obtained at:http://intranasal.net

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Narrative By:

Monica ZechPublic Information Offi cerCity of El Cajon

At 5:15 p.m. on July 9th El Cajon Fire crews responded to reports of a trailer home fire at the Chieftain Trailer Park, located at 187 Ballard, space number 48-B in El Cajon. Upon arrival firefighters found the trailer home well involved.

About 15 firefighters had the fire extinguished in about ten minutes. Their quick action kept the fire from damaging other nearby trailers. The trailer home was destroyed, displacing two adults and their four children. The only injury was said to be the homeowner’s hand, which was cut as he tried to fi ght the fi re with a garden hose. He was treated at scene by Paramedic-Firefi ghters.

Fire investigators say the fire ap-pears to have been caused by the homeowner setting off 16 bug bombs in an enclosed area, with fumes being ignited by an unknown heat source. The fire remains un-

der investigation. Total damage has been estimated at $30-thou-sand for the trailer home and its contents. The American Red Cross is now assisting the displaced fam-ily with temporary housing.

A fire crew from the San Miguel Fire Protection District assisted El Cajon Fire crews in fighting the blaze.

ON SCENE

Narrative By:

Monica ZechPublic Information Offi cerCity of El Cajon

At 1035 hrs, on July 2nd, Lakeside Fire crews, with assistance from El Cajon Fire & Rescue, responded to reports of a seven year-old boy with his head stuck in the storm drain located near 10252 Big Cone Court in Lakeside.

“On the arrival of M1 the child was found wedged in the opening and was being assisted by family members”, states Captain Lawler. B1 (BC Larkin) assumed command and the crews set up cribbing to prevent potential injuries once the concrete was compromised. “We sent Engineer Rob Andrews into the pipe to comfort and monitor the patients status” states Lawler. “We made attempts at lubricating his head and repositioning him, all of which

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Narrative By:

Beto LawlerFire Captain - ParamedicLakeside Fire Protection District

Photography By:

Rick SittaDivision ChiefEl Cajon Fire Department

failed”. The decision was eventually made to break the concrete using hydraulic spreaders.

It took approximately 40 minutes to extricate the child using the “Jaws of Life” to break apart and spread-open the concrete and steel drain structure. “It required two hydraulic spreaders working at maximum pressure to break the concrete” states Lawler.

Once the child was extricated he was examined by Lakeside Paramedic Firefi ghters and was found to be uninjured. The child was apparently attempting to retrieve a toy that had fallen into the storm drain when he became stuck.

Months before the 2009 Fire Season began prognosticators had been

predicting a signifi cant fi re season in the northern portion of the state. While there had been some smaller fi res in the region the weather had been working in the favor of fi refi ghters, that was true till the fi rst signifi cant heat wave passed through the state. As soon as the temperatures started to climb the

reports of new fi res started stacking up.

On the 8th of August a fire started in the hil ls east of Santa Maria, CA. Named the La Brea fire, it init ially sounded like this was going to be a hand crew and air show fire, but then the strike teams started roll ing north towards the fire.

Photography By:

Nick NavaRay TrussellViejas Fire Department

Jerry DaoustScott SmithLakeside Fire Protection District

Things started to get complex as new fires began to break out in the Santa Cruz and Livermore areas.

On August 14th, around midnight, strike team 6440C was assembled to head towards the La Brea Fire. With BR4, BR18, BR25, BR23, and BR 26 Battalion 1 (Laff) started for the fi re. The strike team arrived at La Brea staging in time to be briefed and sent out on their fi rst assignment. “For the fi rst time check-in requested red cards on all the members of the strike team so they knew their qualifi cations”, states Battalion Chief Laff.

Originally assigned to a structural protection assignment that quickly evolved into an assignment on Division Lima which was supporting a heli-torching operation. With the new assignment came a new work rotation. Originally scheduled to work a 12 hour shift the crew put in 24 hours on the line before returning to base camp, and hopefully a nice rest period. “If your a Strike Team Leader and your Division or Branch extends your shift make sure work gets back to Plans or your likely to fi nd yourself on the next days IAP”, states Laff.

Crews were able to get a late breakfast, and then turn their attention to setting up camp for their fi rst rest period. But

the rest period would have to wait when the strike team was notifi ed to report to demob at 1600 hrs. Not sure of what it meant to be scheduled for demob after one shift the crew soon found out that they were going to be held for a while in camp as an initial attack strike team. Then at 1800 hrs they received their e-number for the Lockheed Fire.

The Lockheed Fire had started two days prior to the strike team leaving the county. It was burning in the thick fuels in the area of Bonny Doon. What had started as a 20 acre fi re had blown out with surfacing winds and was now making a run towards a number of communities.

The strike team, still working their way out of the La Brea incident, had just enough time to catch a meal before departing at 1830 hrs for Lockheed.

After the run up the coast the crew reported to the Lockheed fi re around midnight. The crew was now able to

take their fi rst real rest period.

At the 0700 briefi ng the strike team was assigned to Division X-Ray on a mop-up assignment. But things got interesting when the assignment included putting in a 9000’ hose lay up a dozer line in anticipation of a fi ring operation. With another nearby strike team assigned to another hose lay, Chief Laff estimates crews put in about 17,000 feet of hose that day. But with a shift in the weather the fi ring operation was put on hold.

With the hose lays in, and the shift coming to an end, the crew reported back to staging for another rest period. During this time there was a signifi cant change in the weather conditions. Now dealing with marine layer, and cooler temps, fi re activity slowed.

The next morning the crew discovered they had been released to return to San Diego County. After the nine hour drive back to Heartland the strike team was disbanded.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better strike team”, states Laff. “Hard working crews that meshed really well.”

During this same period of time a number of major fi res occurred in that region of the state. In addition to the La Brea and Lockheed Fires there had been new starts that took out a lot of additional acreage. The Corral Fire in the Livermore area, and the Yuba Fire in the sierra foothills had all impacted resources.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better strike team” states Laff. “Hard working crews that meshed really well.”

Battalion Chief Ron Laff

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IST Training at National City

Fire crews from Coronado, Bonita, National City and Chula Vista gathered at the National City training tower for some technical rescue training. Crews were practicing rope skills that may be used in US&R and confi ned space type incidents.

Photos By: Josh Krimston

Coronado Structure Fire

On August 2nd units from the Coronado, Imperial Beach, and San Diego Fire Departments responded to a working struc-ture fi re on Trinidad Bend St. in the Cays.

The fi re displaced a number of adults and children. The Red Cross was requested to assist in fi nding accommodations.

La Mesa Vehicle Fire

On August 2nd E13 (Capt. Manns, Eng Saghera, and FF Provence) responded to a working vehicle fi re on Murray Dr. and the #2 entrance to Grossmont Center.

On arrival E13 discovered a well involved engine compartment fi re with extension into

the passenger area of the vehicle. All occupants exited the vehicle safely.

Prior to E13’s arrival an off-duty CALFIRE Captain blocked traffi c for arriving companies.

Photos By: Sonny Saghera

Grossmont Ave Fire

Battalion Chief Ted Kakuris was off duty on the day of the Grossmont Ave fi re, but when he became aware of the working fi re he responded to the scene with a camera-in-hand. With the assistance of his daughter Carly they captured a series of great images.

Rare is the opportunity to see the unfolding events in the initial phases of an operation. When we received the images we were overwhelmed with so many good images. On the cover, and in the story, we still didn’t have the opportunity to present some of the better images, so we are presenting them in these two pages.

Strike Team 6440 Charlie: Tour de California

We received a bunch of pictures from the crew members on the strike team. We decided to run as many as possible....

Thanks to Jerry Daoust, Scott Smith, Ray Trussell, and Nick Nava for the great images.

Oak Glenn Fire

On the afternoon of August 30th, around 1400 hrs, units from CALFIRE (San Bernardino County) were dispatched to Oak Glenn Rd. just north of Yucaipa. Initially found to be in the fl ats the fi re quickly spread to a nearby slope and made a hard run towards the community of Oak Glenn.

Multiple air assets were brought into the fi ght including the Martin-Mars and the DC10.

Heartland strike team 6440C was relocated from the Cottonwood Fire to the Oak Glenn Fire, and they remain there as of press time.

