Cityscape

Pride in Public Service
One of the things city employees are really proud of is the partnerships we’ve built in the business community. This month I want to recognize Rich Schroeder and Sarah Gevirtz of General Dynamics.  They have implemented a communication training program called Crucial Conversations and have very generously allowed city employees to attend the sessions.  The shared training has enabled us to keep training costs down while honing employee customer service skills.  The interaction among trainees has been extremely valuable. So here it is:  a big shout out and thank you to the folks at General Dynamics.
October is fire awareness and prevention month.  In recognition, Fire Chief Steve Adams has contributed the following information to City Scape.
Fire Prevention Week
The City has declared October 7 through the 13th, 2012 as Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme “Two Ways Out”, a campaign all about keeping the community safer from fire and reminding all families to always identify two ways out of every living area in their home.  In addition to this year’s proclamation, during the month of October, the Fire Department conducts a number of fire safety public education programs for pre-school and elementary school students.
Fire Department
Open House
Join the Healdsburg Fire Department for its annual Open House and BBQ on October 13th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to good food, the fire prevention trailer will be on site providing education to children and adults on this year’s theme to always have “Two Ways Out.” Moreover, Fire Department personnel will be performing multiple firefighting scenarios and providing fire safety demonstrations, including fire extinguisher training with live fire. Other agencies to join us on this day of public education will include the Healdsburg Police Department, Cal Fire, Bell’s Ambulance, Red Cross, and the Fire Department Explorer Program.
Healdsburg Fire
Provides Mutual Aid
to the State
Sunday, September 2, Healdsburg Firefighters returned home after providing 22 days of mutual aid to the State responding as part of a strike team to three large wild land fires throughout the State. The strike team started on August 12 at the Wye Fire in Lake County which burned just under 8000 acres near the town of Clear Lake Oaks, and on the 17th they were reassigned to respond to the Rush Incident east of Susanville burning over 400,000 acres.  On August 28th they were reassigned for the third time to the North Pass incident in Mendocino County near Covelo burning nearly 42,000 acres.  Personnel deployed to these major fires were Captains Gerald Williams and Bryan Munson, Engineers Robert Baker, Bill Albers and Scott Byrn and Firefighters Eric Smith, Dan Zimmerman and Blake Thompson.
Five days later on the 6th, we responded as part of a strike team lead by Chief Adams and one engine staffed by Captain Bryan Munson, Engineer Scott Byrn, Firefighters Eric Smith and Blake Thompson to the Scotts Incident on the border of Lake and Mendocino County in the Cow Mountain recreation area burning over 4,600 acres. Crews were released on September 12th after spending 6 days on the fire line.
In addition to the strike team deployments, On September 6th, Firefighter Dan Zimmerman was assigned for seven days to the Stafford Incident in Trinity County as a Technical Specialist working for the State in the command post as an assistant to the Ca. Emergency Management Agency.
While these strike team deployments across the state can prove extremely challenging to fire personnel due to the physically demanding work and hours spent on the fire line, as well as covering assigned personnel, the experience attained by those involved is invaluable  The concept of mutual aid in California is based on a common understanding that every individual community cannot gear up for every possible emergency, and that the best way for communities to make sure help is available when they need it is to be available to give help when others need it. The system creates a structural framework for offering and receiving assistance when a community’s emergency response needs outstrip its own available resources. Additionally, during these extremely difficult financial times, it is important to note that all expenses incurred while providing mutual aid to the state is reimbursed to the City of Healdsburg.
Prevention Tip:
Disposal of Oily Rags
The fire department recently responded to a residential structure fire, caused by rags used to stain a pergola that were discarded into a plastic garbage can. These flammable rags with stain break down when wadded up and create their own heat, starting a fire. The plastic garbage can fire quickly spread to the other garbage cans and fence between the two houses.  
The easiest and safest way to dispose of flammable oily or solvent soaked rags is to use this method:
1. Place the rags in an empty metal container that has a tight metal lid such as a paint or stain can;
2. Fill the container with water until the rags are submerged;
3. Place the metal lid tightly over the water soaked formerly combustible rags;
4. Take the container to your local hazardous waste disposal center or save it until your local community has a hazardous waste pick up day;
5. Please make sure not to dump solvents or paint or anything else like this down your drain or sewer;
6. Call the Sonoma County ECO Desk at 565-3375 for information and Household Hazardous Waste Dates, or look in the Yellow Pages under Recycling.
This is the second trash can fire that threatened structures in a short period of time. Please ensure that anything disposed of in your garbage can will not start a fire such as BBQ ashes and flammable rags. Once a fire starts in a plastic garbage can, the can itself becomes a fuel.
Marjie Pettus is the Healdsburg City Manager. To submit ideas or questions for this column, email ci*******@ci.us