05 Newsletter Summer 2011 - Cal Fire/San Luis Obispo County

CALFIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire
Summer 2011
Issue No. 5
San Luis Obispo Unit
Summer 2011
Inside this issue:
Message from Chief Lewin
I am proud to be part of CAL FIRE. This is the 33rd fire season I have been with
CAL FIRE and without question I am still impressed with the way we get things
done. We are a “can do” organization. All of you: Paid Call Firefighters, Reserve
Firefighters, Staff Personnel, Seasonal Firefighters and Full-time Firefighters all
share in the commitment to successfully meet our mission of protecting life,
property and our natural resources. We are a team and together we get things
done.
I remember being a PCF and a “Sleeper” (the equivalent of a Reserve with much
less pay) very fondly. I remember how I looked up to the station Engineers and
Captains and wanted to do all I could to please and perform well for them. If it
was not for those men and women who took the extra time to train me, guide me,
and straighten me out when I went the wrong way, I would not be who I am. I remember they taught me the fundamentals, how to don a BA, pull a preconnect,
raise a ladder and catch a hydrant. They taught me very basic things like how to
read a map book, backup a fire engine and simply how to treat people on medical
aids. They taught me more advanced skills like a “Z” pulley system, attacking an
aircraft fire and principals of heat transfer. The most important thing I learned
from them they did not overtly teach me; it was the importance of taking the time
to help train and mentor my PCF’s and Seasonal’s. When I became an Engineer
and Captain that lesson remained with me. In the end, how we are treated is the
same way we will treat people. So remember what others have done for you and
take the extra time to mentor the next generation.
Battalions 1, 2, 4,
PRAAB
2, 3
Battalion 6
4, 5
Pre-Fire/Prevention
5
Kudos
7
Celebrations
8, 9
AHC Graduations
10
Badge Pinning Ceremony
11
Physical Fitness
12,13
Retirees
Blues Baseball
14,
15
Benevolent Association
15
Please keep submitting your articles for future publications!
Next publication will be
“Fall 2011”
Articles due by
September 1, 2011
As fire season picks up, remember that at anytime you may receive a call that is
going to send you away for an extended period time. Make sure your family is
ready for your absence, make sure you are ready to take the call and go do your
job. We are CAL FIRE and when we get the call, we go.
That is what we do. That is who we are.
THANK YOU!
Page 2
San Luis Obispo Unit
Battalion 1 - 3411 ~ Phill Veneris
Please join us in honoring Jerry Dillingham and celebrating his 35 year commitment to the South Bay Fire Department. Jerry has been an integral part of this fire family, and we appreciate his dedicated service.
July 31, 2011 2:00 -7:00pm ~ 2180 Palisades Drive, Los Osos, CA 93402 “Red Barn” $10 adults, kids under 12
are free. Please RSVP to Amy at 805-528-1053 by July 20th
Company 12 has been active this quarter in helping Prevention in our local area including visits to Headstart and Cuesta
College Daycare, Children’s Day at the Plaza, the Special Olympics at Cuesta College, two visits from Smokey at
Pacheco Elementary, helped celebrate Downtown Brown's birthday at Farmer's Market and brought Engine 12 to the
annual Caltrans Safety Day.
Recently, several Company members from 12 aided Cal Poly’s logging team in providing medical assistance for their
national competition.
Christopher Campmas and Jeff Newby have obtained their Class B licenses and working towards becoming operators
for Company 12 ~ Congratulations Guys!
PCF Dan Sutton has been part of a leadership program in our County involving visits to Israel and Turkey. More “good
wishes” to Dan Sutton ~ he and his wife are expecting a new bundle-of-joy in August.
Andy Carlin has been pursuing various groups such as San Luis Obispo County Parks and Habitat for Humanity, and
other ways for Company 12 to help our community.
We would like to welcome Andrew Abercromby and Jack Britton to Company 12. Congratulations to Jack Britton for
completing the Allan Hancock Fire Academy; he should be responding in no time. Andrew, who works for NASA, is a
community based PCF and has successfully completed the PCF Academy. We look forward to them being able to respond with the Company and completing their rookie task books.