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gency Editors: Brad R

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otson

Alpine Runs Alpine has had some interesting and “hot” runs over the past couple of months. To start it off, “17 A” has been quite the hotspot. Last month crews assisted Viejas with a structure fi re. Alpine personnel arrived on scene and ventilated the roof and then assisted E25 with extinguishing the remainder of the fi re as well as salvage and overhaul operations. The fi re was mainly confi ned to the garage and kitchen area with extensive heat and smoke damage to several other parts of the house. In the recent past few weeks, “A” division was dispatched in the early morning hours to a car fi re along Alpine Blvd. The engine arrived on scene to fi nd a fully engulfed Ford Windstar. Colby Ross and Greg O’Gorman were able to make quick knock down of the fi re, although the vehicle was a total loss.

A few shifts later, “A” division was dispatched to a vegetation fi re along Interstate 8. There were several starts along the freeway due to a blown radial tire from a vehicle. The crew made access to one of the fi res from Alpine Blvd. It was approximately ¼ acre in size in medium brush with a slow rate of spread. Crews performed a progressive hose lay and extinguished the fi re before it could jump Alpine Blvd. and damage nearby homes.

The following shift, “A” Division was dispatched to a structure fi re. The crew arrived at scene to fi nd a single story home with heavy smoke billowing out of it. The owners of the property stated that there were no humans inside the structure; however, there were two dogs, a cat and a parrot still inside the home. Crews made access into

the structure and found heavy fl ames in the kitchen area. They made initial

knockdown of the fi re and as they were able to further enter the structure, they found one of the dogs and the parrot (still inside his cage) that had unfortunately succumbed to the heat and smoke. As a secondary search of the house was conducted, Colby Ross found the second dog hiding below the smoke between a sofa and a wall. The crew was able to get the dog from behind the sofa and take him outside much to the relief of the owners. They immediately took the animal to a veterinarian and we hope it makes a complete recovery. The cat was never found inside the structure and it was assumed that he got out alive. The crew from E19 assisted with salvage and overhaul operations as E17’s crew ventilated the roof to gain access to a void space that was still smoldering. The fi re was confi ned to the kitchen

with some smoke and heat damage to the living room area. The origin of the fi re was determined to be a cardboard box that was on top of the

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stove. Investigators believe that one of the dog’s had probably jumped onto the stove and hit one of the burners turning it on.

In addition to the fi res, “A” Division did have another very interesting call. They were dispatched to a residence along Dehesa Rd. for an unknown medical. As they arrived and met with the reporting party, he stated to them that for the past 15-20 minutes, he could hear someone faintly calling for help in the brush area behind his house. As the crew stood there, sure enough they heard a very faint voice of what sounded like someone yelling for help. Sheriff arrived on scene and stated that they would travel along Dehesa Rd. to see if they could locate any skid marks where someone may have traveled off the road. They also called their dispatch to have ASTREA launched to perform an IR fl ight of the area to see if they could locate the patient. E17 crews gathered their medical gear and set off hiking through the brush and poison oak to locate the patient. Every few minutes, they could hear the voice yelling for help. As the crews yelled back to try and ascertain the location of the patient, they got no response. As E17 crew continued their hike, the voice became louder, yet still no response from the patient when crews yelled back to him. After hiking for approximately ¼ mile, the crew came upon another residence. The yells for help they were hearing turned out to be a goat that was tied to a tree in the yard. Sure enough every few minutes, the goat would baaaaaaaaaaaaah. Although up close it didn’t sound like help but form far away it certainly did. Crews did get a good laugh though.

As “A” Division was getting the fi res, “B” Division had been getting some interesting calls. In the late evening hours, the engine was dispatched to a vehicle accident. Crews arrived to fi nd a vehicle that had gone off the road and driven through a power pole. The driver had self extricated himself and only sustained minor injuries. SDG&E was called to replace the power pole and return power to the residences in the area. On a separate accident, E17 was dispatched to a vehicle that

went down the embankment at the off ramp on I8 EB at the Willows Rd. exit. Crews arrived on scene and found the two occupants of the vehicle. One occupant had unfortunately perished in the accident. The other occupant sustained moderate injuries and will make a full recovery.

At approximately 2 A.M., “B” Division was dispatched to a patient having diffi culty breathing on Anderson Rd. Dispatch notifi ed E17 that there were several individuals who had gone out offroading and that they would meet them on Anderson Road to direct them to the patients location. As the engine met up with the individuals at the far end of Anderson Road, they were told that the patient was somewhere out in the brush down a trail. For those of you who don’t know, Anderson Road is covered with trails that lead from the top all the way down to Peutz Valley Road and the El Capitan Reservoir. The people couldn’t remember which trail it was exactly but pointed in the general direction of where they thought they left him. B7 was requested by E17 to be added to the incident. BR25 was added for additional manpower. E17 and BR25 crew members were paired up with medical gear and each set off on a different trail to try and locate the patient. Air resources were not available due to the weather and time, to assist in locating the patient. Crews hiked for quite some time before fi nally locating the patient. The patient was found to be in mild status and suffering from an asthma attack. By this time, the sun had started to arise and ASTREA was able to land along a trail to pick the patient up and fl y him to an awaiting ambulance. It turned out that the four individuals had set out off roading and then decided that they would hike from Anderson Road all the way down to the Reservoir. This would be an extensive hike as it is quite a distance and there is no direct trail that leads all the way down. They also thought they were hiking to Lake Jennings, not knowing they were at El Capitan Reservoir. The hikers had set off in the darkness with no water, no fl ashlights and thus no way of knowing where they were, or where they were going. Fortunately in the end, everyone made it out without

injury and the patient was treated and evacuated.

“A” Division was not the only shift to get fi res this past month though. “B” Division was dispatched to a report of a trash truck on fi re on Alpine Boulevard. They arrived and found the truck with smoke coming from the trash area. The operator of the trash truck was directed to dump his load on Alpine Boulevard as crews pulled an attack line to extinguish the fi re. The crews were able to knock down the fi re quickly. E25 and USFS E47 arrived to assist E17 with the extensive overhaul operations. It took the crews several hours to completely overhaul the trash pile ensuring that it was completely extinguished.

Training: Alpine personnel were able to witness some unique training recently. Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped by the station and asked if they could use the station to conduct some search training for their new search dogs. These dogs are trained to search out weapons and currency. However, they can only fi nd currency in values of $500 or more. The agents hid several large stacks of currency throughout the apparatus bay as well as tissue paper that had gunshot residue on it. The dogs set off and were able to fi nd the currency and tissue papers with ease. Once they located an item, they would sit letting their handlers know that they have found something. Then the playtime begins. The dogs do all of this searching just to be able to play with a rolled up towel. The dogs initially go through a 30 day training process in which to practice their skill. Once completed, they then go through an evaluation course in which they must score perfectly. Once they pass, they are able to be utilized at border crossings to search vehicles entering or leaving the United States. The dogs also go through an annual evaluation in which they must also locate each item without fail to remain as an active search dog. The agents also informed us that the dogs are able to locate items that have been wrapped in plastic, coated in wax

as well as several other ways in which people have attempted to hide things.When the dogs become seasoned veterans, they are able to sense when a person is nervous and notify their handlers. It was extremely interesting to observe the dogs searching for the hidden items within the station and we look forward to them returning to the station to conduct further training. The Alpine Fire Protection District Board of Directors has approved our CERT Program. Alpine will now join the list of communities throughout San Diego that already have CERT Programs. Captain Dotson will be the CERT Program Coordinator and has recently completed the CERT Train-The-Trainer Course at NTC. We will begin gathering the necessary equipment needed for our CERT

Members and hope to conduct our fi rst CERT Academy by January. Look for more details on our website at www.alpinefi re.org For anyone interested in CPR, we will be holding a CPR for Healthcare Providers class on Saturday, September 19th from 9am – 2pm at the Alpine Fire Station 17 located at 1364 Tavern Road. Interested individuals need to call and register for the class as enrollment is limited to 20 students. The cost of the class is $17 which covers the cost of your textbook and CPR card. To register for the class, call 619-445-2635. More information may be found on our website.

Take a Hike! Captain Derek Zagarella, FF/PM Mike Hook and FF/PM Jacob Burkard hit the trailhead in the Yosemite Valley on July 27th and hiked approx. 60 miles along the John Muir Trail to Red’s Meadow Campground. This was another beautiful trip despite thunder and gnarly afternoon hailstorms.

Because this was during “peak season”, there were many people on the trail during this section. One afternoon the guys were setting up camp at Garnett Lake and realized they were camping next to a group of SDFD FF’s. The next day they passed 2 Escondido FF’s,,,small world huh? The plan is to complete another 60-80 mile section next year. If anyone is interested in coming along, call the station and we can work it out.

