May-June 2007 Alpine Barona East County El Cajon Grossmont ...

San MiguelFirefighters 7thAnnual Golf Classicon May 15th insupport of charity.This month wemet with AmyEskew in theMeet the MICNsection.We met withthe E27A crewat Barona Firein theMeet the Crewsection.789ZONEtheAlpineBaronaEast CountyEl CajonGrossmontLakesideLemon GroveSan MiguelSanteeViejasMay-June 2007

theZONE2Barona and Lakeside work adouble extrication onWildcat Canyon RdOn the afternoon of March 8thunits from the Barona andLakeside Fire Districts were dispatchedto a “vehicle accident with rescue” in thearea of the 5 mile marker on WildcatCanyon Rd. First to arrive was E27 whomreported a “head-on-collision with twotrapped”. Soon after their arrival B8would take command and the crew fromE27 would make an initial triage and setupfor extrication.The extrication would involve a patientminimally trapped in an older modelvan, and another patient in a small sedanthat would require extensive extrication.With the arrival of R3 crews startedsimultaneous extrication operations onboth vehicles.E27 E2 R3 M1 M27B8 4801 B1 MA6 E3TS81Crews quickly removed one victim with asimple door removal, but the othervictim presented more of a challenge. Itwas determined that the other vehiclewould not only require door removal butalso the roof removed and then thedashboard rolled. A request for anadditional engine and Mercy Air wasmade due to the extensive extrication.The decision was made to haveTelesquirt 81 (Ramona Fire District) landMercy Air at the Barona Resort LZ, andthat M27 and M1 would transport tothat location for the rendezvous. Bothpatients would be airlifted to the SharpMemorial Trauma for further care.Critique Points♦ Barona Security quickly shut-downWildcat Canyon Rd. which helpedfacilitate transport and kept traffic toa minimum (from the North)♦Consider requesting that CHP diverttraffic at Willow Rd. The extensivetraffic-jam down the canyon becamea factor in requesting additionalresources.♦When the decision has been madeto use the LZ at the Barona Resortcontact security so thatarrangements can be made tofacilitate the landing.♦When placing hose lines make surethey are charged and staffed.!Crews from Barona and Lakeside remove one of the patients after extrication.

theZONE3Vehicle Entrapment: Are youPrepared?The last thing that any firefighterwants to be faced with is beingover-run by a fast approaching fire front.But every year we receive reports aboutpersonnel being caught in flare-upsituations when a relatively tame firesuddenly roars to life leaving crewsseconds to make critical tacticaldecisions that will determine theirsurvivability.In a perfect world firefighters would beable to avoid all entrapments throughcareful compliance with established firesafety standards. But in SouthernCalifornia even the most elaborate safetyprecautions can be eroded by a simpleshift in the wind.Photo By: Shawn McKennaSo the decision has been made to seekrefuge in your apparatus, but it’s not asimple act of jumping in the vehicle andwatching the fire roar by. There arestandards that need to be followed toincrease the likelihood that no harm willcome to the crew.♦ Park your vehicle in an area that isvoid of vegetation.♦ Fire out around the vehicle if there istime.♦ Park behind a natural barrier orstructure.♦♦♦♦♦Do not park on a downhill side ofthe road, or under power lines orover-hanging vegetation.Stay out of saddles and draws.Position the vehicle in a directionthat provides the area occupied bythe crew the maximum protectionInformation for this articlewas obtained from theNational Interagency FireCenter. For additional trainingsubjects click on the logo.from the approaching flame front.Set the parking brake, leave themotor running at high RPM, keepthe vehicle lights on.Roll up the windows and do not lock

theZONE4The Zone NewsletterAgency EditorsBrad Rushing, Patrick Dotson,Randy Sandoval, Kevin ClarkJay Wojnowski, Brandon Farrelly,Sharon Carlson, Dianne Idman-GervaisChuck Palmore, Rob Godinho,Brian Hayward, Rick Williams,Leonard Villarreal, RayTrussellFire Chiefs and ManagersDarrell Jobes, Randy SandovalJack Grogger, Michael Scott,Mary Meadow-Pitt, Mark Baker,Jon Torchia, Augie Ghio,Michael Rottenberg,Donald ButzEditorial ContributorsJeff Robinson, Bill Paskle,Wende Cornelius, Todd Welch,Ken Kremensky, Kyle Root,Shawn McKenna, Nick Johnson,Rodney Geilenfeldt, Mike HookProject CoordinatorMark GrowThe Zone newsletter is a jointpublication of the participatingHeartland Agencies and Grossmont-Sharp Healthcare. The Zone ispublished and distributed bimonthly.Questions, comments, orsuggestions can be sent to:heartlandnewsletter@gmail.comThe Zone reserves the right to edit orreject material not specific to ourmission.There’s movement inthe Zone...Well we have movement in the Zone thismonth. Check the agency reports and findout where Vince Cardona and JesseFournier are headed.On the Cover:Next Edition:In the “Meet the MICN”section we talk withDan DavisSantee’s Captain Rich Smith, EngineerChris Pavoni, and Firefighter-ParamedicFred Daunis (E4A) participate in a recentRIC exercise at OTF. Participants wererequired to place a trapped firefighteron reserve air without the benefit ofsight.(Continued from page 3)Entrapment♦♦♦the doors since someone might needto get in.L - LookoutsC - CommunicationsE - Escape RoutesS - Safety ZonesCover the windows with fire sheltersExpect the following conditions ifyou are trapped in the vehicle:- Temperatures may reach over200 degrees Fahrenheit.- Smoke and sparks may enterthe vehicle.- Windows may start to crack.- Exposed skin may receiveradiant heat burns.If the vehicle catches fire, or thewindows blow out, and you must exitthe vehicle before the fire passes,then:- Each crewmember shouldcover himself/herself with afire shelter.- Exit the vehicle from the sideaway from the greatest heat.- Stay together and get as low tothe ground as possible whilemoving away from vehicle.- Deploy your shelter in a safearea.!

Jeff RobinsonBattalion ChiefUnited States Forest ServiceDescanso Districthere is a serious fuel condition thatT has developed on the DescansoRanger District as well as other parts ofSan Diego County. Our latest live fuelmoistures readings from the USFS DescansoFire Station show well below averagelive fuel moisture readings in theChamise fuel types.This is no doubt due to the low rainfallamounts this year in Southern California.There isn’t much time left this rain seasonto catch up & forecasts show dryweather conditions persisting. There arealso numerous areas of frost kill vegetationat the lower elevations. It is mostnoticeable in the Sumac & Buckwheatfuels. Highway 67 between Lakeside &Ramona, Highway 94 corridor are 2 areasthat show a lot of frost kill. I’m certainthere are other areas of the county experiencingthe same thing. There arefrost kill Eucalyptus trees & other ornamentalvegetation around the structuresthat might effect Structure ProtectionOperations this year. The Angeles NF isalso experiencing frost kill Sumac inlarge areas according to one of the DivisionChiefs.We also have many large dead Oak treesthrough out the District that have diedover the last few years. These dead treespresent a serious hazard when workingaround them during Fire Operations. Inaddition, there are still large areas ofunusually high Live to Dead ratio in theeast side of the district.This combination of large accumulationof hazardous fuel conditions willhave a serious effect on fire behaviorthrough an increase in Fire Intensity,Spotting, Rates of Spread and Resistanceto Control efforts. Wet lines from hoselays will need to be closely watched aswell as spot fires. Solid LCES & thoroughmop up to prevent rekindles will be very(Continued on page 6)

theZONE6(Continued from page 5)Critical Fuelsimportant. These conditions should be closely monitored as the summer fire season progresses.Safety Concerns to Firefighters:• Below Average Live Fuel Moistures near Critical Level.• Frost kill Sumac & Buckwheat brush.• Large numbers of Dead Oak Trees.• Beetle killed Pine Trees – Mt. Laguna & PalomarBuildup of dead fuel in the brush stands, particularly the east side of the District.( Pine Valley, Corte Madera, Kitchen Creek, La Posta, Bear Valley areas )Here's the latest from Palomar District. Look at the graph closely. Notice how low the live fuel moisture readings are showing.Compare this April to last April on the bar graph. Compare this April to last September, their about the same.Remember Critical Fuel Moisture Level is 60%. We are well below that and it's the beginning of the drying season !In a "normal" year, we would get grass fires in May & early June that would burn the grass but not the brush because the live fuelmoistures were too high. This year the brush is already cured. As soon as the grass cures, I expect to see these fires get up & moverapidly through the brush.!Battalion Chief Jeff Robinson

San Miguel Firefightersare looking for a few goodGolfers!he San Miguel Firefighters Local 1434 hasT a long history of charitable events that havea direct benefit to the community. Some of thepast recipients of this goodwill have been:Fifty percent of the proceeds from this event willbe sent to the:Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer FoundationSan Diego Burn InstituteThe Epilepsy Foundation of San DiegoThe Arthritis Foundation of San DiegoYMCAChildren’s Hospital of San DiegoHuntington’s Disease ResearchIn addition to these causes, the San MiguelFirefighters have established a Foundation toassist victims of fire and disasters. This moneyis used as a bridge where people within theircommunity can “get there feet on the ground”.The San Miguel Firefighters would like to seetheir Heartland Brothers and Sisters on thelinks golfing for a great cause.Information on sponsorships and entry fees canbe seen on the last pages of this newsletter. Ifyou need additional information visit the SanMiguel Firefighters website at:www.sanmiguelfirefighters.orgNick JohnsonFirefighter-ParamedicSan Miguel Consolidated Fire DistrictE22C

