From the category archives:

West Coast 911 News

station_10-1San Bernardino County firefighters serving the communities of Phelan, Pinon Hills, Wrightwood and El Mirage celebrated the grand opening of Fire Station 10 at a ceremony on June 30th where First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt praised them for their service and resourcefulness, and welcomed them to their new facility. “This modern, state-of-the-art fire station replaces the previous facilities, which consisted of two aging mobile homes and a metal shed,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “Even though those facilities were not ideal, firefighters still accomplished their mission. I want to thank the firefighters who have served here for their resourcefulness and patience, and congratulate them on getting the type of facility they deserve.” The previous facilities were meant to be temporary, but remained in place for 20 years. Supervisor Mitzelfelt was joined by San Bernardino County Fire Chief Pat Dennen, who praised the Supervisor for his commitment to the fire department and public safety in general. The $2.8 million station is located on the same site as the previous Station 10 at 9625 Beekley Road. The 6,997-square-foot station will be able to house the fire engine, ambulance and up to seven personnel. New driveways and parking areas were also constructed along with a separate 1,800-square-foot storage building. The project was constructed by RIC Construction Company of Hesperia and took nine months to complete.Station 10 covers over 100 square miles and serves the citizens of Phelan and Pinon Hills, as well as assists with calls in Wrightwood, West Cajon Valley, Baldy Mesa, Oaks Hills and El Mirage.

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Story by: sbcfire.org

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escondido_logoYesterday, 25 Escondido employees became the first casualties of the city’s $6.7 million in budget cuts.

It was their last day, after they were given layoff notices June 11, although the City Council did not adopt a budget that included the layoffs until this week. Those eliminated included code enforcement officers, planners and the Fire Department’s entire team of 12 emergency medical technicians. No firefighter or police officer was laid off.

With the departure of the emergency medical technicians, the city will end its 10-year-old program that was instituted to supplement its paramedics. [click to continue…]

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Sacramento City Council Accepts Deal with Firefighters

July 1, 2009

Calling it a “great day for Sacramento,” Mayor Kevin Johnson came out of a special session of the Sacramento City Council to announce that council members had approved a last-minute deal with city firefighters.
Sixty-eight firefighter positions would have been affected either through layoffs or demotions if a deal had not been reached. At the final [...]

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California Governor Establishes Blue Ribbon Task Force

July 1, 2009

As part of his ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued Executive Order S-12 -09 (EO) to reinforce California’s vigilance in protecting lives and property from wildfire. The EO directs the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) to ensure that recommendations made by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, established after California’s catastrophic [...]

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Lightning sparks 7 fires in Shasta-Trinity forest

July 1, 2009

Lightning from thunderstorms this afternoon caused at least seven fires on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which firefighters, smokejumpers and rappellers managed to contain.
The widespread storms began about 2 p.m. and produced at least 380 lightning strikes across Northern California, the Forest Service reported.
Three fires, estimated at one-tenth of an acre each, were discovered near the [...]

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Victorville man found dead after Yermo fire

June 30, 2009

YERMO • San Bernardino County Fire officials found the remains of a Victorville man after they extinguished a blaze that broke out at a home in Yermo, officials said. Firefighters arrived at a home in the 200 block of E. Yermo Road around 9:49 p.m. on Saturday, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner officials. After [...]

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Sacramento Firefighters Offer New Deal to City

June 30, 2009

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Sacramento Fire Department union says it is going back to city leaders with another proposal to ensure firehouses stay open and firefighters remain on the job. The proposal also happens to save the city $10 million, according to union spokesman Chris Harvey. Firefighters are offering a 5 percent pay cut for [...]

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Blaze consumes house, 48 acres in Palermo

June 29, 2009

PALERMO — Flames sparked by a lawnmower, fueled by Monday’s triple-digit temperatures and strong south winds, destroyed a home and scorched almost 50 acres in the Palermo area. It was the fourth consecutive Monday that a mower has triggered a fire. It was the largest of four fires that firefighters were called to Monday in [...]

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San Jose fire crews rescue man trapped in ventilation system

June 29, 2009

After the scorching weekend, Raul Bendaras started work Monday morning on the air conditioning system at a Santa Clara County building on North First Street. But the county refrigeration mechanic fell 20 feet down a chute and spent more than two hours trapped, first calling out for help and then falling in and out of [...]

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Firefighters knock down blaze in Costa Mesa garage

June 29, 2009

Costa Mesa arson Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a fire that raged through a single family home on Saturday. The firefighters arrived at the home on Colgate Street at approximately 6:40 p.m. Their efforts were frustrated by intense smoke and heat, and by the detonation of small rounds of ammunition that [...]

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