FF/PM Jake Burkard, FF/PM Mike Hook and Capt. Derek Zagarella in front of Nevada Falls in Yosemite.

Truck 27 In-ServiceIt’s offi cial: Truck 27 was placed in ser-vice on July 20th. We are very happy that this valuable piece of equipment is in service and look forward to work-ing with other agencies within our zone and in Ramona.

Barona has never had a truck, so we are enjoying all of the additional train-ing and operational variances that ac-company working on this unit. Hope-fully we will see some of you on an incident sometime soon.

New ArrivalCongratulations to the Loren family: FF/PM Will and Germayne welcomed their son Luke Michael Makana Loren to the world at 0357 hours on August 18th. Luke weighed in at 7lbs, 5oz and was 19.5 inches long. Rylee (their daughter) loves her little brother and constantly wants to hold him or just be next to him. Great job Will and Ger-mayne!!!

Barona Powwow Barona Powwow: The 39th annual Barona Powwow will be held from Sep-tember 4th to the 6th at the baseball fi eld (behind the Barona Museum). Ad-mission and parking are free. The Pow-wow showcases Tribal dancing, rhyth-mic drumming and exciting games for all ages. It also features arts and crafts and offers authentic Native American foods. Native American dancers from across the country will display their talents in competitions for $60,000 in cash prizes. Come on down and enjoy this festive event with us! (Gates open at 6pm on the 4th, 1pm on the 5th and 6th).

Will and Germayne with son Luke. (photo by: Tiffany Murrell)

Bonita Firefi ghter/Paramedic Sonny Felkins (from right to left) and Engineer/Paramedic Dan Genvicz, along with Rural Metro Paramedic Troy Duncan and

LA City Firefi ghter Jared Horak pose at the 14,400 feet summit of Mount Whitney.

They were part of a 2-day 8-person expedition up the mountain. “We had great weather, clear skies and a great view from the top,” recalled Felkins. The group hiked 6 miles the fi rst day and camped at 12,000 feet. “Our campsite was at the edge of Constellation Lake,” added Felkins. “We had the whole place to ourselves and got a great night of sleep for the next day’s summit.”

Bonita Safety CenterMembers of the Bonita Fire Department, along with community leaders and kids from Camp Museum pose during a fl ag raising ceremony at the Bonita Safety Center.

Surfi ng in BaliFirefi ghter/Paramedic Goie Cosca recently returned from a surf trip to Bali, Indonesia with his fi ancee, Vicky.

“I have wanted to go to Bali for a long time,” explained Cosca. “Finally, an opportunity arose and I jumped on it.”

While in the town of Seminyak, Cosca gave his favorite surfboard to a local beginner

surfer. “He told me that he had broken his board a year ago and it would take him at least three more years before he could save up enough money for a new one.” Way to represent!

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Meet Captain Jim BlinnBy Probationary FF/PM Larry Hogueisson

Here in Coronado, we have a Captain on board who just passed his 35 year mark in the fi re service. Being such a major accomplishment and milestone, I feel compelled to take this opportunity and share some things about this extraordinary man and his career.

Captain Jim Blinn’s interest in the fi re service began really as he was growing up, back in the New England states. His father was a Fire Department Chaplain in a few jurisdictions. This gave him his fi rst taste of the fi re service. When he tuned 18, he joined the Navy, which brought him to Coronado. After his 4 year tour, he returned to Carmel, New York, where he became a volunteer Firefi ghter. He knew then, that his life’s goal was to become a Firefi ghter. After 1 year he decided to return to Coronado where he began my journey to become a professional fi refi ghter.

Captain Blinn’s career offi cially began July 1, 1974 as a fi refi ghter. He held that position for 7 years, then promoted to an Engineer for the following 7 years. He promoted to Captain in 1988. Since then, in addition to being a shift Captain, he has held a temporary position of Division Chief in charge of Operations and Training for approximately 15 months. Captain Blinn was offered the position permanently, but chose to return to the ranks of Captain where he knew his true love of the job was seated.

Captain Blinn’s favorite position has, and continues to be that of Captain. He considers himself a working foreman who enjoys working right along side the crew. Having come through the ranks, for 35 years he feels confi dent in his abilities to teach, train and perform in all positions.

When asked of the most memorable event of his career, Captain Blinn had this to share. Spending a week on the Witch Fire in 2007, and having the chance to not only meet but also shake the hand of President Bush while in Base Camp is something that stands out. “Keeping politics out of it, having the President of the United States show up was a very memorable occasion.”

Captain Blinn’s main mentor was one of his fi rst Captains, John McMullen. Captain Blinn shared that Captain McMullen was always a positive infl uence not only as a friend, but also as a supervisor. McMullen saw potential in Captain Blinn and would strive to push him in directions to make a difference in his life and career. Unfortunately, McMullen recently passed away but he will always remember for his direction.

When asked about his motivation after 35 years on the job, Captain Blinn said it was simple. The love of the profession and the enjoyment of the job is motivation by itself. Period.

I asked Captain Blinn about the most positive change he has seen in the Fire Service and in Coronado in particular and he replied it is the concept of customer service. Captain Blinn explained, “Years ago you arrived on scene, did your job and left. Now it’s much more than that, you not only do your job but you try and fi nd ways to make the situation better. I try and use the philosophy of, if this was my Mom or Dad how would I want them to be helped? That translates into a very positive and caring customer service response.” Another area Captain Blinn mentioned is all the community involvement and public education that departments have now. “It is just amazing compared to the start of my career.”

When questioned about the changes he would like to see, Captain Blinn shared with me that it’s perhaps what we would all like to see. Staffi ng and equipment levels appropriate to meet the challenges of increased population and density

would be some welcome changes.

Captain Blinn has two accomplishments of which he is extremely proud. The fi rst is still being here after 35 years.

The second is being a member of the Apparatus Special Committee responsible for bringing a truck company back to Coronado. Most in the fi re community is aware that Coronado recently added truck 37 to it’s fl eet. Few are aware that we also have a Mack here in Coronado that we purchased new in 1938. Even fewer are aware that Captain Blinn has ridden on both pieces of apparatus during his tenure here!

When asked about advice he would give to anyone just starting his/her career, Captain Blinn said it was simple. “The fi re service has a lot of tradition and Family. Learn from it, grow with it and stay focused on your goals.”

In closing, Captain Blinn added simply that he is thankful that he is still “Living the Dream.”

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El Cajon Fire Department Congratulates Two On Thirty Years of Service

Firefi ghter Dave Truttmann and Fire Engineer Larry McKim are pictured with Fire Chief Mike Scott after receiving their thirty-year service awards. Both men are hard working employees and down right good guys. We congratulate them on their outstanding service to our community…now get out! (Just kidding, we love you guys.) BTW, can you guess which one of these guys had a mullet in the 80’s? Answer: Dave “The Hoff” Truttmann

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HEARTLAND COMMUNICATIONS PROMOTES TWO

HCFA Director Chip Yarborough announced the promotions of two key management positions at Heartland on Friday, August 28th. A recent reorganization at HCFA created two new positions; they are Communications Operations Supervisor and Senior Systems Technician.

The Senior Systems Technician is responsible for the management of the IT Division at HCFA. Carlos Castillo was promoted to the position of Senior Systems Technician Carlos has been with Heartland since April 10, 2006. Prior to coming to Heartland Carlos worked for The City of La Mesa supporting the City’s network infrastructure and City departments. He has over eight years experience in the government sector and over 11 years in the IT fi eld.

Mr. Castillo has a Bachelors of Science in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, and is currently working on his Master’s Degree. He is a Microsoft Certifi ed Professional. He resides in La Mesa and enjoys playing golf, jogging and traveling.

The Communications Operations Supervisor is responsible for the management of the Operations Division, which includes the Emergency Communications Center. Diane McClarty was promoted to the position of Communications Operations Supervisor.

Diane has been with Heartland since 1990. Prior to coming to Heartland Diane worked for the City of Turlock in their Police/Fire Communications Center. She has been a Fire Shift Supervisor since 2001.

Diane has been an Adjunct Instructor at Grossmont College, teaching in the dispatch academy. Diane has also served in many different capacities as a shift supervisor at Heartland. She lives in Lakeside, and enjoys spending time with family. HEARTLAND UNVEILS NEW WEBSITEWWW.HEARTLANDFIRE.NET

On Monday, August 24, 2009 HCFA unveiled their website. It can be found at www.heartlandfi re.net. The site is the fi rst at HCFA, and has been needed for a long time.