Sharon CarlsonRN, MICNGrossmont Pre-HospitalBase Hospital Contact IS required by paramedics inthe following situations:1. Any emergency patient transported by paramedics,including downgrades to BLS2. Any emergency patient treatment involving ALS skillsor medications except for EKGmonitoring3. Abnormal vitalsigns or alteredlevel ofconsciousness4. Any suspicion ofdrugs or ETOH5. Unable to understandhis/her illness or injury6. Trauma Criteria met7. Patient >65 and has experiencedaltered or decreased level of consciousness,significant mechanism, or ANY fall8. A minor who is ill or injured or suspected to be ill orinjured9. Whenever paramedics have a question regardingappropriate treatment or disposition.(Continued on page 14)

ZONE Meet the MICN 10meet the MICNtheChances are when you’re in need of somespecific medical direction in the night hours inthe East County, Amy is going to come to yourrescue.With 6+ years of experience as an RN, MICNand Clinical Nurse Lead (Charge Nurse) there isnot many situations that Amy can’t help youwith.Originally a brand new grad nurse in 2000, Amyspent two years working at Grossmont ERbefore she left to become a travel nurse. Havingreturned to Grossmont over two years ago Amyhas acquired a lot of responsibility for the dailyoperation of the ER.Amy was born in the California coastal town ofSanta Maria. She now considers San Diegohome having just moved to the Del Cerro area.The initial attraction to nursing for Amy wasstrictly for the “science”, but she soondiscovered that the real enjoyment was caringfor the people. While in nursing school, the ERcaught her eye as she liked the diversity ofpatient care issues. “ER gives you somethingdifferent every day and with every patient.”When Amy is not providing quality medical careshe likes to catch-up on much needed sleepafter working the night shift. She also enjoysspending time with her boyfriend, Brian (whoworks as a dispatcher at Heartland Fire).They enjoy snowboarding in the winter,taking their dogs to Dog Beach in OB,and are planning some traveladventures. On the creative side Amylikes knitting, sewing and quilting.Who is your all time hero?My late Grandma Lupe. She was such a caringand wonderful lady.Without question, the best movie of all time?50 First Dates.Best band/singer?Jack JohnsonThe one thing I want to try is?Someday I will go to Australia. I have wanted togo there since I was about 11 years old.Tell us something about you not alreadyasked?I have a cat named “Munky”, a 4 mo olddachshund named “Cricket” and a gold fishnamed “Lucky” who has 2 new gold fish friends.My boyfriend brought to our family anotherdog , Brody, a lab mix, a turtle named “Mr.T”and his toad friend, and an aquarium full ofother fish. We have a house full of pets. Goodthing we both love animals of all kinds.!

ZONE11golfing, and riding on the quad with his son.meet the CREWtheCaptain: James FarmerNow in his 5th year (plus) with the Barona FireDistrict, James is currently serving as FireCaptain on “A” division. With a total of 13 yearsin the fire service James enjoys all the differentaspect and challenges of the fire service.James is originally from Texas, but the Farmerfamily now considers San Diego home. James,wife Cindy, and son Nathan just purchased theirfirst home, and as James said “we are stoked.”When James is not protecting the citizens atBarona he enjoys spending time with his familyparticipating in activities like fishing, hunting,Who is your all time Hero?My parents.Best movie of all time?Scar FaceBest BandMetallica (the early years)One thing you would like to try?Shoot a golf game under 120.Engineer: Harris ToyaHarris is not a new face to the fire service as heis in his 18th year of service. Now serving theBarona Fire District as a Fire Apparatus Engineer,Harris has enjoyed nine years with Barona.Originally born in Albuquerque, New Mexico,Harris still considers the state of New Mexico

theZONE13Firefighter:Gary De JongWhile having spent several years in thefire service, Gary is a relative newcomerto Barona with only 10 months on thejob. Gary feels his entry into the fireservice is more a “calling” that he couldnot ignore.A rare native San Diegan, Gary and hisfamily now call Imperial Beach home.When he is not on duty at Barona, Garylikes to spend time with his family andfriends at the beach, camping, andamusement parks. He coaches LittleLeague Baseball, and works as a seasonalsurfing instructor. Gary is also a suckerfor hot rods, old movies, andmicro-brews.Who is your all time Hero?Jesus Christ, Granddad, and John Wayne.Best movie of all time?Apocalypse NowBest Band?CCROne thing I would like to try?Surf BaliTell us something about you notalready asked?Spent four years with the US BorderPatrol (good people, great time, not mycalling).Firefighter: Kenny DollKenny is in his 5th year of employmentwith the Barona Fire District. Havingalways had a deep desire to be afirefighter, the opportunity to attend afire academy presented itself so hejumped on the opportunity, the rest ishistory.Originally born in the Northridge area ofthe San Fernando Valley, Kenny and hisfamily now call Chula Vista home.Kenny enjoys spending his down timewith his family and friends, enjoying a“cool one.”

theZONE14(Continued from page 13)Meet the Crew: BaronaWho is your all time Hero?My wife.Best movie of all time?Animal HouseBest Band??One thing I want to try?Travel to Brazil and go to Carnival.Tell us something about you notalready asked?I own a sign company (Pacific Signs)which I work at on my days off.Best Band?Can’t pick just one.One thing I want to try?Drinking one of those huge beers at theOktoberfest in Germany.Tell us something about you not alreadyasked?I survived a nasty ambulance wreck when Iwas working for a private ambulancecompany. It was out in the Boulevard-Jacumba area back in 2004. Anyoneremember that one?!Paramedics:Remember, this June isthe mandatoryprotocol review andtesting.See the schedulefor a completelisting ofFCA’s!Firefighter-Paramedic:Mike HookMike’s entry into the fire service beganwith his paramedic training. Now in his7th year as a medic, Mike started withBarona only one year ago. “I had a friendwho took the EMT-B course at Miramar.He told me how much fun it was so Ienrolled the next semester. The rest ishistory.”A native San Diegan, Mike now calls LaMesa home.When not on duty Mike enjoys spendingtime with his two daughters (Emily andAbby), playing golf, and time behind theBBQ.Who is your all time hero?Grandma Judy (she puts everyone firstand keeps the family strong).Best movie of all time?Caddyshack.In the next edition we“meet the crews” at:East County FireEl Cajon FireLakeside FireSTEMI STARSSee Page 17 for thebest team times!(Continued from page 9)S-415Base Hospital Contact IS NOT requiredon individuals who meet the followingcriteria:1. Obvious death2. Discontinuation of CPR with a DNRorder or DPAHC (durable power ofattorney for healthcare) on scene3. Release of a minor who is not ill orinjured or suspected to be ill or injured:a. parent or legal guardianb. responsible adult other thanparent or legal guardian (ie.-school nurse, law enforcement,or person of similar standing)4. Patients who do not meet basehospital contact criteria and wish to bereleased5. Dispatched as a BLS call where ALStreatment or intervention is notanticipated or required.!

In a situation where time equals heart muscleGrossmont Hospital would like to recognize the following teams!January 2007Best ED Time: 5 minJanuary 2007Best Door to PCI Time: 42 minBest ED Time EverJanuary 2007: 5 minBest PCI Time Ever41 minED Team: Dr Strukel, VaksmanMICN: AndrewsPre-Hospital Team: Wattson,OgormanCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Youngblood, Pezanoski,Ruvalcaba, Pham, SotelloED Team: Dr Strukel, VaksmanMICN: AndrewsPre-Hospital Team: Wattson,OgormanCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Youngblood, Pezanoski,Ruvalcaba, Pham, SotelloED Team: Dr Strukel, VaksmanMICN: AndrewsPre-Hospital Team: Wattson,OgormanCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Youngblood, Pezanoski,Ruvalcaba, Pham, SotelloED Team: Dr Linnik, AndrewsMICN: FunkePre-Hospital Team: Williams,BrzostkiewiczCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Hanssen, Blancaflor, Sotello,MaroghiFebruary 2007Best ED Time: 11 minFebruary 2007Best Door to PCI Time: 33 minBest PCI Time EverFebruary 2007: 33 minED Team: Dr Linnick, WallaceMICN: RobinsonPre-Hospital Team: Daunis,MontgomeryCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Scott, Youngblood, Sheeran,DullanoED Team: Dr Linnick, WallaceMICN: RobinsonPre-Hospital Team: Daunis,MontgomeryCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Scott, Youngblood, Sheeran,DullanoED Team: Dr Linnick, WallaceMICN: RobinsonPre-Hospital Team: Daunis,MontgomeryCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Scott, Youngblood, Sheeran,DullanoMarch 2007Best ED Time: 6 minMarch 2007Best Door to PCI Time: 40 minED Team: Dr Kelly, WhiteMICN: FaberPre-Hospital Team: Stamm,WilliamsCath Team: Dr Goldberg,Lujan, Pezanoski, Tello, SherranED Team: Dr Linnick,StegemanMICN: FloresPre-Hospital Team: Reyes,FerraroCath Team: Dr Kafri, Bushore,Tello, Palenzuela, Maroghi

theZONE16Barona Sponsors UniqueTraining OpportunityIf you’ve ever wondered what it wouldbe like in your own barbeque, look nofurther than the Live Fire Simulator,owned and operated by North TreeInternational. Based out of Marysville,California, this 40’ trailer is deployedthroughout the country with the specificmission to put firefighters in heatintensive environments.Upon the request of Chief Sandoval, ofthe Barona Fire District, the simulatormade its way to San Diego County for atwo day training opportunity at BaronaFire. Because of the unique opportunity,regional fire agencies were invited toparticipate in this training. In attendanceon this day were the Barona Fire District,Cal Fire, Ramona Fire District, and theLemon Grove Fire Department.“It’s not uncommon for floortemperatures to be wellover 100û with the uppertemperatures more likely inthe 900û range”North Tree TechnicianThe propane fed fire belching prop, cantake a relatively friendly environmentand skyrocket upper level temperatureover 900û with the flick of a switch.Within this heated area is a maze of wallsand stairs that require crews tocoordinate their movements throughoutthe evolution while dealing with flareups.Operated by a complex setup ofcomputers and switches, TechniciansMitch Ward and Roger Zaucha canmonitor the progress of crews while inthe simulator. “It’s not uncommon forLemon Grove firefighters make entry on a prop intended to simulate flashover conditions.

floor temperatures to be well over 100ûwith the upper temperatures more likelyin the 900û range” states TechnicianRoger Zaucha.Crews were put through a number ofsituations that required new approachesand tactics to quell the propane fedblaze. In one scenario crews are met withalmost immediate flashover conditionsas flames pour out of the door. !Photograph:A Barona Firefighter is seen through a window in the control room.

