CLVFA Newsletter: Spring 2007

Welcome to the CLVFA Newsletter:

Community Events

The 2007 Spring Community Meeting BBQ & Fundraiser is at noon on Sunday, May 13. Election of Officers will be held at 1200, before the festivities. Please bring something for all to share (side items, salads, snacks, deserts, games). BBQ items and drinks will be provided by CLVFA. Please be sure to invite your mother as it is a special day for her!

Fire Department

Please join us for fire training on the May 12th, at the upper firehouse. We hope to see all our of volunteers and new ones at these trainings as they are required by CDF to maintain our accreditation as a fire department. Our goal is to get all active members to Firefighter 1 certification.

Fire Calls

We thank everyone who has helped on the fire and medical calls over the last year. As many of you know we had two fire calls last summer within our gates and five arson calls right at our gates. Please be aware of suspicious activity. If there are people who do not belong in our area please call the sheriff. We have had five fire calls in 2007 to date. The first three were on New Years Eve weekend.

Unfortunately, we have the following bad news to report. Our hearts go out to the Merricks, whose house burned down on March 21st. The house was a total loss and much loved animals perished. Donations to help them through their loss are most appreciated. Additionally on March 24th, an unknown person or persons gained access to the firetruck at the lower firehouse and destroyed it beyond repair. The county will not pay for comprehensive coverage so, our insurance will not cover the costs of replacement or towing. Spring Valley and Spreckles Volunteers graciously donated trucks as replacements. We will have to raise funds to outfit the rigs. At the BBQ there will be thank you cards going around for you to sign.

Fire Department Annual Appeal for Funds

The Spring BBQ is our annual fundraiser and recruitment for funds and bodies to support the fire department. Updated equipment is continuously needed.

First, we want to thank the various groups and individuals who helped donate time, money, materials, new/used fire equipment and trucks. Always remember that donations are tax deductible and many companies have matching grants for non profit groups. Please check to see if your company has opportunities for this. We are also working on a fund-raiser for automatic defibrillators for our first responders. This could save your life or a loved one so, please consider donating for this cause. We would like to have one for each firehouse (2).

We are strictly a volunteer organization that has a strong track record as first responders to fires and health emergencies in our remote area. We desperately need your support to stay in existence and improve our training to widen the scope of how we can help. We urge all property owners, renters and temporary residents to donate to CLVFA.

Please send all donations to: CLVFA PO BOx 601 Redwood Estates, Ca. 95044-0601 We are a non-profit organization.

Fire Safety and Health

Call, email or talk with Chief Kylee Vicha for pamphlets on ways to make your house fire defensible. 100 feet should be cleared around your house with no ladder fuels approaching your structures. MAKE sure your address is displayed properly on the road so the emergency crews can find you and if you have locked gates, please be sure to pass on to Kylee (only appropriate personal will have this info on how to gain access to your home or property).

It is highly recommended that everyone become members of CALSTAR. It is very expensive if there is an emergency and we have to medivac you or a loved one by helicopter. Please visit this site to join: http://www.calstar.org/membership.html. Last with all the very warm weather, please keep an eye out for your elderly neighbors, folks that live alone and animals.

Road News

We would like to thank our neighbors and CDF for helping to maintain and improve the roads this year. We all hope that a pothole party will be organized soon.

Keys and Security Issues

Security Issues need to be discussed at the Spring meeting. Our gates are in need of repair and we have had an increase of trespassers on private property. Keys and gates may need to be changed. Current keys for the upper gate are available from Kylee Vicha.

T-Shirts

T-Shirts are available for sale. They are good quality t-shirts with beautiful embroidered CLVFA logos. Also at this meeting we will have the opportunity for the community to come up with a new logo that will have a final vote from the board and used by the next fall meeting. This is a fun way to get the community involved with the fire department. Info will be brought up at the general meeting so bring your artistic abilities.

Web Site

For more information our web site is www.clvfa.org

Board Members

At our community meeting we will have an election of new officers. If you would like to run or volunteer time in the community and CLVFA fire department, please come. Please introduce yourself to our committed board members and volunteers serving your community emergency needs. Here are your current board members:

• President Kylee Vicha
• Vice President Craig Ponkey
• Treasurer Owen Gooding
• Secretary Kathy Adams
• Jennifer Harper
• Doug Jackson
• Alan Merrick

Special thanks to all of the volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to keep operational. The CLVFA volunteers are the first responders to the fire and medical emergencies in our community.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT HELPS THEMSELVES!
Come Introduce yourself to your new neighbors.

Respecfully,

Chief Kylee Vicha