Still in the infant stages, the site will continue to grow with important information for member and contract Agencies at HCFA. The Zone 4 Operations Committee will be utilizing the site to post zone policies and procedures, and the old daily staffi ng report has now been automated on the website.

HCFA welcomes any feedback about the site and/or the content. Please contact cyarborough@heartlandfi re.netwith comments.

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Imperial Beach Firefi ghter featured on TNT’s “Wedding Day”

Last September, the lens of reality television set its focus on the City of Imperial Beach. Following a nation wide talent search, Firefi ghter/Paramedic Tyra Moe and her then fi ancée, Lifeguard Sergeant Rich Hidalgo, were chosen to receive the wedding of their dreams. The producers of “Wedding Day,” a new television program on TNT, chose Moe and Hidalgo because they were too busy serving their community to plan or afford their dream wedding. Their episode aired on national television the morning of August 8, 2009 Moe stated that last summer they were contacted by a talent scout who saw an article about her in the San Diego Union-Tribune. It was an article highlighting the fact that she was the fi rst female fi refi ghter for the City of Imperial Beach and that she was also engaged. This got the ball rolling, but it was just the beginning. The application process included countless interviews, telephone calls and emails. Once Moe and Hidalgo reached the fi nal selection process, the cameras arrived at the Station 39 the rest is history. Now how do you surprise a couple that is supposed to be on duty that day and tell them that they have won the wedding of there dreams? Easy, after all, this is Hollywood. Anxiously awaiting their arrival, the apparatus room fl oor was fi lled with their family, friends and co-workers. The “offi cial story” was that they were going to have a meeting with Public Safety Director, Frank Sotelo, as part of the selection process. What they didn’t know was that in just a few short moments, they would be fi lling a chartered bus with family and friends and be wisked away to Maui for a beachfront wedding. One that was beyond anything they could have imagined. “As we walked in front of the station, the doors started to rise. The sight of screaming, laughing, smiling, jumping friends and family really, really shocked me,” said Moe. Hidalgo added, “I am one that is not easily duped, so I was defi nitely a little out of my element.” Following the surprise of a lifetime, Moe and Hidalgo got to sit down with the show’s hosts and convey to them what their vision of an ideal wedding would be. “I sat down with a celebrity wedding designer and had a heartfelt woman to

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woman conversation. I didn’t know what they had planned for us, but at least our friends and family would be there,” said Moe. She also added that it was a massive endeavor to place such an important event in the hands of a stranger. It was on to the bus and off to the airport. Accompanied with their family and friends, Moe and Hidalgo boarded a fi rst class fl ight from Los Angeles to Maui. They both still were in shock. Hidalgo felt humbled when he was watching his loved ones board the plane for Hawaii. He still didn’t think that it all of the day’s events had sunk in. “This experience has been surreal. I am totally fl oored at this experience,”

exclaimed Moe. The group arrived at the hotel in Maui approximately midnight, local time which was 0300, the next morning back here in San Diego. Exhausted, but excited the group turned in for the night, anxious about what the morning, and the rest of the week had in store for them. It was an early wake up call for everybody as there was much to accomplish and in only four days. While the guests

were working feverishly with the preparations, Moe and Hidalgo were surprised with their fi rst adventure. Monday morning, they enjoyed a stand-up paddle boarding excursion with Dave Kalama, one of the world’s premier watermen. This took place on the north coast of Maui and while they were out on the ocean, several sea turtles and a pod of dolphins stopped by to visit. “This was my favorite alone moment with Rich,” said Moe. “It was truly spiritual to glide across the waves in such a state of peace. And to see each other experience this same thing and the exact same second was magical. We didn’t get a lot of alone time together, so we had to make every moment count.”

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Moe added that they each had escorts around the island to make sure that certain things were kept a surprise. The rest of the week had the guests creating decorations for both the reception and ceremony. In addition to packing in several adventures, there were the traditional pre-wedding duties that had to be accomplished. Moe felt totally fl oored at the whole experience. However, it all set in when she was dress shopping. “It wasn’t dress shopping for your everyday dress. This is for my wedding… like, MY wedding,” exclaimed Moe! The rehearsal dinner was set at the Haiku Mill which was a nineteenth century sugar mill. It was ornately decorated with native fl owers, elegant canopies and several ice sculptures. This even included an ice bar. Live ukulele music was played

by local musicians and they even had a surprise from all the way back in Imperial Beach. It was arranged so that Chief Sotelo could be there and present them with their 1 year anniversary gift from the television show, a 1 week expense paid trip to Hawaii. Now Rich and Tyra, just make sure you get your vacation request forms signed! The morning of the wedding, both Moe and Hidalgo awoke with a feeling of excitement and anticipation of what would lie ahead. Moe indicated that when she

stepped out of the limo she was trembling. She also knew that the day had arrived for her dad to pass her off and for her to begin the next chapter in life. “I just wish that everybody could have known how I felt. I felt so beautiful from the inside out,” said Moe.

The moment had arrived and Moe and her father passed through the gates to the awaiting ceremony. In fact, the bamboo gates were constructed by both Tyra and Rich’s fathers. This was one special gift that they could give to put a personal touch on the wedding. “It was so important for me to help on this gate. It is such a symbol of the transition in Tyra’s life,” said Tyra’s father, Doug Moe.

The wedding ceremony was every bit of what they had dreamed about. It was held at a private oceanfront residence

about 500 feet from the reception site and provided the absolute perfect setting with palm trees and waves crashing in the background. “When Tyra’s father gave his daughter to Rich, the love that was there, her eyes twinkling with happiness, was so overwhelming,” said bridesman Allen Hazelton.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds made their way to the reception at the Olowalu Plantation. Their entrance took them past a photo history of the previous week. Various moments

were captured by photographers and placed on a surfboard which lined the walkway. The hanging orchid chandeliers which the bridesmaids and bridesman created were hung from the ceilings of the dining cabanas. It was an evening that kept surprising them everywhere they turned. The gift of a surfboard, which was artistically created by world-renown artist Drew Brofy, was skillfully hung over the dance fl oor of the reception. The artwork on the surfboard comprised of events that had transpired over the past week. “It symbolized everything that was important to us, said Moe. Additionally, Brofy included a portrait of the Hidalgo’s dog, Seppo. This surfboard currently hangs in their house. To top it off, 2 time Grammy nominated artist Riya Taya Helm performed “The Traditional Hawaiian Wedding Song” for Rich and Tyra’s

fi rst dance as husband and wife. “Riya Taya singing the Traditional Hawaiian Wedding Song for Tyra and I, at our wedding, for our fi rst dance was unimaginable. It was one of the most beautiful moments, I’ve ever had,” said Hidalgo.

Following the wedding it was back to work keeping the public safe for both Mr. and Mrs. Hidalgo. This was an experience that superceded anything they could have imagined and are greatly appreciative that they were selected to have the wedding of their dreams.

Name: Mark A. Cisneros

Agency: Imperial Beach Fire Department

Current Rank or Position: Fire Captain

How long have you been in this fi eld of work? Twenty-fi ve years, eight months, seven days, and this morning.

How long have you been with your current employer? Twenty-four years, nine months, seven days and this morning.

What town and state were you born in? Los Angeles, CA.

What do you consider to be your hometown? The Cajon Zone, since 1977 to 2008

What High School did you attend? Granite Hills High School

Class of? 1982

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Fireman of the year – 2007 1st year for IBFD, / Fire Offi cer Cert., / EMT before D&C in 1983, / CERT Instructor- when it was COOL? / DMV Employee-Driver Certifi er / San Diego’s 6th Basic Fire Academy-1983, California Department of Forestry 6-day Wildland Academy-1983, / High school graduate 1983, / Greenfi eld Middle School-1978, / and Pre-School to 6th grade in the Los Angeles public education system where I learned to play a mean Violin in the heart of East LA.

Tell us something about your family? They died too soon! Mom in 1990-I was 26 years old, Dad in 1993- I was 29, 1st brother in 2000- I was 36, and my oldest brother in 2003- I was 39 years old……I miss them so much, but if they had to go, I’m thankful to be last…. I did meet a lady (Renee Marshall) with two daughters in 1995, and have been engaged for fourteen years, raising the kids from fi ve years old to nineteen (Heather Marshall) and eleven years old to twenty-fi ve (Trisha Marshall) I love them with all my heart.