Todd WelchFirefighterLakeside Fire Protection DistrictR3ATHE IMPORTANCE OF CUTTERSNEW CHALLENGESCreating an insertion point for the spreaders.We’ve all seen the insurance institute’s crash testson the nightly news shows. These tests havehad a ripple effect throughout the auto industry in regardsto occupant safety. As a result of consumerawareness and public outcry, tremendous advances invehicle safety, construction and design have been establishedand enforced through new federal safetystandards and regulations.Auto manufacturers attempt to go above and beyondby competing against one another to see who can designand market the safest vehicle. Metals used in themanufacturing process have become stronger andlighter.Another method of creating an insertion point forthe spreaders.There has been an increase in the strength of the roofpillars for added rollover protection. Lighter metals andplastic composite material on the outside give uniquedesigns and aerodynamics for fuel efficiency.Once the hinges are exposed, the cutters areused.Safety features vary widely from year to year and frommodel to model. The creation of crumple zones increaseoccupant safety and survivability however, theaddition of micro-alloy and boron steel for improvedstrength to weight ratio can make our job tougher togain access. Micro alloy steel has phosphorous addedfor additional strength, and boron steel is stronger thanmicro alloy and typically thicker walled but smaller indiameter.

Door removal can be difficult if the side impact barsmade from these materials become embedded ordriven into the frame of the vehicle in a frontal impactcrash. In this situation, these bars will need to be cut.Another concern is when metal is bent and deformed. Itcreates areas of flexion, tension (stretched), or torsion(twisted) and can retain a memory. These areas need tobe dealt with cautiously due to the rapid release orspring action of the metal when cuts are made.With the door now displaced from the hinges, itcan be easily controlled and quickly removed bysimply operating the door handle.Many of these exotic metals were mandated for lighttrucks, vans, and passenger vehicles 10 years ago. Themetals and materials used in the vehicles today all contributeto the difficult challenges first responders face inthe post crash scenario.CUTTER SELECTIONBecause of these changes in automobile manufacturingand subsequent challenges we now face, hydraulic cuttersand reciprocating saws are playing a more importantrole in auto extrication.Using the same technique on a four-door. With anadded relief cut at the top of the “B” post, thewhole side of the vehicle can be opened up. Herethe firefighter is using the spreader as leverage topull the doors down in one piece.There are many different styles of cutters on the markettoday, from the big mouth chompers, to the small scissorstyle pedal cutter, all playing an important role.Cordless reciprocating and circular saws are becomingmore popular. The speed and mobility of these toolscan provide added efficiency in a demanding situation.Many of the big name hydraulic tool manufacturershave increased their tools cut forces in recent years inorder to meet this growing demand. As far as I’m concernedthere is nothing like having a big bad monsterset of cutters standing by just waiting to git-r-dun.An additional relief cut may be needed at the baseof the “B” post.Cutters are used to either relief, displace or completelyremove certain components or members of the vehiclein order to facilitate greater access. When I choose acutter, I not only look for one with a fair amount of cuttingforce, I also look at the geometry of the blade.Thick blades with a design that will force either the

theZONE20material being cut or the cutter itselfdown towards the recess in the blade,closer to the fulcrum. This feature canincrease the cutting capability withoutnecessarily increasing the pounds of cutforce. In some applications the crescent(moon) style blade cutter may not be thetool of choice. Crescent blades will havea tendency to bind the metal togethercreating tremendous stored energywithin the metal. When the cut is madethis energy is released and a shock wave,much like a water hammer, that runsthrough the metal and is felt throughoutthe vehicle.APPLICATION: SIMPLE DOORREMOVALAfter the vehicle has been stabilized andthe decision to remove the door hasbeen made, consider a way of creatingthe initial insertion point for the spreaders.Using the fender pinch, door pinchor a halligan tool to create the insertionpoint for the spreaders are all goodtechniques. I have found that these techniqueswork great in the junk yard on acar without a lot of compromise. Onscene with a vehicle that has the fronttire sharing the seat with the occupant isa whole other challenge. Avoid using thespreader tips as a “battering ram” to createthe insertion point. The days of“popping” or “blowing the door off” aregone. New car technology has an effecton the way we approach these varioussituations and techniques. The way weused to do it shouldn’t be the way we doit anymore. Use the tools in a controlledand professional manner to create a purchasepoint. Being involved in a motorvehicle crash is a traumatic event in itselflet alone what happens after we arrive.When working a wreck ask yourself thesetwo questions:1. Is what I’m doing going to cause areaction in the vehicle that will put meand my “buddies” or the patient at risk?2. Is what I’m doing the most effectiveand efficient way to accomplish stabilization,access and space for patient removal?An increasingly popular technique is toremove the door from the hinge siderather than the latch side. This is becauseof the existence of safety systems andside-impact airbags in the doors and (or)the A and B post. This is best accomplishedby spreading the door justenough to expose the hinge, then usinghydraulic cutters, cut the hinge. If this isaccomplished without jacking up thedoor to much, sometimes you can simplyoperate the door latch and remove thedoor without spreading the door fromthe latch pin. This allows for greater controlof the door as it’s removed.Another technique is to spread the dooroff the hinges. This is doable if you workfrom the top hinge down for best results.However, this can take longer to accomplishif tearing of the sheet metal becomesa problem. This tearing is a commonissue in the newer vehicles. You willneed to find a strong point to anchoryour spreader tip against, or go insidethe hinge to avoid the tearing. In etherapplication, attention needs to be on theresult, controlling the tool and the looseend of the cut.The next time you have the opportunityto get your hands on an old junker fordrill time, pull out the cutters and try andtake down the whole car with them. Getto know them, what their capabilitiesand limitations are. What ever cutter orcutters you have get um out. Play withthem. Then when you’re toned out onthe big one you’ll know just what to do.You’ll shine, and all your buds will say,“Dang son….you da man!”!

theZONE Alpine 21AlpineBrad RushingCaptainAlpine Fire Protection Districtbrushing@alpinefire.orgPatrick DotsonFirefighter-ParamedicAlpine Fire Protection Districtpdotson@alpinefire.orgIn MemoriamAlpine Fire Department is mourning the loss ofretired Engineer Kerry Jackson. Engineer Jacksonpassed away at the untimely age of 51 onMarch 28 2007. Kerry leaves behind two boysKeith and Sean.Engineer Jackson served with the Alpine FireDepartment from 1980 to 1998. Kerry was afirefighter with CDF stationed at Ramona priorto beginning his career in Alpine.Kerry came from a fire service family and wasthe son of the late Captain Stan Jackson of theEl Cajon Fire Department. Kerry enjoyed sportsand was a baseball coach in the Alpine Littleleague during the 1990s when his sons wereplaying ball. He was a Chargers Season Ticketholder and seldom missed a home game. In theyears following his retirement, Kerry oftenstopped by the station to chat and always keptus up to date on the accomplishments of histwo boys, who he was extremely proud of. Hisoldest son Keith is teaching and coachingbasketball at Granite Hills High School. Hisyounger son Sean is working towards obtaininghis Paramedic License and is carrying on theJackson Family tradition by pursuing a career inthe fire service.services at the home of Retired Alpine DeputyChief Doug Naylor’s. Both events were wellattended by friends, family, and members ofseveral Fire Agencies.We would like to extend our deepest sympathyto the members of the Jackson Family. Kerry willbe missed by all who had the pleasure ofknowing him.PromotionWe would like to congratulate Bill Paskle on hisrecent promotion to the rank of Division Chief.Bill has served the Alpine Fire Protection Districtfor 18 years. He was hired as a cadet firefighterin Alpine in 1989 after working as aseasonal employee with CDF in the early80’s and as a firefighter in Bostonia. Hewas soon hired full time after graduatingfrom the Heartland 15 th Academy.Bill worked his way through theranks of Engineer and Captain, andserved as a Union Officer during hisascent to the rank of Division Chief.Congratulations Chief Paskle!Agency WebsiteServices for Kerry were held on April 2, 2007 atHoly Trinity Catholic Church in El Cajon. Acelebration of life was held directly after the

theZONE Alpine 22(Continued from page 21)TrainingAlpine Firefighters have been busy withtraining since the last publication. Duringthe month of March all membersattended training with our interagencytraining group. The training session washosted by Viejas Fire department andthe topic was extrication. This 3 dayevent included lecture and hands onextrication provided by Captain JohnCincotta of Viejas Fire. Agencies inattendance were Alpine Fire Department,Viejas Fire Department, Lakeside FireDepartment, US Forest Service, and CalFire (the agency formerly known as CDF).Special thanks to Rick and Holly Holes ofJacumba Garage and Towing fordonating 6 vehicles, Nathan Berkowitz ofMilwaukee Tools for providing the latest,greatest in Sawzall cutting tools, Viejastribe and Viejas Fire Department forhosting the training, and Todd Welch ofLakeside Fire for his valuable assistancewith the hands on training.which consisted of a full tour of thefacility, monitoring equipmentfamiliarization, and lab demonstrations.The training also included an emergencyDecon evolution and scenarios dealingwith WMD. Alpine Fire Departmentwould like to thank Chula Vista FireDepartment for offering this training freeof charge to our agency. This type ofinteraction is a great step in combiningtraining throughout the zone.Other specialized training completedwas an Emergency Vehicle Maintenanceclass which was designed by our contractmechanic Louis Marro of North CountyEmergency Vehicle Service. Thecurriculum consisted of maintenance andoperating procedures specificallydeveloped for our models of KME FireApparatus. Viejas Fire personnel alsoparticipated in the training.As participants in the ROC study, allpersonnel were trained last month onthe new ROC PRIMED methods of CPR24Four of our firefighters completedRescue Systems I training in March at theChula Vista Fire Department TrainingFacility. The training was providedfree of charge to Alpine Fire Department,as Chula Vista was hosting the trainingfor their probationary firefighteracademy.We also sent four personnel through aWeapons of Mass Destruction classhosted by Chula Vista Fire. The trainingwas valuable and included a veryinteresting field trip to County Haz MatFirefighters from Alpine participated in a joint WMD drill with Chula Vista Fire.Photo By: Bill Paskle