Company 12 has been hard at work at training in preparing for the upcoming season. We look forward to aiding the
County when called upon. Also, Station 12 is busy promoting the growth of their “Pumpkin Patch!”
THE COMPANY 12 GIANT PUMPKIN PATCH~ submitted by PCF Andy Carlin
Since greater community service and involvement is one of our goals for Company 12 this year, I thought, wouldn't it be
fun to have a contest among Company 12 PCF's - to see who could grow the biggest pumpkin? Quite a few of my fellow PCF's were interested so I consulted retired Cal Poly Ag Professor Dr. Joe Sabol for his advice on planting, growing,
etc. Dr. Sabol was all over this idea and gave me 20+ seedlings he had already transplanted into larger 1 gallon pots.
Many of us started preparing the "patch" - marking it off, rototilling it, digging the holes with a power post hole digger
(and shovels too). We lined the holes with chicken wire to keep the gophers from the pumpkin plants' main roots. We
also dug a 6" deep trench around the patch and installed 24" high chicken wire fencing to hopefully keep squirrels and
gophers out. Farm Supply gave us some bagged chicken manure and I was able to obtain some premium compost.
This year's pumpkin contest is October 20th at SLO Farmers Market - at Mission Plaza. The good news is that all the
pumpkins will become cattle feed - so nothing goes to waste. We also look forward to showing our pumpkin patch to all
the children that visit Station 12 during October's Fire safety / awareness month; until we harvest the pumpkins October
20th and take them to town! We'll encourage all the children and their families to attend the contest and cheer us on!
Battalion 2 - 3412 ~ Bill Fisher
Station 21 new landscaping ~ submitted by Dale Rodriguez
A big thank you goes to Cuesta Camp for assisting in the re-landscaping of Station
21. Cuesta Crews 4, 5, and 1 (Captains Elmore, Mumford, Richard) each came
for a day. With their hard work we were able to remove the old landscaping, replant 267 plants, and spread 75 yards of bark. Thanks to Ben Joy Nursery who
guided us in using gopher, rabbit and drought resistant plants. They also assisted
in creating the design and even came out and placed the plants where they
needed to go. Of course I would be missing something if I didn’t thank Chief
Cleveland for finding the funds at the bottom of the County Purse. Next time you
come by please feel free to check out the finished project.
Issue No. 5
Page 3
Battalion 4 - 3414 ~ Tim Eckles
On April 20, 2011, CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire along with Jim Patterson, District Five
Supervisor, held a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the NEW STATION coming to the community of
Creston! Many community members came out to help celebrate the “new station” and enjoyed
refreshments afterwards…
Paso Robles Airbase—B3418 ~ John Richardson
We were assigned with the Channel Islands, California and Charlotte, North Carolina Air National
Guard to the Albuquerque Air Tanker Base. The MAFFS units were flying to fires in Texas, New
Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. The military was supporting the commercial fleet of air tankers
who have flown more this year than all of last year.
Page 4
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Battalion 6 - 3416 ~ Steve Reeder
Administration
Community Emergency Response Training
A CERT class, sponsored by CAL FIRE / Pismo Beach Fire Department, Five Cities Fire Authority, SLO County Fire
Chiefs Association, SLO County Sheriff’s Advisory Council, and San Luis Ambulance Inc., was held at the Pismo Beach
City Hall in June. Bob Neumann, a retired City of San Luis Obispo Fire Chief, was the lead instructor and 38 citizens
from throughout the south county area attended.
Station 62
Open House Friday, July 25th, at 1000 hrs. for the Station 62 ribbon cutting ceremony. Station personnel are busy preparing the station and grounds for the big day.
Station 63
LE-100 Inspections
Fire Prevention Specialist Tina Rose has been doing LE 100’s for Battalion 6. Since May of 2011 she has completed
760 inspections and had 79 violations. The common reply amongst homeowner’s this year, when asked how their defensible space clearing is going, “I have had to do it at least 3 times this year!” Tina noted that the overwhelming majority of contacts have been very positive and she mentioned how nice and hospitable country folk’s can be.