How did you get interested in this career? I was looking for a career out of high school and thought of being a Cop, but I was too young to carry a gun…. Then I wanted to be a

Trash man, so I could work-out and build big arms…. They use to lift the trash cans by hand in the OLD DAYS. Both jobs provided plenty of trash to last a career. The Job search person said the City wasn’t hiring for that position, but San Diego was starting a Fire Academy. I waited in line to sign–up for the academy for nine days; some people waited twelve days…. In January 1983, I was three days past my nineteenth birthday and in the academy. I was working as a Fireman for I.B. by twenty.

When not at work I like to?Work, I like getting paid to be an EMT from other people and make more money to use at Barona. I never lose money… I know exact which slot machine I put it in.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Travel, Enjoy life, and have enough money to never have to ask the price of anything.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind?

With the month, I was at the station late, off duty, and a woman knocked on the kitchen window to get my attention. She said she wanted to give up her two hour old baby to the fi re station. It was my fi rst experience with the Save Surrender Baby Program and it will stay with me for the rest of my life….. I haven’t had the joy of an infant of my own and probably never will so there’s emptiness in my life….. Love your kids, and see them with the loving eyes that you had when you fi rst laid eyes on them.

Ten years from I would like to be? Enjoying my 3% @ 50 for fi ve years and

three month and tell stories of how it was when I was a kid.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about

yourself? I love the LORD and feel

that we are here in this moment for a purpose…

HIS purpose and to HIM we are just a TOOL.

Don’t think so highly of yourself, that you won’t reach out to everyone in need. Our best day is usually someone’s worst nightmare.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your

profession? Remembering why you

wanted to be a fi refi ghter, and living it on and off duty.

Name: Phil A. Joseph


Current Rank or Position: Engineer for 22 years.

What do you consider to be your hometown? Encinitas, CA

How long have you been in this fi eld of work? 27yrs.

How long have you been with your current employer?25yr

What town and state were you born in? Lafayette Indiana; Hoosier Daddy?

What do you consider to be your hometown? San Diego

What High School did you attend? Torrance High; Tartars

Class of? 1978

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Three degrees in fi re science.

Tell us something about your family? Married 24 yrs with 2 kids in college.

How did you get interested in this career? Looking for something exciting (still

looking).

When not at work I like to? SURF ; play with my dog ACE

What are some things you always wanted to try? Get rich!

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? A lady had her hand down the garbage disposal and couldn’t remove it even with soap and butter. So Ernie reaches for the switch like he was going to turn on the

disposal and she pulled her hand right out of there in 2 seconds.

Ten years from I would like to be? Traveling the world.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? I wanted to either be a roller derby star or a garbage man when I grew up.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession?

The quality of calls is way down ;people call 911 for problems that do not

require an ambulance .

Name: Jason Bell


Current Rank or Position: Firefi ghter/Paramedic

How long have you been in this fi eld of work? 11 years.

How long have you been with your current employer? 6.5 years.

What town and state were you born in? San Diego, CA

What do you consider to be your hometown? Oceanside, CA

What High School did you attend? Vista HS

Class of? 1996

List some of your other educational accomplishments? I am currently fi nishing up my BS degree in Fire Science Administration.

Tell us something about your family? I am getting married Labor Day weekend.

How did you get interested in this career? What little kid didn’t want to be a fi reman after watching Johnny and Roy?

When not at work I like to? Attend Padres’ games, despite their record.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Skydiving and scuba diving.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? My crew and I were involved in the successful rescue of 3 teenagers who jumped off the pier in the middle of winter with high surf and water temps in the upper 50s. One of the teenagers who was rescued later became one of our Jr. Lifeguards.

Ten years from now, I would like to be? The owner of a very successful vineyard. “Hey Jason, wake up!”

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? I have been to the original Hofbrauhaus in Munich as well as the one in Vegas.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? Providing the same level of service to the public with less revenues. Consolidation may be the answer, but it will take

a concerted effort by all agencies, not just a handful.

Name: Patrick Spears


Current Rank or Position: Probationary Firefi ghter/Paramedic

How long have you been in this fi eld of work? 3 years

How long have you been with your current employer?9 Months

What town and state were you born in? Newport Beach, CA

What do you consider to be your hometown? Tustin, CA

What High School did you attend? Foothill High

Class of? 1988

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree from SDSU

Tell us something about your family? Father is a Police Offi cer and Mother a Nurse, sister a teacher.

How did you get interested in this career? Found my passion.

When not at work I like to? Surf, beach volleyball and be with wife and son.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Skydiving, scuba, hike John Muir Trail, own a Jeep.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? Structure fi re yesterday morning. First on scene with the nozzle, booya!

Ten years from I would like to be? An engineer.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? I got into the profession a little later in life than most. Only as old as you feel.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? Funding shortages: leading to agencies not getting paid for strike teams which lead to less units being dispatched…

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New Truck in La Mesaby Sonny Saghera, PIO

The City of La Mesa is the proud new owner of a brand new 2009 Pierce Quantum 100’ Aerial Platform Ladder Truck. In early September, the Pierce Quantum will go into service as Truck 11. The truck will be replacing our 1987 LTI 100’ aerial. It will be stationed at La Mesa Fire Station 11 on Allison Avenue.

The Pierce features a 100’ aerial basket. It is 12’6” in height and has an overall length of 47’3”. It weighs 75, 800 lbs. It is powered by a Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine that produces 515 HP with a top speed of 59 mph. Aside from the technological advances our new truck offers, the main difference between the 2009 Pierce and our 1987 LTI is the new truck does not have a water tank or pump. This allows for more compartment space for specialized equipment. The 2009 Pierce also features a 2000 GPM nozzle at the top of the ladder.

The ladder truck will also be carrying ground ladders including: (2) 35’ extension ladders, (1) 28’ extension ladder, (1) 20’ straight ladder, (1) 16’ roof ladder, and (1) 14’ attic ladder. It is a closed cab with seating for four fi refi ghters, and features air bags, anti-roll protection, and a rear back-up and side blind spot camera. It will also carry new Holmatro extrication equipment.

A special thanks to our apparatus committee: Division Chief Mike Carlin, Captain Todd Nelson, Engineer Howard Gunter, Engineer Chip Tidball, and Engineer Brent Baum for their numerous trips to Appleton, Wisconsin and their hard work over the past two years on getting us this truck.

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Lakeside Firefi ghters Update Low-Angle Skills

Over time the Lakeside Fire Production District has been working on better, and faster, ways to get crews into inaccessible areas. The community of Lakeside is surrounded by roadways that present signifi cant “over the side” problems, and on more than one occasion crews have faced access issues in excess of 200 feet.

Over time equipment purchased have been made to speed the process of getting crews down to these victims. Included in these purchases was a set of 500’ ropes, and commercial “low angle harnesses” that have signifi cantly improved speed and accessability.

For the August Field Care Audit, Firefi ghter-Paramedic Eric Stamm used the opportunity to review these essential skills. Problematic to most technical rescue program is “recent training”. Over time skills degrade, or an array of different methodology is introduced, thus slowing rescue operations.

The core purpose of the August training was to assure that crews were utilizing

similar skill sets that so crews could effectively work together effectively no matter the confi guration of personnel.

One operation decision that is important that the priority placement at the scene goes to R3. The rescue unit was specifi cally ordered with high anchoring points to facilitate low-angle rescues, thus it’s important to get the unit right above the patients location.

Also to speed operations much of the equipment has been pre-assembled so that its ready to go when pulled from the bag.

The operational priorities of the Lakeside system is:

Division of labor to speed crews • departure to victims.Priority to getting ALS personnel • to victims.Effective development of • mechanical advantage.Quick removal of the patient.•

Another important discussion was about “risk vs. benefi t” when using helicopters for these types of rescues. “There is no such thing as a totally risk free hoist operation, so you really need to have a reason to use this method” stated Firefi ghter Stamm. Patient status should dictate the system used for the extrication, keeping in mind that “nothing happens fast with rope systems”

Congratulation Joe and ChristineCongratulations to Joe Vasquez and his beautiful bride, Christine. They exchanged vows on May 15th in front of many friends and family. We wish for our brother and his new wife many years of happiness and joy

Firefi ghter-Paramedics Josh Wilson, Matt Buzzell, and Bryan Peters practice patient lashing.

Congratulations Chris and Emily

On August 1st Chris Downing and his lovely new wife Emily, tied the knot in Mammoth Lakes CA. They promise a huge party closer to home real soon for all of us to help them celebrate (hint). Good luck and best wishes from your Lakeside family.