theZONE Alpine 23Structure Fire in theVictoria area bringsMultiple CompaniesBrad RushingCaptainAlpine Fire Protection DistrictOn the afternoon of April 16, 2007Alpine Engine 17Awas dispatched to a structure fire onVictoria Drive. B7 arrived on scenereporting heavy smoke coming from aresidential structure and establishedVictoria Command. E17 arrived shortlythereafter, established a water supplyand set up for an interior attack on aworking attic fire.Assisting units consisted of a typical firstalarm assignment including ViejasEngine 25 and Medic 25, LakesideEngine 26, and Cal Fire Engine 3382.Captain John Cincotta and the crew of E25 cutting a hole in the roofMedic 25 was assigned IRIC as Engine 25laddered the roof and performed verticalventilation. E17 pulled ceilings inside andknocked down the fire in the attic withan 1 ¾ attack line. Engine 26 wasassigned Salvage group and bagged theinterior with assistance from E3382.Photography By: Ken KremenskyThe fire was controlled within 15 minutesand most of the contents were savedfrom smoke and water damage becauseof a coordinated attack with aggressiveEngineer Cliff Crane running the pump on E17

theZONE Alpine 24(Continued from page 22)Agency ReportAlpine units tackle difficult Quad Accident;Patient makes full recovery after GCS of 4Public Link to the ROC Studyin San Diego Countyand corresponding protocols.Alpine Fire will celebrate it’s50 th anniversary this YearAn anniversary dinner is being plannedfor early November of this year. We areseeking any information on retiree’s ofthe Alpine Fire Department, as well asany old Alpine photo’s that might befloating around out there. If you are incontact with any of our past employeesplease contact Division Chief Bill Paskleat (619) 445-2635 with contact info. Wedon’t want to leave anyone out! Keep aneye out for those commemorativebadges that our folks will soon bewearing and stay tuned for moreinformation in upcoming issues of“The ZONE” !(Continued from page 23)Victoria Firesalvage and ventilation operations.I cannot stress enough the importance ofworking with your neighboring agenciesas well as the value of a 4 person enginecompany when you are first due inAlpine. Thanks to all agencies involvedfor your help! !Patrick DotsonFirefighter-ParamedicAlpine Fire Protection DistrictOn the evening of Saturday April7 th at approximately 6:30pm,Alpine units responded to a report of atraffic collision on the east end of thedistrict. Run notes indicated that this waspossibly a quad ATV that had collidedwith a telephone pole. As Alpine E17arrived on scene with M17, they saw afemale appearing in her mid 40’s lyingface down along the side of the road.Her head was being supported by herhusband. Initial impression of thepatient was that she was critical and therequest was made for an air ambulance.The patient was found to beunconscious with agonal respirations ata rate of 6. She also had a hematoma tothe right side of her forehead thatprotruded about an inch away from herforehead and was approximately 2” indiameter.Interviews of the patient’s husbandrevealed that the patient had decided togo for a ride on her quad. After beinggone for more than 15 minutes herhusband became worried and set out tofind her. He found her lying on the sideof the road unconscious and stated thatshe had not regained consciousness atall during the time he had been withher. Her quad was wrapped around thetelephone pole with significant damageto the front end. The patient had beenwearing a full face riding helmet with asmall crack along the right side. Thehelmet had been removed by herhusband prior to E17’s arrival on scene.Head stabilization was taken over fromthe husband and the patient was placedin full spinal precautions. Intubationequipment was being prepared whenthe patient temporarily regainedconsciousness. She became alert andoriented x 1 and had a gag reflex sointubation was not possible.Due to the blunt force trauma, headinjury and the patients initial GCS being4, it was decided to enroll the patientinto the ROC study. The informationcard was given to the husband whogave consent for the patient to beenrolled.“Due to the blunt force trauma,head injury and the patientsinitial GCS being 4, it was decidedto enroll the patient intothe ROC study”The patient was loaded into theambulance and initial vital signs weretaken. The patient had a BP of 140/110Pulse of 110 with Sinus Tachycardia onthe monitor and respirations had

theZONE Alpine 25increased to 14 with an O2 saturation of91. %. The pt had clear lung sounds onthe left side but was diminished on theupper right side. Pupils were at 4mm andreactive but sluggish.Secondary assessment revealed obviousdeformity, swelling and discoloration tothe upper right shoulder and claviclearea, no other obvious trauma wasnoted. A 16 gauge IV was established inthe left AC and the study fluidadministered while enroute to thelanding zone to meet up with Mercy Air6. After the 250cc of study fluid wasinfused, the pt was switched over to a1000cc bag of normal saline running at aTKO rate.Throughout this period the patient keptslipping in and out of consciousness andstarted to become combative. Upperextremities were restrained with softrestraints for ease of patient care. Thepatient was also placed on high flow 02via non-rebreather mask which increasedher O2 saturation to 93%.Upon arrival at the landing zone, MercyAir 6 was on the ground and turnoverwas given to the flight crew. They wereinformed that the patient had beenenrolled in the ROC study. The patienthad also at this time regainedconsciousness and became alert andoriented x 3. She complained of pain toher right shoulder area and hadrepetitive questioning of the incident.The patient was loaded into Mercy Air 6for transport to Sharp MemorialHospital.From the time of E17 and M17 arrivingon scene of the incident until the patientwas loaded into Mercy Air 6 was 16minutes. Enroute to the hospital, thepatient’s blood pressure dropped to 73palpated.Follow up on the patient 2 days laterrevealed the following: the patient had ahead injury with brain contusion, righthemo/pneumothorax, a fractured rib,fractured right scapula, non displacedright iliac fracture with hemorrhaging, asevered right axillary artery and aruptured spleen. The patient had herspleen removed, a chest tube placed anda stint placed in the right axillary artery.She received 4 liters of fluid, 6 units ofblood and 2 units of plasma. Sodiumlevels upon arrival at the Emergencyroom were 151 and then dropped over aperiod of time to 140 with normalranges being 136-145. The patient’sinitial blood sugar on scene was 120mg/dl that had increased to 154mg/dl uponarrival at the Emergency Room.Two days after the incident, the patientwas awake and alert and oriented x 3and she was following commandsMercy Air prepares for take-off with the victim of the ATV accident. Engine 25 assisted Alpine units at the landing zone.Photo By: Ray Trussell

theZONE Alpine 26Fire Safe Council NewsWende CorneliusFacilitatorGreater Alpine Fire Safe CouncilGreater Alpine Fire SafeCouncil (GAFSC) has beguna chipping program that complimentsthe FEMA-funded program underwayin Alpine Fire Protection District.GAFSC, a partnership between concernedhomeowners and federal, stateand local fire and public safety agencieswith jurisdiction in the Alpine area, worksto raise awareness of personal responsibilityfor the survival of property andlives during a wildfire.area as well as planning landscapescalefuelbreak projects on private,federal and tribal lands. Communityresponse has been enthusiasticand the contracted California ConservationCrews have their handsfull!Photography By: Wende CorneliusWith National Fire Plan grantfunds from USFS, GAFSC is working onbringing chipping services into the mostvulnerable neighborhoods of the AlpineIf your are a resident of the greaterAlpine area and would like to get involvedwith the GAFSC or the chippingprogram, please call Wende Cornelius at(619)733-5579 !Public Link to a Safe Home

theZONE Barona 27BaronaRandy SandovalFire ChiefBarona Fire Protection Districtrsandoval@barona-nsn.govHello everyone out there. We have beenhaving some fun up here at Barona. Wewere fortunate to have a pretty good cut andrescue with Lakeside Fire on March 8 th . Thisinvolved 2 cars which hit head on, both patientsended up being trapped in their vehicles.Engine 27 crew and Lakeside Fire crews quicklyextricated both patients who were thenpackaged and sent off to Sharp in Mercy air 6.It was nice to work in coordination with theLakeside crews and to meet some new people.We were also excited to have the North Treeburn trailer up here on April 11 th and 12 th .Multiple other agencies were able to attend andhave some fun in the trailer. This was a goodtraining experience along with meeting new andold friends. Great job on looking out for eachother and for demonstrating good teamworkand technique during the training and it wasalso injury-free. Hope to have it again nextyear.Barona Fire offering ClassesFire Prevention 1A and 1B will be hosted here atBarona, Instructed by John Jerome (RanchoSanta Fe F.D.)1A: June 8, 9, 15, 16 (0800-1800 each day)1B: June 29, 30 & July 6, 7 (0800-1800 each day)We have recently put together a TruckCommittee and are looking into getting a newTruck. This will help to provide an even higherlevel of fire/rescue protection for the BaronaCasino and Resort, as well as the reservation andsurrounding communities.Coming up in May (29,30,31), is the AnnualWildland Drill. This will be held here at Baronaand is sure to be an exciting 3 days of training.More details to come.We also have 2 open Medic Position open, so ifyou know of any good medics send them ourway. Applications are available on line at;www.baronafire.com, or at station 27.Just a reminder in October 2007, Barona will behosting a PGA tournament for one week. Theyexpect a very large crowd eachday; we will keep you informedon more information on thenext newsletter.Be safe out there everyone andwe’ll see you on the nextnewsletter.!Paramedic Mike Hook IIISpace is limited. If interested, contact DonnaBanegas at Barona Fire: 619-390-2794 (flyersalso available)Agency Website