Car Show/July 4th
Planning for these events starts about a year in advance. Several meetings take place in the city to review the events.
A full area command is set up to ensure a fast and timely response of fire resources that are prepositioned throughout
the events.
The following preparations are made for the Car Show and Fourth of July:
 The City staffs one rescue, one engine, one Medic Cart and two fire officers for emergency response. In addition to
the emergency personnel we have a prevention officer that inspects all of the tents and makes sure all of the roads
are kept clear.
 We add a CAL FIRE Paramedic to the event. This adds an increased level of service to the city.
 We add 9 LE Officers during the July 4th event. This adds a significant law enforcement presence during the July 4th
festivities and helps local law enforcement with citing illegal fireworks violators.
Several safety precautions are put into place for the event. Things such as preposition equipment on the Pier. Personnel at key locations throughout the city to eliminate delay to emergencies etc.
Station 64
Memorial Day Ceremony
On May 30th personnel from Station 64 participated in the annual City of Pismo Beach Memorial Day Ceremony. Personnel were responsible for carrying a wreath and raising the American flag.
(pictured from left to right: Captain Denny O’Neil, FAE Kevin Anderson, Captain Rick
Howard, and FAE Joe Matousek)
Training with Five Cities Fire Authority
On June 16th personnel from station 64, 63, 20 and 22 attended orientation training
on the Five Cities Fire Authority new truck that is stationed at the Arroyo Grande Station 66. Five Cities Fire Authority personnel discussed the trucks capabilities and compliment. Personnel were also allowed to take a ride in the bucket and experience the
capabilities of the aerial platform first hand.
Lifeguards/Boat Training
Cal Fire Captain Rick Howard administers the Pismo Beach Lifeguard Program consisting of 21 Tower Lifeguards and
four Lifeguard Supervisors. The City beach spans 1.5 miles and its main attraction is the City Pier. Patron safety is provided by the use of 5 lifeguard towers and a patrol vehicle. The 2011 lifeguard season got underway in April when six
new lifeguards were hired and trained in a 48-hour Ocean Lifeguard I Academy. Lifeguards then staff the beach full
time beginning Memorial Day Weekend and conclude Labor Day Weekend. Lifeguards spend their shift watching over
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Page 5
Pismo Beach Continued...
hundreds of inexperienced swimmers and preventing accidents before they occur. Lifeguards are consistently finding
lost children and providing medical care to the injured. Occasionally lifeguards will enter the water to perform a rescue
but the overall goal is to recognize a problem before it happens. Fifteen of the 25 lifeguards are EMT's and a hand full
of them work reserve fire shifts for Station 64.
The 2010 season saw a beach attendance of approximately 342,000 people, performed 90 rescues, and prevented another 1,000 from occurring. Lifeguards attended to 76 medical emergencies, found 51 lost children and made 1,029
ordinance advisories. For more information regarding the Pismo Beach Lifeguards please visit our website at
www.pismobeach.org/lifeguards
Avila Beach Station 62 History
AVILA BEACH - CAL FIRE Station 62 in Avila Beach is preserving some of the community's history. It's a 1941 Dodge
Fire Engine; it is the second piece of mechanized fire equipment Avila ever owned.
Seven years ago Captain Jason Cohn found the engine in a barn above Avila Beach. The Community Services District
there owned the engine.
They gave CAL FIRE a 15-hundred dollar grant to preserve it so it could be showcased at community events and people
can get a glimpse of the areas history. Originally, it was purchased for less than 4-thousand dollars. "This was purchased December 19, 1941. Pearl Harbor started December 7, 1941, so this would have been one of the last deliveries
of a civilian Dodge chasse, the rest of the would have gone to the war effort," says Captain Jason Cohn.
So far volunteers have put new tires on it and they have fully restored the original ladders. Next they will work on fixing
the brakes.
All of the money that goes into the engine is from donations collected at the Avila Beach Farmers Market.