Name: Chuck Tockstein

Agency: Lakeside Fire Protection District

Current Rank or Position: Battalion Chief


How long have you been with your current employer?22 years

What town and state were you born in? La Mesa, Ca.

What do you consider to be your hometown?Lakeside

What High School did you attend? El Capitan H.S.

Class of? 1981

List some of your other educational accomplishments? My favorite was the two weeks that I spent at the National Fire Academy.

Tell us something about your family? I have a fantastic wife and three daughters that I am very proud of.

How did you get interested in this career? My father was a fi refi ghter for the City of Santee.

When not at work I like to? Work around the house, BBQ for family and friends and take vacations.

What are some things you always wanted to try:Going to Australia to fi ght fi res.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? There are a whole bunch, the Cedar Fire, participating in the Space Shuttle recovery, responding to Hurricane Katrina, but the two that stand out the most are probably the Santana shootings and the electrocution that Ron Laff and myself responded to as paramedics at the Lake Jennings SDG&E sub-station years ago.

Ten years from I would like to be? Retired and traveling around the Country and generally bugging my daughters.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself?

I am very boring and according to an old cranky and crusty Engineer that used to drive for me I

have no personality or sense of humor.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? The fi scal challenge of providing the taxpayer with the service they deserve while our revenues decrease. The challenge of recruiting, training and retaining the type of individual that we

want to represent my organization and the Fire Service in

general.

Name: Scott Culkin

Agency: Lakeside Fire Department

Current Rank or Position:: Captain / Paramedic

How long have you been in this fi eld of work?: 22 years

How long have you been with your current employer? 21 years

What town and state were you born in? San Diego, CA

What do you consider to be your hometown? Lakeside, CA

What High School did you attend? El Capitan

Class of ? 1978

Tell us something about your family? I have an awesome wife (Julie) and two terrifi c children, Colin (12) and Hannah (10).

How did you get interested in this career? I’ve been around the fi re service for most of my life. My father was a Lakeside fi refi ghter for 27 years, retiring as fi re chief in 1992. I consider it an honor to follow in his footsteps with one of the best fi re departments in the county.

When not at work I like to? Travel, teach, road bike, hang with the family.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? In May 2006, 0300 hrs. fi rst-in on a well-involved structure fi re in middle unit of two-story occupied condominium complex. It was amazing to see what well-trained and highly motivated fi refi ghters can do when they kick it into

high-gear! It was also an affi rmation of the exemplary auto-aid system we rely on here in Heartland; truck 4, engine 4, engine 19, engine 8 defi nitely had Lakeside’s back on this one! Heartland fi refi ghters saved a ton of property that morning.

Ten years from I would like to be? Pondering retirement from the fi re SUV.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? I am really good at getting a “letter to the editor” printed in the newspaper!


The continuing assault by some on the “public employee.” We can not let others defi ne our worth to society. If we do, we risk losing the hard-fought and well-deserved benefi ts it took us so long to attain.

Name: Ian Lowe

Agency: Lakeside

Current Rank or Position: Chauffer/Paramedic How long have you been in this fi eld of work? 11 years

How long have you been with your current employer? Almost 9 years.

What town and state were you born in? San Diego

What do you consider to be your hometown? Mira Mesa

What High School did you attend? Scripps Ranch High School

Class of ? 1997

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Associates in Fire protection Tech, ParaMedic School, Fire Offi cer Cert

Tell us something about your family? Married to the lovely and talented Anna Lowe with two kids. My daughter Avery is 2 and my son Owen is 1. I also have a Bullmastiff and her name is Frances. She is 4 in case you were curious.

How did you get interested in this career? After high school I did not know what to do with myself since I really had no special skills to speak of, so I took advice from a friend to pursue a career in the fi re service. Seemed pretty neat at the time since professional Partier was not paying the bills. Now here I am driving a fi re truck for a living. I guess it worked out pretty well.

When not at work I like to? Apparently make babies and change diapers. Other than that I try to squeeze in a surf session and an occasional desert trip to ride motorcycles.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Learning to play the drums.

Ten years from I would like to be? Hopefully promoted to Captain.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? Deep down inside I have always wanted to be a player in the NBA. They have always told me I don’t have what it takes, I have no clue why

someone would say such a thing.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? Getting those that are maxed out to retire.

Name: Steve Russo

Agency: Lakeside

Current Rank or Position: Firefi ghter/Paramedic



What town and state were you born in? Los Angeles, CA

What do you consider to be your hometown? San Diego

What High School did you attend? Mount Miguel

Class of ? 89’

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Medic school took it all out of me.

Tell us something about your family? I have a wonderful wife of 18 years and 2 “children”, Daughter 19 and a Son 17. Yes, I am that old.

How did you get interested in this career? Watching Johnny and Roy

When not at work I like to? Not at work??? Huge music fan, going to concerts, writing and recording music, Glamis or anyplace there is sand to play in, Traveling, and just spending time with my family........Believe it or not, I do go home.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Riding on a Fire Engine.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? There is way too many to think of. For some reason I attract ALL the strange calls, see Brian Moore.

Ten years from I would like to be? Off the medic unit.


I played Drums in a Disco band and a few Death Metal Bands.

What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? 911 ABUSE!!

Name: Nathan Fox

Agency: Lakeside

Current Rank or Position: Firefi ghter



What town and state were you born in? La Verne

What do you consider to be your hometown? La Verne

What High School did you attend? La Verne High

Class of ? 1992

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Rescue systems 1 and 2, some fi re science and fi re offi cer courses.

Tell us something about your family? Married one year with 2 dogs. A rat terrier and a doberman.

How did you get interested in this career? Couldn’t cut it as a professional snow-boarder because I was too old and slow. This seemed like the next best thing.

When not at work I like to? Plan out how I am going to fi nish all of the prerequisites for paramedic school.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Catfi sh Noodling.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? This one time I got to drive the medic unit code 3 to Sharp Memorial like a real medic. The other specifi c call that stands out in my head is the Cedar Fire.

Ten years from I would like to be? Hopefully promoted and getting ready to retire healthy.


I love lamp…


Paramedics

Name: Brian Moore

Agency: Lakeside Fire

Current Rank or Position: Firefi ghter/Paramedic (mostly a Paramedic)

How long have you been in this fi eld of work? 8 years.


What town and state were you born in? Lakeside CA What do you consider to be your hometown? I live in Alpine but my heart will always belong to Lakeside.

What High School did you attend? Granite Hills

Class of? 1999

List some of your other educational accomplishments? Paramedic school was all I could handle. Tell us something about your family? Great parents, 1 sister who has 2 beautiful children. I have a wonderful girlfriend. How did you get interested in this career? I always wanted to be a police offi cer or fi reman. I was a Cadet for ECPD when I was 18-20 years old. I got to see the way cops and fi remen get treated by the public. It was an easy decision to make. I also really enjoy the medical side, so that made the decision even easier. When not at work I like to? Fish for Calico bass in the kelp, in the winter its Spotted bay bass in the bays. I also enjoy spending time with my family.

What are some things you always wanted to try? Doing a VIP ride with the United States Navy Blue Angels.

List a call, incident, or patient that stands out in your mind? I was working with my partner Steve Russo on M3 when we got woke up for a structure fi re. It was a really good working house fi re and we had a great interior attack. When we were mopping up, the crews found dura-fl ame logs and full gas cans all over the house. The bath tub was full of gasoline, an obvious arson fi re. It was not until 3 hours later that Sheriffs found a man in a tiny tool shed in the back yard bleeding with agonal respirations.

Ten years from I would like to be?

A captain. The truth is that Steve and I will probably be on an off load delay at Kaiser.

This is your opportunity to tell us something unique about yourself? I still kind of want to be a cop sometimes. What do you perceive as some of the challenges affecting your profession? Budget crunches, and in service training

with the constant call volume increase.

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oderick Juniel Agency Editor:

National City takes Delivery of a New TruckStory By: Captain Don Miner

The National City Fire Department took delivery of their new state of the art 2009 Pierce 105 ft aerial quint. This particular apparatus was on display at the recent Firehouse Exhibition in Indianapolis. National City applied for and was awarded with a grant for a new apparatus purchase. Management analyst Walter Amedee wrote the grant and an apparatus committee comprised of Captain Brian Krepps, Engineer Jeremy Day and Firefi ghter Mike Christiansen did the research and recommended this truck. The grant offset the cost of the apparatus by about 25% of the total cost. This apparatus makes the third Pierce purchased by the National City Fire Fire department in the last 5 years.