theZONE East County 28East CountyAgency WebsiteKevin ClarkCaptainEast County Fire Protection Districtkclark@eastcountyfire.orgLatest News From ECFPD-We have formally started the process toask our citizens to vote for a benefit fee.A request for a proposal went out and S.C.I. wasthe company selected to help us with our upcoming election. Our Fire Board has made thedecision to do an election through the GeneralElection process. This process will be a mail outballot to registered voters of the District only.Because of this, we need a 2/3 majority to win.We continue to work hard in our overall goal toget the ship pointed back in the right direction.We will be hitting the streets soon to promoteour campaign.I would like to thank those in the fire servicethat have called to offer their help in going doorto door with us. Your support is veryappreciated to those within our organization.We will keep everyone posted on our progress.The ballots will hit the property owner’smailboxes by the end of July. They then willhave approximately 30 days to return the ballotvia mail.Fire Station 18 News-As most have heard, or read for that matter, wereceived our new Rescue 18 at the end ofFebruary. Ferrara Fire Apparatus located inHolden, Louisiana built it. The unit turned outvery nice and is currently being placed intoservice. Captain Brian Bayne our MaintenanceOfficer is doing a fine job as he has done withour other Engines. We hope to have it in servicevery soon. This unit is replacing a 1986 F-350Ford with the old non- turbo diesel motor. Thisis a much needed piece of apparatus for ourDistrict and we hope to have it in service verysoon!!Crest Fundraisers-On Saturday April 14 th the community of Crestheld a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser sponsoredby the Kiwanis. The event was held at the St.Louise De Marillac Catholic Church hall. It was agreat success with about 140 breakfasts servedand many more donations for the FireDepartment.We also had a nice warm showing of Chief’s andFloor personnel from the San Miguel FireDepartment. Thanks for coming. It was a greatgesture of support. Our Engine’s 18&19 wereon hand to answer questions from the publicand to greet individuals at the event. BoardPresident Dawn Hubert was also in attendanceto speak on behalf of the Department. Theevent generated $1000.00 in breakfast sales and$2500.00 in just donations.Casino Night-Yes yet another fundraiser.There will be a Casino nightheld on our behalf at the ElksLodge in El Cajon. This eventwill take place on June 15 th (time still to bedetermined). As the event gets closer I will beemailing or posting the announcements.Fire Station 19 news-Not a whole lot new going on at Station 19. Itseems to have been a busy couple of monthsfor us as far as call volume goes. It’s been nice

theZONE East County 29Brian and Angela Rhodes with their newbaby girl Avery.living out of a remodeled station and theincreased room is outstanding.Employee news and notes-As I reported in the last edition of thezone we had some personnel that wereexpecting new babies. I am happy toreport that Brian and Angela Rhodes hadthere new Daughter on March 9,2007 at08:29 a.m. Little Avery Clair was born at ahealthy 7lbs 5 oz and was 19 -7/8” long.Mother and baby did great. All aredoing well at home. You can see byBrian’s hairy chin he has been off for 2months!!! Congratulations on the newarrival.Also having a baby girl was TremayneBroughton and Girlfriend Mary Salfiti.Born on March 10 at 7:40 p.m. AgainMom and Baby doing just fine.On Saturday April 14 th Firefighter JasonUcker proposed to hisgirlfriend Alisha Glazer.This took place amongstfamily and friends up atthe Temecula Wineries.The date for the newengaged couple is pending for thereupcoming wedding. We congratulateyou Jason and Alisha!!Our own Don Upton C-Div FF/MedicRaced in the Fire/Police MX Nationals onApril 16 & 17 at the Glen Helen Racewayin San Bernardino. This was Round 3&4of the Fire/Police MX Nationals. In theopen expert class Don won the firstmoto, but got a terrible start on thesecond moto and settled for a 3 rd placefinish. These results gave Don theoverall win for the day though. Also onday 1, Don raced in the expert 18-39 yrold class. Again Don whipped them inthe first moto by 11 seconds over the 2 ndplace bike. In the second moto Don wasa bit tired and finished second for theday.Day two- Don took both Moto’s in theexpert class by 5 seconds or more overthe second place bike. These are 8 riderclasses. Congratulations to our own DonUpton former Supercross circuit rider foryour great success at Glen Helen. Don’snext round of racing will be in HesperiaCa. Dates to follow. Nice Job Donald!!Celebrating birthday’s- April 21 st B-DivFF/PM Tremayne Broughton- 26,Jason Ucker after proposing to girlfriend Alesha Glazer at the wineries in Temecula!

theZONE East County 30East County Firefighter/Paramedic Don Upton taking the lead at the Fire/Police MX Race at the Glen Helen Race WayPhoto By: Kyle Root

Kevin ClarkCaptainEast County Fire Protection DistrictFollowing the Fundraiser onSaturday, another Fundraiser tookplace at the Crest Elementary School onThursday April 19 th . This being aSpaghetti Dinner sponsored by, “TheFriends of Crest”, “Kiwanis” and the“Crest Community Association”. Theproceeds all going to the FireDepartment relief fund.

theZONE East County 32There was also a silent auctionthat took place. Some of theauctioned off items were a Dinnerfor Four at Station 18. A Dinnerfor Four at any San Miguel FireDepartment Station. A 24 hrRide-along Shift at Fire Station 19.Various gift baskets, rides in anairplane and former hometownresident NASCAR Nextel CupChampion Jimmy Johnson gearwere all auctioned off.The event was a greatsuccess. We appreciate all ofthe Fire Departments that wererepresented to support us thatnight- Lakeside Fire Dept, LaMesa Fire Dept, Lemon Grove FireDept, San Miguel Fire Dept, ChulaVista Fire Dept, Coronado FireDept, San Diego City Fire Deptand U.S.F.S.While citizens were waiting in lineor eating their meal it gave ourFirefighters a great opportunity toinner act with the community.We were able to answerquestions, take suggestions butoverall just have good dialoguewith everyone that participated.A town hall meeting followed forthe community to get a chance toask questions and get generalinformation about the upcomingballot measure. Board PresidentDawn Hubert spoke as well asDeputy Chief Jack Grogger. TheFirefighters also got a warmwelcome of applause from thecommunity members thatattended the meeting.Also a special thank you to thoseorganizations that sponsored this

theZONE East County 33event along with Director’sKhandy Franklin Collins and DawnHubert.As it turns out between thepancake breakfast, spaghettidinner, silent auction, and outsidedonations combined allgenerated right around $16,000from those events!!!What an awesome job ourcommunity has done in this timeof need for us. We appreciate allof the support out there fromeveryone involved and whoattended a very successfulevent.!Photographs:Page31: Citizens of Crest gather in thetown hall to hear a presentation.Page 31: Insert: Crest residents, friendsand family enjoying dinner at theFundraiser.Previous Page: Interim Fire Chief JackGrogger fields questions during a townmeeting.Below: Members of Local 3745 listeningto Town Hall Discussion

theZONE El Cajon 35El CajonJay WojnowskiEngineer-ParamedicEl Cajon Fire Departmentjwojnows@ci.el-cajon.ca.usBrandon FarrellyFirefighter-ParamedicEl Cajon Fire Departmentbfarrell@ci.el-cajon.ca.usReserve Firefighters Join TheEl Cajon Fire DepartmentThe El Cajon Fire Departmentintroduced its new ReserveFirefighter program with the addition of thirteennew Reserve Firefighters. The Reserve Academywas a partnership between the El Cajon FireDepartment, San Miguel Fire Department, andMiramar College. The primary goal of thereserve program is to develop firefighters forfuture employment and augment bothemergency and non-emergency activities. Theacademy consisted of 14 weeks of training atthe Heartland Training Facility every Monday,Wednesday, and Saturday. All ReserveFirefighters are required to perform a total of 48hours of ride-along time and attend one drillper month.During the academy, the ReserveFirefighters received training and certificationsin Confined Space Operations, HazardousMaterials First Responder Operations, andIncident Command Systems. They were alsoFront row left to right: Jeff Gauyan, Bill Thorn, Miguel Mejia, Aaron KatonBack row left to right: Zach Loftis, Jake Elkins, Reserve Coordinator Rodney Geilenfeldt,Andrew Mehren, Shaun Hemphill, Eric Benedek.Agency WebsiteReserves firefighters not pictured are: Wade Snow, Shaun Richardson,Brandon Battaglia and Josh Royer

theZONE El Cajon 36trained in vehicle extrication, wildlandfirefighting, and structural firefighting.We are excited to welcome the ReserveProgram and these fine firefighters tothe El Cajon Fire Department Family.El Cajon Receives Two NewDisaster Search DogsCaptain Steve Swaney andEngineer Marco Maldonado are in theprocess of training their new DisasterSearch Dogs, Icon and Hattie. Both dogswere donated by the National DisasterSearch Dog Foundation in Ojai,Captain Steve Swaney and Engineer Marco Maldonado with Search Dogs