(Article courtesy of KCOY News 7/19/11)
Page 6
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
PRE-FIRE/PREVENTION (Submitted by Alan Peters)
PRE-FIRE DIVISION
We completed an interesting 75-acre prescribed burn on June 10th to try and control medusahead grass. We’ll compare
what comes up there next spring to determine how successful the burn was and if a follow-up burn will be needed.
Our resources also got some good live-fire training.
Fire Marshal's Office –
We welcome Laurie Donnelly back to the office after giving birth to baby Knox, after weeks of being back in the office
we have noticed the little guy loves to hang out in prevention, who would have guessed “Knox”.
As some of you may know Laura Brown has been out of the office for some time and has requested CTB contributions,
Laura is so thankful for what she has received already. If you would like to help support Laura with meals, donations or
just your time please contact the Prevention office.
Local Prevention News:
There are many new projects being reviewed in the prevention office and as always we value your input and enthusiasm to be involved:
Two large solar projects proposed for California Valley have been approved by the Planning Commission and have
moved to the Board of Supervisors. There is concern about the staffing levels at Station 42 and both the Commission
and the Board are extremely supportive of ensuring adequate staffing for the projects that could inject 300-600 workers
a day into the valley.
If you were ever caught off guard with a special event in your response area or just thought the process of being notified about a special event was gray that may all be changing soon. The Special Event Ordinance has returned to the
Planning Commission to help make the process more clear and afford you better notification prior to the event. Remember Chapter 24 of the 2010 California Fire Code can help you with the tent inspections, a web link to the code and requirements can be found at www.calfireslo.org.
As of July 1, 2011 the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Senate Bill – SB 183) will require all single-family
homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide alarms within the home by July 1,
2011. Owners of multi-family leased or rental dwellings, such as apartment buildings, have until January 1, 2013 to comply with the law. The California State Fire Marshal has created frequently asked questions on carbon monoxide devices
to provide the citizens of California with information on this important matter. For more information please visit
www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/.
Fire Plan & GIS –
We are near completion on several projects all designed to support our initial attack resources. It is our goal to provide
the most accurate data available to assist critical decisions and identify strategic locations to utilize fire prevention efforts
and fuel reduction.
We are excited to announce that San Luis Obispo County has been selected to be a pilot Unit for the 2011 Fire Plan.
With funding provided by the Fire Safe Council we will be the first unit to integrate the Unit Fire Plan into a countywide,
community wildfire protection plan (CWPP). This document will provide guidance and definition to future fuel reduction
efforts for CAL FIRE / SLU as well as our cooperating agencies. Our Fire Plan will be the first to use priority landscapes
data (developed by the state) to define checklist areas, as well as deploy CAL MAPPER for categorizing these projects.
The MDC Project is now on its 3rd map version. This update incorporates our newest hydrant and buildings layer as well
as the new SRA boundaries for 2011. We have been successful with standardizing the MDC maps with Command Point
Map in the ECC.
CALFIRESLO.ORG has been in service now for 3 years. I’m pleased to report the website has increased its number of requests by 41% this year! The site handled 1,212,919 requests this year. Training’s page continues to be the top requested page, then the Operations and the ECC page. New this quarter is the link to the SLU twitter page. In development is a new Incident Tracker Page that will show Incident locations “real time” over the web.
Pre-Attack Maps are continuing to get a lot of attention. CAL FIRE has adopted the SLU template and symbology as the
state standard. I have assisted Santa Clara, Orange and San Diego counties on how to produce these plans. More grant
funds were received to update the Avila and Parkhill Plans, as well as 2 new areas of the County. Development has
started for the North East Arroyo Grande WUI. Lastly, the Tsunami Pre-Attack Maps are in the printing phase and will be
distributed this summer.
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Page 7
Kudos, Congratulations and THANK YOU!
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 11:32 AM
Dear Cal Fire Station and staff:
I just wanted to send a thank you to all of you for not only your everyday service to the Pismo Beach community, but for all the extra
work that occurred on July 4th.
I am a Shell Beach resident and along with myself and many others we appreciate all the efforts put forth to keep the 4th of July out
of harms way.
