On Thursday, September 29, Fire Captain Matt Collins was deployed to the Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Nevada Mountains northeast of Placerville. Captain Collins arrived safely Friday afternoon and joined the team of Firefighters from three different North County Fire Departments that will be supporting fire suppression repair operations in a Rapid Extraction Module (REM). REM is a specialized rescue team intended to extract injured Firefighters, operating in rugged terrain inaccessible by vehicle or helicopter. Suppression repair is often done after high intensity wildland fires to prevent future flooding, mudslides, and rockslides. This work accounts for as many serious injuries to Firefighters as fighting the fire.
On Friday, September 30, Firefighters from Fire Station #2 and Fire Prevention Specialist Robyn Taylor participated in a public education event at Community Lutheran Church and School. September was Good Samaritan month at the school, where the students learned about community helpers. Escondido Fire was one of several “community helpers” groups to visit the school, including the Sheriff’s Office and a local veterinarian.
On Saturday, October 1, Firefighters at Fire Station #1 hosted 15 members of the public for a “Guns and Hoses” event. Those in attendance purchased tickets for the event via raffle or silent auction at various fundraising events during the last year. The group arrived after spending the morning with Escondido Police Officers, lunch at Police and Fire Headquarters followed by firefighting activities at the training tower at Station #1. Participants received a tour of the fire station, orientation to fire apparatus, tools, and equipment, and demonstrations of firefighting techniques. Participants were also able to experience the capabilities of our 100-foot aerial ladder and use tools such as the thermal imaging cameras in a simulated smoke filled environment.
The 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15, 2022.This year’s campaign, Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely. Escape planning and practice is essential in ensuring everyone gets out of a burning house safely. This year, the Escondido Fire Department, along with the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation recently sponsored a poster contest at The Classical Academy in Escondido, to encourage families to develop and practice their home fire escape plan. The winning students were recognized at the City Council meeting on September 28, when Fire Prevention Specialist, Alexandra Vasquez, accepted the Fire Prevention Week Proclamation from Mayor McNamara.