theZONE El Cajon 37California. The foundation finds dogsfrom animal shelters throughout theUnited States or dogs that have not beensuccessful in other service trainingprograms and puts them through arigorous training program to preparethem for their future search duties.The training consists ofobedience, agility and the ability tosearch for live scent in buried rubble orconfined spaces. Icon and Hattie werechosen based on their unusually strongprey drive and high level of energy,making them well suited for the harshconditions and potential long hoursassociated with Search and Rescue.Firefighters throughout thecountry are chosen to become handlersfor the search dogs through a series ofinterviews. These interviews helpdetermine a candidate’s level ofcommitment and willingness to put inthe time involved in handling a searchdog.Once a handler is chosen, he/sheis paired up with a dog. The dog andhandler spend approximately one yeartraining together before the dog can testto become a certified Disaster SearchDog.Captain Swaney and EngineerMaldonado spend at least two days aweek on searching with Icon and Hattie.Both dogs come to work every B shiftand are part of their respective crewsand our fire department family. Crewmembers regularly take turns simulatinghidden victims, rewarding the dogs witha toy (a piece of stuffed fire hose with aloop of webbing) for a successful search.Handlers volunteer their timeand are responsible for the veterinarycare, food, and housing of the dogs.Once Icon and Hattie are certified, theywill be assigned to a USAR Task Forceand can be deployed in a disaster.In October of 2006, Chief MikeScott and Captain Steve Swaney retiredtheir search dogs, Billy and Sherman,after 7 years of dedicated service. ChiefScott and Billy served at Ground Zero,and Captain Swaney and Shermanserved at Ground Zero and New Orleansafter Hurricane Katrina.Icon and Hattie have become agreat addition to the El Cajon FireDepartment. We wish them luck in theirtraining and are proud to have themserve our community and nation.If anyone would like moreinformation on becoming a search doghandler or have any other questionsplease feel free to call Captain SteveSwaney at El Cajon Fire Station 8 at (619)441-1684 B shift.Station 8 Ground BreakingAfter many years in the planning,groundbreaking ceremonies were heldon Tuesday, January 23rd at 12 noon, forthe building of a “new” Fire Station #8 inthe City of El Cajon. Ceremonies wereheld at Station 8’s new site located at1470 E. Madison Avenue near East MainStreet. This new state of the art firestation is expected to be completed inabout fourteen months at a cost of justunder $5-million-dollars.El Cajon Fire Chief Mike Scott hosted thegroundbreaking ceremony. El Cajon CityManager Kathi Henry, Mayor Mark Lewis,CouncilmembersJillianHanson-CoxArchitects drawing of El Cajon’s new Station #8

theZONE El Cajon 38and Bob McClellan Mayor Pro Tem,along with several El Cajon Firefightersalso attended. This new fire station willreplace the existing fire station #8located at 842 N. 3 rd Street built in 1958.Photography By: Monica ZechIn November of 2004 voters in El Cajonapproved Proposition “O” whichapproved a half-cent increase in localsales tax for a period of ten years. Thiswould help to generate needed funds toenhance “public safety” with a portion ofthese funds going toward the building ofFire Chief Michael Scott speaks at thegroundbreaking ceremoniesthis new fire station. Additional fundingto complete the fire station project wasalso made possible by CommunityDevelopment Block Grant (CDBG) Fundsfrom the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development (H.U.D.). Prop“O” will also make it possible to build apublic safety facility in the City to housethe El Cajon Police Department andCity’s Emergency Operations Center(EOC).!Taking part in the groundbreaking ceremonies: From left to right: Fire Chief Mike Scott, Council member JillianHanson-Cox, Mayor Mark Lewis, Mayor Pro Tem Bob McClellan, City Manger Kathi Henryand Station 8 Architect Jim Nicoloff

theZONE Lakeside 39LakesideChuck PalmoreCaptain– ParamedicLakeside Fire Protection Districtcpalmore@lakesidefire.comRob GodinhoFirefighter-ParamedicLakeside Fire Protection Districtrgodinho@lakesidefire.comIncidents Worth a SecondGlance:Highway 67 CutterJust after midnight on March 5 th Lakeside fireunits were dispatched to a “roll-over vehicleaccident” on Highway 67 just south of ScrippsPoway Parkway. On the arrival of E2 it wasdiscovered that the driver was still seat belted inhis seat with the accelerator completelydepressed sending clouds of smoke into the air.Crews were able to access the cab and disablethe vehicle.On the arrival of E1 and M1 they were assignedRescue and Medical Divisions (respectively) Onthe arrival of R3 the decision was made tocompletely stabilize the vehicle and then flapopen the roof. Crews used a combination of“recip” saws and the cutters to quickly accessthe patient.On assessment it was discovered the occupanthad only suffered mild-moderate injuries with apossible loss of consciousness during the crash.M1 transported the patient via ground transportto Sharp Trauma.Petite Lane MVAThursday April 19 at 1930 hours, Lakeside Fireunits were dispatched to a “rescue vehicleaccident” at Julian Ave. & Petite Lane. E-1B, R-3B, M-1B, B-1(Kremensky) Responded. E-2 wasadded to the call a short time later.Agency WebsiteLakeside crews work to stabilize a vehicle prior to extrication operations.Photo By: Mark Grow

theZONE Lakeside 40On arrival E-1 encountered a pickuptruck that was wrapped around a poleand resting atop of a four foot concretewall in front of a residence. Witnessesstated that the pickup truck struckanother vehicle in the intersection whiletraveling westbound on Julian Ave. Anunoccupied new vehicle in the drivewaywas also struck and damaged by thepickup before it ended up wrappedaround the pole.Station #1 crew members inspect damage to a uniquely wedged vehicle on Petite Ln.Photos By: Ken KremenskyE-1, M-1 treated 3 patients. B1 arrivedand assumed command. R-3 & E-2assisted with patient care and staffingthe hose line. M-3 was dispatched toassist. Bystanders removed the 2 patientsfrom the truck before arrival of fire units.All the patients were out of the vehicleson arrival.SDG&E, AT&T, Cox and SD County Roadswere notified due to the pole and lightstandard damage. All patients weretransported to trauma centers by M-1 &M-3. CHP investigated the crash andprovided traffic control, the roadway wasclosed.There have been a number of seriousaccidents at this intersection in the past,making residents a bit nervous. Some ofthe past crashes at this intersection haveended with vehicles crashing into thehouses as well as landing in theresident’s front yards.Lakeside Captain Chuck Tockstein inspects potential damage to a utility pole.

theZONE Lakeside 41Fire Prevention:A new position in the Fire PreventionDivision as Captain/Deputy Fire Marshalhas been filled by Captain VictorGonzalez. He leaves the floor at Station26C to join the Prevention Division at theLakeside Administration offices. He willbe coordinating projects such as burnpermits, company inspections and weedabatement to name just a few. Theknowledge and experience that Victorbrings to the new position makes him aperfect fit for the job. Captain Gonzalezwill be missed as an Engine Co. Captainbut the Fire Prevention Division is thrilledto have him on board.Todd Welch brushed up on the latesttechnical rescue techniques at CampElliott with Rescue Systems-1 trainingduring the week of March 12 th .Nathan Fox, Jamie Hazlewood, ShawnMcKenna and Bryan Peters took part inthe Driver Operator 1B class offered atthe Heartland Training Facility during theweek of March 19 th .Division Chiefs Ron Laff, Andy Parr andGreg Schreiner attended ICS-400 onApril 5 th and 6 th also held at theHeartland Training Facility.Seven personnel were sent to the annualCalifornia Fire Mechanic’s Academy inSacramento. Matt Buzzell, ChrisDowning, Niel Fraisure, John Hisaw, RonLaff, Steve Schleif and Rich Smithattended various classes ranging fromfleet management to welding. Everyonewho attended the week long academyduring the week of April 2 nd broughtback valuable knowledge and training toLakeside FD.Lakeside preparing for thearrival of the new R3New Rescue-3 Update:The new Rescue-3 is in the final stages of the build-up at Boise Mobile Equipment inIdaho. John Hisaw, Todd Welch and Neil Fraser will be making a trip to BME for thefinal build inspection on April 26 th . The current estimate places the delivery date inearly May. Here is the latest pictures sent from BME.Training:Captain Victor GonzalezPhoto By: Chuck PalmoreThe Lakeside Training Division has beenbusy lately. Several personnel were sentto training classes throughout the stateduring March and April.

theZONE Lakeside 42Matt Buzzell, Nathan Fox and SteveSchleif made the trip to Corona, CA forthe 29 th Annual Carona Auto-X vehicleextrication training.. They learned thelatest extrication techniques for use onthe newest vehicle technology. Over 100vehicles were sacrificed in the interest ofpublic safety during the weekend ofApril 13th.All Lakeside personnel were offeredAdvanced Cardiac Life Support recertificationtraining in April by our inhouseACLS instructor Jonathan Jordan.Twelve EMTs and Paramedics tookadvantage of Line EMT Refreshertraining on April 16 th , which will qualifythem for Line EMT assignments thisupcoming fire season.Thank you to our Training Division forthese valuable training opportunities.Vince Cardona Leaves for SanMiguel FireFirefighter-Paramedic Vince Cardona leftthe Lakeside Fire District in March totake a lateral entry position with the SanMiguel Consolidated Fire District. Hiredby Lakeside in 2002, Vince’s fire servicecareer began back in 1997 when heserved as a Reserve Fire Fighter with SanMiguel. Vince has always had a desire toreturn to the agency where it all began.Vince’s talents and skills will certainly bemissed, but everyone wishes Vince all thebest with his new agency.!Lakeside and San Miguel Firefighters (and families) gathered at the San Diego BrewingCompany to bid Vince farewell (and welcome).Photo By: Mark Grow

theZONE Lemon Grove 43Lemon GroveBrian HaywardFirefighter-ParamedicLemon Grove Fire Departmentbhaywar@ci.lemon-grove.ca.usThe Zone would like to welcome the Firefightersand Staff of the Lemon Grove Fire Department.Brain Hayward has bravely volunteered to betheir Agency Editor. We look forward to theirfirst agency report in the July-August edition ofthe Zone.Agency Website