Thank you all. Chris M
From: Lewin, Robert
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2011
To: SLU
Subject: Fill the Boot
To all those who helped out today to “Fill the Boot” for MDA, I want to convey my personal appreciation for your outstanding efforts. A very special thank you to Firefighter Jay Alba who works so hard to put together all these Fill the
Boot fund raising events. It helps to know so many of you are willing to help out to combat these diseases that are so
devastating.
Simply, thank you,
Rob
Congratulations to Rick Swan on his promotion to Deputy Chief of the San Luis Obispo Unit. Chief Swan has over 30
years of fire service experience. He has worked in several Units in the State and in many disciplines including; as an Air
Tactical Officer, Station and Crew Captain, Fire Marshal and as a Division Chief. Rick has 21 years of providing valuable
leadership in the CDF Firefighters, four as the Vice President. I personally am so pleased to be able to appoint Chief Swan
to this position as we first worked together as firefighters when we were at Nipomo Fire Station in 1980 here in SLU.
Congratulations Rick!
From: Lewin, Robert
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Subject: Appointment of Division Chief Brennan Blue
It is my honor to announce the appointment of Brennan Blue to Division Chief of the Ventura/Santa Barbara
Division in the San Luis Obispo Unit. This will be effective June 13, 2011. Chief Blue began his fire service career in 1983 as a fire explorer and volunteer firefighter in the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. In 1986 he began
his CAL FIRE career as a Firefighter 1 in the San Diego Unit. Chief Blue promoted through the ranks in San
Diego and Riverside Units and served as a Fire Apparatus Engineer, Engine Captain, Truck Captain, ECC Captain, and Battalion Chief. In early 2008, he transferred back to Santa Cruz and is currently a Battalion Chief,
managing the Belmont Battalion. Chief Blue is a qualified Type 1 Operations Section Chief, Safety Officer,
Agency Rep, and Incident Commander Trainee. He is finishing his Bachelors Degree in Organizational Leadership from Bellevue University and is married to Sandra with a 4 year old son, Nathan.
The Ventura/Santa Barbara Division is responsible for overseeing the Ventura Youth Conservation Camp and
the Camarillo Fire Center. He will also be the liaison for the San Luis Obispo Unit to Santa Barbara and Ventura County Fire Departments. Please join me in welcoming Chief Blue.
Page 8
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Congratulations, Celebrations, Fun!!
An informal gathering was held in San Luis Obispo to celebrate the life
and times of Captain Bob Bergstrom on Sunday, May 22, 2011 at
Cuesta Park. The organizers managed to “surprise” Bob (which is not
an easy task!) with a nice, casual BBQ,
highlighted with a new firearm! Fun was
had by all, the best part Bob had no idea he
was being honored! Surprise!
CONGRATULATIONS BOB!
♥ ♥ Wedding Celebration ♥ ♥
Robert Jenkins, (son of Retired Chief Matt Jenkins) married Lindsey Pompa on March 26, 2011. The wedding was on the bluff
overlooking the ocean at the Shore Cliff Inn, the reception followed at the Ventana Grill. Rob’s best man was twin brother Nick and
the Groomsmen were Travis and Casey Jenkins. Lindsey’s Maid of Honor was her sister Kylee and bridesmaids Sarah (Bride’s Sister) and 3 close friends.
There was a light drizzle on the day of this outdoor wedding but it didn't dampen their spirits at all. Rain on your wedding day is
considered very good luck in Japan; and considering that the wedding brought Robert's brother Travis and his wife Leanna home
from Japan a few days before the devastating earthquake and tsunami, the Jenkin’s family would agree. The newlywed couple honeymooned in Hawaii.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jenkins!
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Page 9
A Hometown Celebration ~ Welcome Back Dillon Miller!
On Thursday June 30, 2011 the Community of Paso Robles along with CAL FIRE/SLO County Fire and Paso
Robles City Fire hosted a Welcome Home Celebration for HFEO Charlie Miller’s son Charles “Dillon” Miller
who was wounded in Afghanistan. May 2011. Several hundred people attended to Welcome Home Lance Corporal
Charles "Dillon" Miller at the Paso Robles Downtown City Park. Dillon is currently recovering from his injuries in San
Diego and expects to be redeployed sometime next year. Thank you to all
that serve our country!