Even in these diffi cult economic times, the Fire Department and City Government realized that it was time to replace the aging and heavily used Central States 75 ft quint aerial truck. The additional factor in the purchase was the high rise growth of the city and the need for an aerial apparatus with greater reach capabilities. Behind the City of San Diego, National City has the highest number of high rise buildings in the county and more are planned. National City provides automatic aid with truck 34 to the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Bonita and Coronado.

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New Arrivals at San Miguel Fire

Congratulation to the Durrell and Rhodes family on their new arrivals

Bailey Grace Rhodes was born on Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:04pm at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Diego, CA. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and measured 20 inches long.Pictured with her is proud big sister Avery.

Broc Daniel Durrell 3/17/09 at 1:35 AM 8lb 7oz21.25” long

On August 13, 2009 my family and I received a disturbing phone call. We were being advised by my wife Sue’s Dad that our 7 year old nephew Ridgway Miller was just diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Leukemia. Ridgway had been experiencing fl u-like symptoms about two weeks prior to the diagnosis. Ridgway’s mother Sherie noticed he was not getting any better and chose a second opinion. Based on that second opinion and blood tests, it was determined that Ridgway had Leukemia.

By that afternoon, Ridgway had been admitted to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, since they live in Ohio. The next day the doctors began aggressive chemotherapy which will continue for at least 30 days in the hospital. The doctors also predict over three years of ongoing treatment at home. As of now, Ridgway is well on his way in his chemo treatment arena. It will take some time to determine the outcome of this fi rst round.

With that being said, we are not sure of the chance or need for a bone marrow transplant. However, as we Firefi ghters like to say, it’s better to be proactive than reactive so here is something you can do. If your schedule allows, on Saturday, September 19, 2009 we have put together a Bone Marrow

Drive in Ridgway’s name. We will hold it here at San Miguel Fire Station 19 (Bostonia) from 09:00-3:00 p.m. This is a very non invasive test.

At the end of this publication is additional information. The quick version is just a swab from your cheek with a Q-tip and fi lling out some minor paperwork. No blood, no needles or sticks. Just a simple swab in your mouth. You will then be placed in the National Registry to see if you are in fact a match for Ridgway or any other victim of this horrible disease.

As a brother in the fi re service, I so appreciate how we all step up to the plate for one another. I hope and pray you can please fi nd the time to help out our family. We are used to hearing we save lives each and every day. This is just another great way to accomplish that same task. I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter. If you can’t make it on September 19, maybe you

can stop by your local San Diego Blood Bank and get tested in Ridgway’s name as well. My family and I thank you in advance and appreciate the support shown to us already by so many.

Prayers always welcome,

Kevin M. ClarkFire Captain San Miguel F.D Station 19 B-Divkclark@smgfi re.org or 619-992-6589

September 19th, 9AM to 3PM

San Miguel Fire Station #191273 Clarendon StEl Cajon, CA

“Behind the Vons”

CLARK FAMILY NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

TESTING DRIVE for RIDGWAYTESTING DRIVE for RIDGWAY

Fire SafetyFree FoodFun Zone

Rescue DemosFree RaffleLive Music

and More

San Miguel Fire District’s4th Annual ~ Fire Expo

Saturday, September 12, 200911:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Rancho San Diego Towne Center & YMCA

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The Santee Firefi ghters Catfi sh Derby was held on June 13th 2009 at Santee Lakes. This event was free to kids aged 3 to 17 years. Lakes 3 and 4 were

double stocked with catfi sh 2 days prior to the event and the rangers kept everybody off the lake until the start of the derby. Within the fi rst hour we had multiple kids limiting all 5 cats. Participants received a free Santee Lakes Fishing permit, a free raffl e ticket, free bait, a free hot dog lunch and a chance at the prizes for best fi shing. Lakeside optimist club provided 150 free loaner rods for the kids that did not have

their own gear. The largest cat weighed 2.13 oz and the smallest was less than 1 0z. Hundreds of fi sh were caught in the fi rst 2 hours. 550 kids registered for the event.

New Medic UnitsCSA-69 residents will see two new medic units running out of Santee these days, with the replacement of both M4 and M5. Both units’ are F450, XLT, Super Duty chassis’ sporting 6.4L / V8 Power Stroke, Turbo Diesel power units. M4 is all new, while M5 is an existing CSA box on the new chassis. Super Duty means Super Power, Awhhhhh!! Oh ya!!!!

Friday, November 6th &Saturday, November 7th

7:00am to 10:30am

HAVE BREAKFAST ATTHE FIRE STATION!

HOSTED AT: SANTEE FIRE STATION #4 8950 COTTONWOOD (Corner of Mission Gorge & Cottonwood)

SPONSORED BY: YOUR SANTEE FIREFIGHTERS & YOUR SAN DIEGO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

*ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT LOCAL FAMILIES IN NEED

ADULTS: $4.00 SENIORS 65+ : $3.00

CHILDREN UNDER 10 : $3.00

BREAKFAST INCLUDES: PANCAKES, EGGS, SAUSAGE, COFFEE AND JUICE

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE DOOR OR BY CALLING: THE SANTEE FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 4373 AT 619-456-2340 OR

THE SHERIFF’S CRIME PREVENTION UNIT AT: 619-956-4021

11th Annual Santee Pancake

Breakfast

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Viejas crews have been participating in regular inter-agency training with other local agencies. Units from Viejas, Alpine, Forest Service, and Cal Fire have

attended the training sessions, which this past month have included low-angle-rescue training. Held at the view point off of Interstate 8 just east of East Willows, the training reinforces the systems and methods used to rescue victims that may be located down inclines that are too steep to safely traverse without ropes and harnesses. The location is perfect for simulating the frequent ‘over-the-side’ vehicle accidents that occur along the interstate. In fact, as luck would have it, a couple of hours after clearing from the training, Viejas B Dvision responded in Engine 25 with Forest Service and Cal Fire units to an over-the-side rescue off of Interstate 8 in Pine Valley. There, they employed the same set up and rigging they had just practiced to rescue a victim from a car accident that went off the side of the road into a steep canyon. The victim was quickly retrieved, stabilized at scene, and transported to a trauma center for care.

VJS FF/PM Jeremy Felber in gear ready to go.

Probationary Firefi ghter/Paramedic Scott Sandland just completed his four month probationary exam. Scott is already readying for his 8-month exam, which will be doubly stressful because he and his wife Colleen are expecting their fi rst child at about the same time in January. We wish Mrs. Sandland health for both her and the soon-to-arrive baby!

Viejas Fire Brush-225, a Type 6 staffed with fi ve personnel, was sent to the West Incident in the Sierra National Forest as a single use resource. As of this writing the rig is still assigned to the incident.

Scott Sandland taking his probationary test with Capt. Frank Battaglia.

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El Cajon Fire DepartmentStation #9

11 1315-1615 FCASantee Fire DepartmentStation #4

16 0830-1130 FCAEl Cajon Fire DepartmentStation #9


16 0830-1130 FCALakeside Fire Protection DistrictStation #3

19 0900-1500 Testing for RidgwaySan Miguel Station #191273 Clarendon StEl CajonBehind the Von’s. You can park in the Von’s parking lot.



23 0900-1200 FCAAlpine Fire Protection DistrictStation #17


25 0900-1200 FCABarona Fire DepartmentStation #27

October12 0900-1200 FCA

Lakeside Fire Protection DistrictStation #3

16 0900-1200 FCABarona Fire DepartmentStation #27

19 0900-1200 FCAViejas Fire DepartmentStation #25









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October30 0900-1200 FCA

Lakeside Fire DistrictStation #3

30 0900-1200 FCALakeside Fire DistrictStation #3

Firefi ghter to Firefi ghter Sales and S

ervices (Contact your A

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etails)

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Sand Toy

2005- Sandcars.net V3SS Car is loaded with extras and has been meticulously maintained. Car is equipped with a 500 h.p LS1 Corvette motor V8. Oil changed after every single trip. 2D mendeola Trans recently gone through With a G-50 up-grade. 930 CV’s with midboard hubs. Power Steering. 4 wheel disk brakes, King Bypass shocks all the way around. Bead locks on all 4 rims. 5 point padded crow belts in all 4 seats. V.H.F Off road radio with 30 programmed channels. 4 head sets with noise cancellation. MP3 ada-tion through the head sets. Back up light 2 LED dome lights, 12V electrical pow-er port in dash. Roof and side panesl lined to match the 4 deep elite bucket seats from racecraft with storage pouches. Wing Trunk, fantasitc graph-ics. Rear tire 16.50 Sand Tires Unlimited. Light Bar that is collapsible with 4 eagle HID’s. More pics upon request. Call Kevin Clark 619-992-6589 or [email protected] Asking $52,000 or best. Maint records also avail.