theZONE San Miguel 44San MiguelLeonard VillarrealPublic Information OfficerSan Miguel Consolidated Fire Districtlvillarreal@smgfire.orgKatie MoranIn August of 2006 Katie Moran, the wife of SanMiguel Firefighter Steve Moran, was diagnosedwith terminal cancer. This was a recurrence of abattle with breast cancer 9 months earlier. Thistime the breast cancer had metastasized in herbrain in the form of multiple tumors.It is an unfortunate fact of life that every familyhas to deal with times of adversity and sadness.When that happens, members within thatfamily need to come together and provide assistanceand support to get us through thesetimes. That is exactly what the entire San MiguelFamily did. Every SMG employee donatedfor a total of over $8100.00 and sent the Moranfamily of four (4) on an all expenses paid vacationto Maui in December of 2006. This hadbeen a lifelong dream of Katie's.In addition, San Miguel Family members havecovered the expenses of a moving van rental tobring one of the Moran's daughters home fromcollege to be with mom; worked in Steve's positionwith no payback; donated hundreds ofhours to a "catastrophic time bank" for Steve;hired a housekeeper; provided meals for thefamily; created a benevolent fund bank account;performed yardwork; sent letters and receivedcontributions from other California fire departments;and provided numerous other assistance.Agency WebsiteCaptain Fryling from E15 pulls a 2 1/2” attack line on a fully involved structure.Photo By: Gary Croucher

theZONE San Miguel 45On March 24, 2007 Katie was calledto her eternal home where she undoubtedlywas presented with amost exquisite crown of jewels.George JonesRetired Engineer George Jonespassed away on March 22, 2007. Georgewas first hired with California Division ofForestry in April 1961. He was quicklypromoted to Engineer, where he gotalong best with his partner, the Fire Apparatus.In 1998 George left CDF for SanMiguel. After almost 8 years with SanMiguel he retired and enjoyed his timeoff with his best friend Ed Humerickhouse(retired San Miguel Firefighter).George, your sense of humorand smiling face will be missed by many.San Miguel New HiresSan Miguel Fire was pleased to announcetwo new hires. Roddey Bluntreturned to San Miguel Fire after theseparation with Lemon Grove severalyears ago. We were please to get someonewith his knowledge, attitude andwork ethic. San Miguel also welcomedback former Reserve Firefighter VinceCardona. Vince left the San Miguel Reserveprogram several years ago for afull time Firefighter Paramedic positionwith Lakeside Fire, and has now returnedhome to his roots. Welcome back both!!In a letter dated January 11, 2007 San Miguel Firefighters provided the following letteraddressed to the Fire District Board President;It has been a year with Chief Ghio and his staff in place. Local 1434 would like to saymorale has never been higher. The enthusiasm of all employees has never beengreater than today. The level of involvement of employees volunteering for specialprojects has risen significantly. This is not to say we agree on every issue or subject.What we do have is a mutual respect and openness in communication betweenlabor and staff which has not been seen in many years.Operationally, we are near our peak of performance. It is our hope that we can continueworking as a team with common goals instead of having different factions withinour organization with their own objectives.Local 1434 would like to statefor the record that we continueto support the Fire Chief andhis staff in their vision to makeSan Miguel Fire District themost recognized, trained,skilled, and prepared departmentin the county.Thank you.Sincerely,Local 1434San Miguel FirefightersAcknowledge Supportfor theFire ChiefDivision Chief Gary Croucher

theZONE Santee 46SanteeRick WilliamsCaptain-ParamedicSantee Fire Departmentrwilliam@ci.santee.ca.usWhat’s new in the 42? This is Santee’s firstexposure in “The Zone” so some of thefollowing info may be a bit dated, but…RetireesFire Chief Bob Pfohl retired after 29 years ofoutstanding service. He started with the SanteeFire Protection District in 1976 and rapidly rosethrough the ranks as a firefighter, firefighterspecialist paramedic, fire captain, division chiefand fire chief. During his tenure as fire chief, theSantee Fire Department saw many changes.Those included; the updating of our paramedicprogram, paramedic eng/truck companies, theaddition of Rescue 5, the building of the newstation 5, the addition of Medic 5, staffingincreases, Fire Grant funding, the FireDepartment’s Strategic Plan and more. Heretired in October of 06 to participate in theNative American Drop Program, taking theposition of Division Chief with the Viejas FireDepartment. Good luck to Bob in his newventure.Fire Captain John Cincotta also retired after 29years of service, in August 2006. John was anaggressive firefighter, who promoted tofirefighter specialist engineer and then to fireAgency WebsiteSantee’s retired Fire Chief, Robert Pfohl

theZONE Santee 47captain. Best known for his enthusiasmand motivation, John was an outstandingtraining officer. He developed our DMVCertification Program and was on theHeartland RIC/Accountability Committeeat the time of his retirement. John to, hasmoved on to the green pastures of theViejas Fire Department, as a fire captainand training officer. Good luck to Johnas well.Interim Fire Chief Mike RottenbergRetired Fire CaptainJohn CincottaFour-plus year Firefighter John Snowrecently resigned to take a lateralposition with the Orange County FireAuthority. John, who lives in theTemecula region, started the fireacademy at OCFA in April. Oh to be aproby again…Santee has many new faces. May of 2006brought us Firefighter Paramedics’Daniel Dodds, and James Welsh. Bothgraduated from Academy 13 and haverecently completed their one-yearprobationary periods. Welsh is currentlystationed @ station 4/C and Dodds @station 4/A.Staffing & PromotionsWith the sudden retirement of Fire ChiefBob Pfohl, Deputy Chief MikeRottenberg has been named Interim FireChief and Captain Brett Eldridge hasbeen made Acting Division Chief/FireMarshall. In the next edition of “TheZone” we hope to announce thepermanent promotions of bothRottenberg and Eldridge along with anew captain and engineer as well.Congratulations to both Mike and Brettat this time.Acting Division Chief Brett EldridgeIn December 2006, FirefighterParamedics’ Dustin Garhartt , DanielNenow, and Scott Larson completed the14th Fire Academy. Garhartt is assignedto 4/A, Nenow, 4/C and Larson, 5/C.Welcome aboard to all five newfirefighter paramedics.Seven more are coming, as Santee Firehas recently been awarded aDepartment of Homeland SecurityStaffing grant (SAFER). It is a 5-yearprogram that will assist the department

theZONE Santee 48Firefighter-ParamedicDaniel DoddFirefighter-ParamedicDustin GarharttFirefighter-ParamedicScott Larsonentrance exams. He is also an activemember of the Overtime Committee,Fire Station Design Committee and theCommunity Assessment Team (CAT)Program. The CAT program exposes themental and physical challenges to youths12 to 18 years old, stressing mental andFirefighter-ParamedicJames Welchwith $300,000 dollars over the life of thegrant. Three of the seven are partiallyfunded with the grant funds and willallow us to make Rescue 5 a threepersoncompany. The remaining four willassist with back-filling current and futurepositions.Firefighter-ParamedicDaniel Nenow2006 Santee Fire Department,Firefighter of the YearEighteen year veteran and Fire SpecialistEngineer, John Thornton was named the2006 FFOTY. John has been very activeover the years, assisting in numerous firedepartment training academies andSantee Firefighter of the YearEngineer John Thornton

theZONE Santee 49physical strength, confidence buildingand ethics. John has also been involvedwith the San Diego County “Big Brother”organization over the years and he stillmaintains contact with the individuals hehas mentored in the past.Congratulations to John, for this welldeserved award.Santee LAFS and the NicholasRosecrans AwardBrad Peterson and Fred Daunis,members of the Santee Fire DepartmentLAFS Characterization Program, attendedthe JEMS EMS Today Conference andExposition in Baltimore, MD andrepresented LAFS as a finalist for theprestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award.This award is designed to recognizeemergency responders who demonstrateleadership, commitment, and innovationin preventing injuries. Brad and Fredproudly accepted the Finalist’s award onbehalf of Santee Fire Department’s LAFSProgram and then proceeded to presentan overview of their program, incharacter of course, during one of theafternoon class sessions.Santee LAFS is a characterization troupemade up of professional firefightersdedicated to increasing life safetyawareness in our community. Programsare conducted in an assembly styleformat and are performed in schoolsthroughout the Santee School district.Programs are geared towards childrenages 6-10 and contain several safetyrelated topics including the proper useof 911, smoke detectors, Stop-Drop &Roll and bicycle and water safety. SanteeLAFS also provides educationalperformances at local Santee communityfunctions throughout the year.Something’s in the water on“C”- ShiftWe have 4 reported pregnancies, all on“C” Shift. Aaron and Sonya Bagley (nophoto), Larry and Lori Buquet ,Santee Fire Department’s LAFSMembers Include: Capt. Brad Peterson, FFPM Fred Daunis, Capt. Rick Williams, Capt.Tim Dibsie, FFPM Jason Custeau and FFPM Larry Buquet. Fire Engineer, Hap Nowakowskiand FFPM Richard Medlin not presentLori and Larry Buquet

theZONE Santee 50(Continued from page 49)Agency ReportJeff and Alfia Hernandez, with daughterGabriella and Justin and RaynaMatsushita (no photo) are all expectingsoon. We will provide baby details andphotos in the next edition of the “Zone”.Santee Firefighters Tackle Two AlarmResidential Structure Fire on Bird StOn Thursday February 22nd unitsfrom Santee, Lakeside and ElCajon responded to a report of astructure fire at 9227 Bird St. in theCity of Santee. Arriving units found asingle-family residence that was wellinvolved with impingement andspread to a neighboring exposure. Asecond alarm was immediately requested.B2 gave the initial attention the RICteam and exposure. Crews used a rotarysaw to remove security bars andentered the exposure to extinguishthe fire, which had spread into theattic. Exposure Division then placed a2 1/2" hose line between the twohomes for further protection.Crews assigned to Interior enteredthe initial involved dwelling and thefire was attacked. Interior crews wereAlfia, Gabriella, and Jeff HernandezSan Diego County Full-ScaleExerciseThe Santee Emergency Operations Centerwas activated on March 8 th , whileparticipating in the San Diego County,Full-scale exercise. This drill simulated therelease of anthrax in the North County,with other potential sites through out thecounty. Santee took the opportunity todo an EOC set-up drill as well as toprovide update training to EOC memberson the city side. On day 2, Capt. Rick