While we celebrated Dillon’s safe return, there is a
need for help for another wounded marine….
Page 10
San Luis Obispo Unit
CONGRATULATIONS to All AHC Graduates!!!
Allan Hancock College Fire Academy ~ Graduation Ceremony Classes 122 and 124 was held Friday, May 20, 2011 in Santa
Maria. Chief Robert Lewin was the Guest Speaker and coincidentally attended “Class 9.”
L-R ~ Jack Britton, Erin Riffle, Samuel Kowal, Kyle Alexander, Brett Egbert, Kirk Elberg, and Danny Segura
CONGRATULATIONS ZACHARY NICHOLS for graduating from the
Basic Law Enforcement Academy ~ Ceremony Class #100
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Issue No. 5
Page 11
Badge Pinning Ceremony ~
On May 25, 2011 a Badge Pinning Ceremony was held at the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisor’s
Chambers to honor the following Permanent Engineers George Huang, Amber Henderson, Brandon Ramler,
Michelle Cramer, Michael Roe and Patrick Hibbard (unable to attend). Also “pinned” during the ceremony
were, Chief Robert Lewin, Deputy Chief Rick Swan and Division Chief Brennan Blue. DC Blue promoted to
SLU from Santa Cruz Unit.
Congratulations to all!
Page 12
San Luis Obispo Unit
Better Fitness Faster—Tabata Training!
Issue No. 5
Submitted by Bill Grundler
We all deal with it. Longs days on the job, tons of reports, inspections, station tours, etc. You know
you need to get your workout in for the day but you just cant find the hour needed to do it. So, is it
better to just not do it at all and hope that tomorrow is an easier day? No!!!
What if I was to tell you that you could do a workout that would take only 4 minutes and you would
gain the benefits of a 40 minute run at about 70% intensity. Would you believe me or does it sound
like a 2am infomercial that is on right after P90X and Insanity? Well believe me!!!! The workout is
called “Tabata Training”.
Tabata Training is a High Intensity/Short Duration workout that was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata
at the National Institute of Sport and Fitness in Tokyo Japan. It came from a study he did that compared the effects of moderate intensity endurance training and high intensity intermittent endurance
training on VO2 max and anaerobic capacity. VO2 max is the bodies ability to use and transport
Oxygen throughout the body during exercise or activity. The higher your VO2 max, the better you
are at using the O2 in your body, or the more “in-shape” you are. Anaerobic capacity is the bodies
ability to increase strength, power and speed as well as muscle tone and growth.
Here is what the basic “Tabata” is: 20 seconds of hard work, 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds. This
means that the entire workout is only 4 minutes. The hard work can be any activity. In Dr. Tabata's
test, he had a test group doing moderate intensity runs 5 times a week. He then had a second
group doing all-out sprints for 20 seconds and resting or walking for 10 seconds for 8 rounds. What
was found in the study was that even though the moderate intensity group did show a 10% increase
in VO2 max, the Tabata group showed a 14% increase. This is a slight difference but Dr. Tabata
also found that the moderate intensity group showed zero signs of increase in anaerobic capacity,
whereas the Tabata group showed a 28% increase. This means that you don't get stronger if you
run, but you will get stronger if you sprint. Think about the body difference between a sprinter and a
distance runner.
Which do you think would be a better and more functional body type for a firefighter? With the
thought that we need to have endurance, stamina, strength, power, and speed, the sprinter body
type would be the best choice.
What about fat loss, or weight loss? It was always thought that the longer you ran, or hiked, the
more calories you would burn. What never seemed to be worked into the equation was the metabolic after-effects long after the workout. When you do an aerobic workout for a long duration at a
moderate pace, your calorie burning ends when you are done working out. It's been shown that
High-Intensity workouts actually enables “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption”. This means
that your body will continue to burn more calories for up to 2 days following the exercise. These are
calories above and beyond your normal everyday calorie burning. This is all due to the high level of
intensity! Studies show High Intensity Training burns up to 9 times as many calories as Moderate
Level Training over the course of the day.