Ford F150 Truck

2000 Ford F150 XLT, Extra Cab, 5.4L Triton V84X4, Automatic, 114,000 miles, Full PowerA/C, Single Disc CD, Tow Package, Looks and Runs Great.One Owner - Call Rick @ (619) 806-1537

Firefi ghter to Firefi ghter Sales and S

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IT’S FINALLY DONE!

Those of you that know me know I have been working on a small development along the Colorado River near Walters Camp. After 10 plus years, it is fi nally done! Many of you asked me to let you know when lots could be purchased so I am trying to get the word out now. This project is a gated development with fi nished lots and all utili-ties in. It is on the main channel of the river and the area is completely surrounded by BLM land and Wildlife Refuges. We have our own boat ramp and a huge area for hardcore jeeping and off roading. This is a great family area of the river and I will do what it takes to get you a lot if you are interested. Visit my website at www.riodelsol.us or call Doug Naylor (ACP ret) at 619-933-701

BONE MARROW DRIVE INFORMATION

COST – IT’S FREE!

Signing up on the National Marrow Registry is easier than ever. Typically there is a charge associated with joining the National Marrow Donor Registry. If the drive is not sponsored by a company or organization (and therefore the company pays for the testing) the cost to the donor to sign up on the registry is $52. However, the San Diego office has a private foundation that has been set up to cover these costs for San Diego (and surrounding areas) residents so they may sign up free of charge! This is a huge benefit both to those wishing to sign up as well as the National Marrow Program – especially during these hard economic times.

HOW IT’S DONE

To sign up on the Registry, all donors have to do is fill out a registration form that covers the following information: 1) Donor’s contact information; 2) Secondary Contact information – this is just in case they move and forget to let the NMDP know, someone we can contact to find them and 3) Personal Health History. Then we go over the form with them to make sure everything is accurate and take a simple cheek swab to get their tissue sample. No blood has to be drawn, just 4 simple cheek swabs. Easy, huh?

DAY OF DRIVE NEEDS – based loosely on expecting no more than 50 donors to join

Now, our basic needs to hold a drive are 2-3 tables 6-8 ft long and 10-12 chairs. We will bring all the registration materials with us. We can be set up outside or inside, depending on the location. If we’ll be holding a drive outside, we’ll need a canopy to set up to provide some shade. If you don’t have a canopy or can’t provide the day of the drive, let me know and I’ll see if we can get one on our end for that day.

PROMOTION

If we move forward with holding a drive, I will create flyers that can be used to post up at the office for employees to see as well as handed out as you see fit. We do customize flyers based on details for each drive (i.e. a specific patient focus, location, etc).

EDUCATION

I have noticed with my drives in the past that the more education I am able to provide those that we’re trying to reach, the better my chance of having them sign up on the registry on the day of the drive. We use a couple different methods of educating people to the registry:

1. Education Sessions: I can do a 1-hour presentation with a video and more complete information on the program and how it works. We can do this session prior to your drive – that way the day of, we’re more likely get people to stop by and possibly join. This is a GREAT way to educate people to the registry and get them involved. I would highly recommend this.

2. If you believe everyone is pretty well informed or if you don’t think the above would work for you, I have attached some educational sheets that provide some good information on why we need additional donors on the registry. These sheets can be emailed out to your employees or I’ve also had people print them out and post them throughout buildings and whatnot. I’m attaching some that I think would be beneficial. Details on the sheets below.

Myths vs Facts – this is a great sheet that answers some of the questions people have and are afraid to voice – I always have this one at all my drives because these are common questions that help to dispel rumors about what donating bone marrow or stem cells is like. Vital Stats – this is a GREAT information sheet that puts the importance of the program in perspective. Even with 7 million people on the registry – we still have 6000 patients every day, Nationwide, that are searching for a match. What’s even more startling is the breakdown of race on the registry and how that affects those that need transplants. Steps of Donation – Now, this is what most people want to know. If I get selected as a match, how are they going to take the marrow or adult stem cells? This sheet answers that question.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify to be a marrow or blood stem cell donor, you:

- Are between the ages of 18 and 60 - Are within 20% of the ideal weight for your height and age set by the NMDP - Are willing to donate to anyone who needs a transplant

ASK ME!

I know this is a lot of information to take in, so take some time, read it over and discuss it with friends and colleagues. The sky is the limit… we can do as much as you’re willing to do.

Thanks so much and I hope we can make this happen!

Melinda Jacobs Account Marketing Manager

440 Upas Street San Diego, CA 92103 Phone: (619) 400-8209 Cell: (619) 666-7890 Fax: (619) 296-5271 [email protected]

MYTH: Marrow donation is painful.FACT: Donors experience no pain during marrow donation, as this procedure uses general or regional anesthesia.

MYTH: All marrow donations involve surgery.FACT: Some donations involve surgery and some do not. The patient’s doctor requests either a marrow donation, a surgical procedure, or a peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical.

MYTH: Pieces of bone are removed from the donor.FACT: No pieces of bone are removed in marrow donation. Only the liquid marrow found inside the bones is needed to save the patient’s life.

MYTH: Donating marrow is dangerous and weakens the donor.FACT: Though no medical procedure is without risk, there are rarely any long-term effects from donating marrow. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) screens all donors carefully before they donate, to ensure they are healthy and the procedure is safe for them. After donation, the body replaces its marrow within four to six weeks.

MYTH: Marrow donation involves a lengthy recovery. FACT: Most donors are back to their normal routine within a few days. Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for several days or longer. They may also feel tired or experience discomfort walking for a short while before symptoms disappear. PBSC donors may have symptoms such as headache, bone or muscle pain, nausea, insomnia or fatigue. These symptoms disappear shortly after donating.

MYTH: Donors have to pay for costs associated with donation.FACT: Donors never pay for donating. All medical costs are covered by the patient’s medical insurance, sometimes with NMDP assistance. Donors are also reimbursed for travel expenses.

MYTHS VERSUS FACTSCommonly held

misperceptions about

marrow donation can

discourage some from

joining the Registry. Let

us set the record straight.

Just the FACTS:

11021; NOV 2007National Marrow Donor Program: Entrusted to operate the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program ©2007 National Marrow Donor Program

Creating Connections. Saving Lives. 1 (800) MARROW-2

VITAL STATISTICSEvery year, more than 10,000 men, women and children get life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, and do not have a marrow donor in their family. To live, they need to find an unrelated marrow donor whose tissue type matches their own. Patients are most likely to match donors of their same race and ethnicity.

Be the one to give hope to patients in need.There are simply not enough racially or ethnically diverse members on the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) Registry to meet the needs of patients. Currently only a little more than 1.8 million people of the nearly 7 million Registry members are of racial and ethnic diversity.

Getting patients to transplant quickly is often critical.The NMDP is working to overcome barriers that slow this process. More donors of the same race and ethnicity are needed to help patients find matches sooner. We are also working with medical professionals and insurance companies to help every patient receive the transplant he or she needs.

If more people joined the Registry, more patients would find a donor.

You can help!Join the NMDP Registry

Just the FACTS:

11023; APR 2008National Marrow Donor Program: Entrusted to operate the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program ©2008 National Marrow Donor Program

Creating Connections. Saving Lives. 1 (800) MARROW-2

Caucasian - 73% (5 million)

African American/Black - 8%(515,000)

Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - 7% (459,000)

Multiple Race - 3% (180,000)

Hispanic/Latino - 10% (650,000)90%

100%

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

American Indian/Alaska Native - 1% (80,000)

83%%% 81%%%75%5%

61%%%55%

0Hispanic/Latino

AfricanAmerican/Black

Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

American Indian/Alaska Native

Caucasian

90%

100%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Patients who DO NOT receive a life-saving transplant2

2 Based on searches that did not proceed to transplant within 6 months. Additional patients received their transplants later than 6 months.

The NMDP Registry (7 million total)1

1 Numbers reflect U.S. recruitment activity as of October 1, 2007. Numbers, percentages and totals may not coincide due to rounding. Remainder of the Registry are unidentified.

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September-October 2009 Twit

Documents