theZONE Santee 51Williams participated in a prophylacticmedication dispensing drill held in Vista.Again, it was very informative andhelpful in setting up a ProphylaxisMedication Dispensing program for theCity of Santee. More info to follow.Hillcreek Evacuation DrillJanuary 10 th , the Santee Fire Departmentworked with the Santee School District inparticipating in a full-scale evacuationdrill at Hillcreek Elementary School. Thescenario presented was that twostudents found an unknown canister andbrought it onto school grounds,releasing a gaseous material into one ofthe bathrooms. The fumes overcame thetwo students and one adult.The school was placed in immediatelock-down and then completelyevacuated to a designated place downthe street. Communications, parentnotification and bus transportation wereall evaluated by the school district. Thefire department participated bysimulating triage, evacuation, haz-matmitigation and decon. It was an(Continued from page 50)Bird Firechallenged with access due to a carport,vehicle and R.V. trailer, all, whichwere also well involved, and blockingthe entry point.The outcome of the fire; very littlecontents salvaged, and the loss ofthree pets. One dog and two catswere found deceased, in the interiorof the structure.!informative and challenging drill for allinvolved.Live fire training on HitchingPostA local resident donated his home to thefire department, allowing us to performlive burn training on it before it was tobe demolished and rebuilt. The 2800 sqft home was only 5 years old at the time,but was set to be demolished, andreplaced by a new 5000 sq ft, single storyhome. All 3 shifts were able toparticipate in the training, which broughtvaluable experienced to our many newfirefighters as well as the veterans.TrainingSantee Firefighters have been fortunateto have many training opportunities inthe past few months. Due to theextension of Hwy 52 to the 67, severalbuilding sites have been made availableto us for training, prior to their

theZONE Santee 52demolition. Capt. Rich Smith has workedhard to secure these sites for us bydeveloping some key relationships withCal-Trans. Although live burning is notalways possible, Santee Training OfficersRich Smith, Larry Roberts and BruceFearon have taken advantage of thesesites and provided excellent training inroof top ventilation, RIC andaccountability, firefighter survival andforcible entry.Santee Firefighter/ Surfersinvade a small island in FijiSantee Firefighters; Aaron Bagley, JeffHood, Dennis Burns, Bruce Fearon andother friends and family took a "NewYears" surf trip to the small island ofTavarua, in the Fijian Island chain. After aSantee Firefighters training on ventilationand forcible entry skills13 hour flight from Los Angeles thesurfers arrived by boat to the exclusiveand private island of Tavarua about 30acres in size. The accommodations areluxurious with a pool, tennis courts, fullbar and restaurant. Tavarua only allows30 guests at any give time.Scenes from the Hitchin Post training burn.

theZONE Santee 53Santee Firefighters walk forcancer in the ACS RelayOn April 28, Santee Firefighter, family,and friends joined with the communityand spent 24 hours walking the SantanaHigh School track in an effort to helpfind a cure for cancer. This was thefourth year the Santee FirefightersAssociation sponsored a team for theAmerican Cancer Society Relay for Life.The City of Santee allowed on duty crewsto participate in the event by beingpresent at both the opening and closingceremonies. . The Santee Firefighters andThis island boasts the best waves in theworld and the Santee Firefighters foundthis to be true. They enjoyed doubleoverhead challenging surf from theworld famous “Cloud Break” which is anoff shore shallow reef that breaks in theopen ocean and is known as a "heavywave". Cloud Break is also exclusively forTavarua guest only making it totally uncrowded.Residential Structure Fire on StoyerInjures a FirefighterOn March 23, 2007 Santee and ElCajon units were dispatched to asingle family, single story structure fire inthe 9400 blk. of Stoyer Rd. in Santee. Respondingunits reported smoke showingfrom both Santee Fire stations.Upon arrival there was heavy smoke andfire coming from the front of the structure,which had vented horizontally and spreadto the rear patio cover. E5 laid a line andwas assigned Interior by B2 who assumedStoyer Command. R5 was IRICand Accountability. T4 was assigned toVentilation and cut 4 holes above theseat of the fire. E9 and E1 were assignedto Interior and assisted with attackingthe fire and RIC. E4 responded from outof the City and was delayed.One Santee Firefighter received 2 nd degreeburns to his ear and face as a resultof having to negotiate an obstacle in thedoorway which required him to rise upmomentarily. Upon extinguishment ofthe fire, the obstacle was found to be amedium sized, (200 lbs plus) pig. Noother injuries were reported, and thecause was an electrical malfunction nearan aquarium in the Living Room. !

theZONE Santee 54Friends team had nearly 50 walkingmembers, and was captained by SanteeCity Councilman John Minto. Associationmembers and Councilman Minto workedfor two months to raise donations forthe event. Santee Firefighters andFriends earned top honors as the largestfundraising team, raising over $11,000dollars for the American Cancer Society.Planning for next year’s event is alreadyunderway so please join us next year andwalk for the cure next April.That’s it for what’s new in the 42…Wewill see you next time.Rick Williams!

theZONE Viejas 55ViejasRay TrussellFirefighter-ParamedicViejas Fire Departmentrtrussell@viejas-nsn.govNew AmbulanceIn February Viejas took possession of a new2006 Road Rescue Type 3 ambulance. Withstate-of-the-art LED warning technology, itreplaces the older Ford van ambulance whichhad logged over 100,000 miles. The newambulance is spacious enough to holdfirefighters’ PPE gear, SCBA's, and a modestcomplement of hand-tools as well as thenecessary medical equipment and supplies. Thevan ambulance has been placed in reservestatus.Interagency TrainingIn March, the Viejas Fire Department hosted aninteragency training exercise that involvedAlpine, Lakeside, CDF, and the US Forest Serviceagencies. The interagency training program wasput together several years ago by Captain BradRushing of Alpine and Division Chief JeffRobinson of the USFS, in response to a need forjoint training between cooperating agencies.The underlying premise of the training is tofamiliarize different agencies with each other’soperations and tactics at the crew level,according to Captain Rushing. Feeling that callswith other agencies sometimes seemed asthough they were two different incidents withdifferent command structures, Captain Rushingrecognized the need and began to coordinatemonthly training exercises.Now involving Alpine, Lakeside, CDF, and thelocal Forest Service crews, the interagencytraining exercises are being held every othermonth. After the Viejas Fire Department wascreated, it signed on for the training to.This month’s training focused on AutoAgency Website

theZONE Viejas 56Extrication. Conducted by CaptainCincotta of Viejas Fire, each participatingdivision attended a short lecture in aclassroom. Then everyone moved to thePublic Works yard where cars that hadbeen donated by a local towing agencywere used for practice. Different tacticsand equipment were demonstrated, and,more importantly, different agenciesworked together with each other. Whilenot everyone that attended had thesame equipment, each crew got to seethe different capabilities and availableresources of other agencies.This type of training leads to familiaritybetween the different crews, which hasled to more efficient cooperationbetween the departments when on callstogether. This, says Captain Rushing, washis ultimate goal when he helped putthis together. Viejas Fire is pleased to beincluded in this excellent trainingopportunity and is looking forward tothe next one.New HiresFirefighters Oscar Hernandez andJoaquin Banagas were officially sworn inas members of the Viejas FireDepartment on April 6, 2007, when theyreceived their badges at a badge pinningceremony. FF Hernandez startedNovember 6th, and FF BanagasDecember 6th. FF/PM Banagas movedfrom Oklahoma where he had beenemployed as a paramedic to accept theposition at Viejas. He recently completedthe Tenth San Miguel/El Cajon ReserveAcademy at OTF. FF Hernandez left theUS Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant afteralmost ten years of service, includingtours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Viejaswishes to welcome both firefighters tothe department.Fournier leaving for SanteeFirefighter Paramedic Jesse Fournier hasaccepted a position with Santee Fire.Viejas Fire, especially his fellow A-shiftcrew, will miss Jesse greatly, and all wishhim well in his career. !Viejas new hires Joaquin Bahagas and Oscar Hernandez

Photography By:Chuck PalmoreBill Paskle

7 th Annual Charity Golf ClassicTuesday, May 15th, 2007Cottonwood at Rancho San Diego Golf CourseOur Foundation supports charities at local and national levels, as well as residential fire victims withinour district. Through financial and volunteer assistance, charities including the San Diego Burn Institute,YMCA, Children’s Hospital of San Diego, Huntington’s disease, The Epilepsy Foundation of SanDiego County, the Arthritis Foundation of San Diego County and several other youth organizations havebenefited.2006 featured charity: Susan G. Komen Foundation. (Proceeds shared equally with San Miguel FireFighter’s Charitable Causes Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Three day.)CHECK IN: 11:00 amSHOTGUN START: 1:00 pmSCRAMBLES FORMATMonte vista COURSERAFFLE PRIZESSILENT AUCTIONHOLE IN ONE CONTESTS- WIN A$10,000 prizeLONG DRIVE AND CLOSEST TO THEPIN CONTESTS- GREAT PRIZESYOUR ENTRY FEE INCLUDES:GOLF, DINNER, COMMEMORATIVE GOLFSHIRT, AND MUCH MOREENTRY FEE: $125 per golfer Dinner Only $30NAMEADDRESSNAMEADRESSPHONE # PHONE #Shirt sizeShirt sizeNameAddressNameAddressPhone # Phone #Shirt SizeShirt SizeFor Priority registration, and a $50savings per foursome Send Entry ByMay 05, 2007San Miguel Fire Fighters Local 1434PO Box 1434Spring Valley, CA 91979-1434For additional information, call Nick Johnson at (619) 670-8329 or see our website sanmiguelfirefighters.org