San Luis Obispo Unit
Issue No. 5
Page 13
So with cardio benefits, strength benefits, and weight loss benefits, who wouldn't want to give it a
try?!?
I would like to challenge everyone at the station to do this particular test. Its called “Tabata Treadmill”. Tabata treadmill is just that, a tabata sprint on the treadmill. Raise the incline of the treadmill
as high as it can go. Set the pace as fast as you can sprint for 20 seconds and then step off onto
the sides for the 10 seconds rest. Do this 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. If you need to lower the
speed as you make your way through the workout, do so but remember that you need to be running
as fast as you possibly can. It has to be a sprint like you are running for your life!
A safety note: ONLY GO AS FAST AS YOU ARE ABLE TO HANDLE!!!! IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
ARE GOING TO FALL OFF OR YOU ARE GETTING SO TIRED THAT YOU ARE GETTING WOBBLEY THEN STEP OFF TO THE RAILS AND LOWER THE SPEED!! This workout is meant to increase your fitness, not cause a fall injury.
This is a very difficult workout and you must be ready before it. But everyone can do it by “Scaling”
or bringing the level closer to your abilities. You can scale this workout down by making the sprint
pace slower, lowering the incline, or even starting out with 4 rounds first and then gradually increasing until you are able to do it for the 8 rounds.
Give it a try at your station! Each station has a treadmill so there really isn't any reason why you
can’t try it! You can even do the Tabata with other movements like push-ups, sit-ups, deadlifts, or
thrusters. Its only 4 minutes!!!! See what happens!!!
The Safety Messages “HOTLINE” are available on the CAL FIRE Website
~ calfireslo.org ~ Chief Harness has been producing these articles on a
regular basis ~ Check it out!
Page 14
Retiree Happenings…
San Luis Obispo Unit
Submitted by Valorie (Shorty) Marshall
On June 10, 2011, Dave Gowan, Dayton & Norma Schroeder, and Pat & Valorie (Shorty) Marshall met in
Sparks, Nevada with their RV's, enroute to Hill City, South Dakota.
We stayed in Sparks at the Sparks Marina RV Park.
No plans were carved in stone. All of us were open to cancelling our
prebooked reservations and stopping anywhere we fancied, but in an
abundance of caution we prebooked our campsites just in case we
found the rest of America on road trips and campgrounds full. That wasn't the case, campgrounds weren't full, but we found it was nice to
know on travel days how many miles we intended to drive and that we
definitely had a place to stay when we got there.
We travelled from Sparks to Wells, Nevada where we stayed one night in
a rustic but clean Good Sam campground.
From Wells we travelled to West Yellowstone and stayed at the West Yellowstone KOA. Beautiful! If you go,
pay the small extra fee for RV sites 106, 107 or 108 which have incredible views. They also have small cabins
for rent.
By June 15th we were in Yellowstone. Our day's destination was Red Lodge, Montana. All but Dave had
been to Yellowstone and because he plans to go back at his leisure he was happy to stop wherever we found
a pretty spot, stretch our legs and get back on the road.
The going in Yellowstone was slow because of traffic, but not irritatingly slow. We stopped several times. Of
course we stopped at Old Faithful. We ate there and walked the paths through the beautiful geysers, and
were there to see Old Faithful spout in all its glory.
Mid afternoon on the 15th found us in Cooke City at the base of the Bear Tooth Highway. To travel the Bear
Tooth was Shorty's request. On her bucket list said Shorty. "The most beautiful roadway in America is U.S.
Hwy 212" said Charles Kuralt, and a ranger had assured Dayton big trucks go over it all the time. Shorty,
Charles and the ranger were on quite another list by the time we reached the summit and got down the
other side to Red Lodge. Snowbanks = 25 feet high in places. Wind = 40
mph at the summit. Narrow. No guardrails in many places which dropped
off into canyons. Literally sheets of ice and snowballs the size of a person's fist being blown at us by the wind at the summit.
Red Lodge was our most welcomed campground, to be sure. We practically
kissed the ground. First order of business was a toast to having made it over
the mountain. We're all glad for the adventure, but no one except Pat and
maybe Dave will ever do it again.
Red Lodge, Montana is a wonderful, friendly little town. Dave and Dayton
played golf, Pat and Jack (the dog) explored the creeks, and Norma and
Shorty explored town.
Eat at the Red Lodge Cafe for breakfast, and stop by Base Camp Images if you're interested in nature photography, greeting cards, or just a friendly, intriguing conversation with the photographer about how he gets his
incredible photos of wild animals in their natural habitat.
June 17 we arrived in Buffalo, Wyoming, and that night we had buffalo steaks for dinner. Norma and Shorty
took a self-guided tour of the historic Occidental Hotel and hiked along the 11-mile path along the river
which runs through town.
We visited a re-enactment of what life was like in 1866 at the site of Fort Phil Kearny which was a calvary
camp along the Bozeman trail within a short distance of where the Sioux/Fetterman fight took place Dec. 21,
S LO Co unt y Ben evo lent Association Happ eni ngs...
Issue No. 5
Page 15
1866. Not one calvaryman survived the attack.
Fort Phil Kearny was one of the forts built as a means of military protection for civilians who travelled the Bozeman trail, but it was such a dangerous place it was abandoned after two short years and almost immediately burned to the ground by the Indians.
At Fort Phil Kearny the guys bought 3 of the 500 raffle tickets sold, and are patiently waiting until fall when one of them will receive word that they've won the grand prize, a beautiful 44/40 Winchester rifle.
June 19, Father's Day, we arrived at our destination, Horse Thief Campground in Hill City,
So. Dakota. During the day we'd stopped near Devil's Tower, and we took an evening walk around Sylvan
Lake.
We spent four days at Horse Thief. We visited Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Bear
Country USA, the town of Deadwood, gambled, played golf, hiked. The weather
was in the 70s and low 80s, with heavy rain only one day.
On Friday, June 22, we headed home. In making our travel plans we
had predetermined that at the end of our trip we'd travel separately since
"homeward bound" often translates into something resembling manic hours on
the road and tired, grouchy travelers.
We had a wonderful time, made happy memories, learned some do's and don'ts in terms of RV travel, and are
all looking forward to our next road trip.
San Luis Obispo Blues Baseball and CAL FIRE Kids!
On Thursday July 14, 2011 the CAL FIRE Kids were able to be “Blues Buddies” for a game! Smokey threw out
the first pitch (excellent pitch by John Conner that made it over the mound!) and the kids had the honor of
taking the field with the players during the National Anthem, having their names announced and meeting
their favorite players! The Bullard Boys excelled at “Dizzy Bat” ~ making their Dad very proud! It was very
fun, the kids and adults really enjoyed it!
Website Information:
www.calfireslo.org
New link added to the CALFIRE “are you ready” website. This site
gives the public detailed information for them to prepare for the
upcoming fire season.
Fire Safe Council
Chipping programs planned throughout the county, check their
website for updates...
Please submit your articles, information,
pictures, etc., to:
Naomi McCormack
635 North Santa Rosa Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Email: Naomi.mccormack@fire.ca.gov
Please submit your Fall 2011 articles to me
for publication by September 1, 2011 ~
Thank you!
WWW.FSCSLO.ORG
MISSION STATEMENT
To serve and safeguard the people and protect the property and resources of San Luis Obispo
County through education preparedness and emergency response.
Vision
The San Luis Obispo County Fire Department will exceed expectations and maintain the highest
standards of preparedness, training, and emergency response.
Core Values
Integrity, Competence, Teamwork, Courage, Commitment
The San Luis Obispo County Benevolent Association provides assistance to employees and their
families during times of financial need. Many families have benefited from their generosity. If
you would like to make a donation to the Association, checks can be mailed to:
San Luis Obispo County Benevolent Association
Post Office Box 3095
Paso Robles, CA 93447
The Benevolent Association is selling Challenge Coins for $10.00 (See full details on page 15)
Proceeds go directly to the CDF/SLO County Firefighter Benevolent Association.