The meeting will be held at the Administrative Building at 2:00 pm.

If you are doing agricultural burning,  (permitted or non-permitted) please call the Dept of Ecology at (509) 575-2490 and 1800-406-5322.

There is no Residential Burning allowed in the Urban Growth area or  Wenatchee city limits

A map of the Urban Growth Boundaries can be found at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/aginfo/ugamaps.htm

Key points to remember for areas that you are allowed to burn in, which are outside of the urban growth area:

• Residential Burning is not allowed within the city limits or urban growth boundaries.

• If smoke from your fire affects your neighbor, you must put out your fire.

• No fires are allowed within 50 feet of structures.

• You can only burn natural vegetation.

• Burn piles must be 4’x4’x3’ in size, one pile at a time.

• No burning after sunset.

• Burn barrels are illegal

In this Website, CLICK ON Community, then Urban Burn Restrictions

to learn more information about outdoor burning.

STATION 11 - 206 EASY STREET

Join Our Team!  If you have an interest in serving your community by becoming a Volunteer Firefighter or if your Career goal is Firefighting, becoming a Volunteer Firefighter is a great way to get the training and experience you need.  We are currently accepting applications for the January recruit. Chelan County Fire District 1′s Recruit Academy begins January 2011. Not only can you join our team by becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, but there are numerous other ways to get involved at Chelan County Fire District 1. Our Support Division provides a number of support functions to the department and the community that do  not involve firefighting or other emergency services. Public Education/Fire Prevention, Logistical Support during emergencies, and IT Support functions are all necessary components of our Volunteer structure.  To learn more about our program and the personal rewards this may offer you, please call Assistant Chief Gerry Speck at 662-4734 or click on the contact us button on the website.

Preparedness starts with YOU! Everyone should:

1. Have an emergency supply kit.
2. Make a family escape plan.
3. Be informed about the types of emergencies that can happen in your community and how your family will respond.

Each person’s needs and abilities are unique but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies – including fire emergencies – and put plans in place.

Prepare for a Fire Emergency

In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become engulfed in flames. By preparing for a fire emergency, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a fire casualty.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. For extra safety, install smoke alarms both inside and outside sleeping areas.
• Test your smoke alarms once a month and change the batteries at least once a year.
• Replace smoke alarms every 8-10 years or as the manufacturer guidelines recommend.
• Plan your escape from fire. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room.
• Practice fire escape plans several times a year. Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.
• Purchase only collapsible escape ladders evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
• Check that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly, and that security bars can be properly opened.
• Make sure everyone in your family understands and practices how to properly operate and open locked or barred doors and windows.
• Consider installing residential fire sprinklers in your home.

US Fire Administration

Firefighters attending joint training. (Cary Ulrich Photo)

For several months the three valley fire departments have been participating in joint training. July was no different for Chelan County Fire District #1, Douglas County Fire District # 2 and Wenatchee Fire Department. Career and volunteer staff met at Walla Walla Park for Water Rescue Training. During the week of July 18th- 21st over seventy members participated in the training which included still and rapid water rescue techniques.

Assistant Chief Cecil McKinney, CCFD#1 and Captain Bruce Hosfeld, WFD conducted the trainings for the career firefighters during their assigned duty shifts and for volunteers on Tuesday evening.

Rapid water rescue techniques were explained and demonstrated by Assistant Chief McKinney. He explained the importance of the use of a Personal Floatation Device (PFD) while attempting a rescue from the shore. One should always be worn when you are ten feet or closer to the water. Rescuers do not need to become victims. Several tools to assist the rescuer included the rope bag and rescue pole.. Tossing a rope bag and pulling a victim to shore was demonstrated. Standing on a bridge and using a fire hose held over the side to catch a victim as he floats under the bridge was demonstrated.

Captain Hosfeld explained how to pinpoint the last location a victim was seen in the water. He advised that the Rescue Swimmer program was started at Wenatchee Fire about ten years ago after several drownings and near drownings in the Columbia River. The swimmers work in pairs and search a grid pattern to locate the victim. They use a paddle board attached to a rope with a spotter on the shore . They rely on information given to a command officer on shore by a witness to start searching in the vicinity the victim was last seen.

McKinney advised that CCFD and DCFD do not have rescue swimmers but the training will enable their departments to assist the WFD rescue swimmers in locating victims. The Use of the other rescue techniques will prove valuable if swimmers are not available or the water is fast moving.

I want to thank each and every person who has supported and encouraged our family during this very difficult time.

The loss of a loved one is always heartbreaking, but hearing from many people how my husband Garet touched their lives as a firefighter and as a person has helped my family get through this.

I would like to recognize the members of Chelan County Fire District 1 and other supporting agencies, the community, my family, and our friends for all they have done to honor Garet.

Again, please accept my heartfelt thanks.

Sincerely,

Allyson Rasmussen

Thank you again for your outstanding support and acts of kindness while we mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Battalion Chief Garet Rasmussen.

On Saturday, June 18, at 1:00 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center we will hold the memorial for our fallen brother. The ceremony will include a large procession of emergency vehicles. This procession will interrupt travel for many motorists as it moves through town, and we apologize and appreciate your consideration for any inconvenience this may cause.

We hope you understand this procession is a demonstration of our respect and honor of Garet, and our support of Garet’s family.

Mike Burnett
Chief
Chelan County Fire District 1

Did you know that 50 percent of child fire deaths affect those under the age of 5? Escaping from a fire can be difficult for very young children because they generally lack the motor skills and mental capabilities needed to quickly escape a burning building. The U.S. Fire Administration provides fire prevention information to teach children and their caregivers about the dangers of fire. Protect your kids: install and maintain smoke alarms and residential sprinklers and practice home fire escape plans to ensure your children will be safe if a fire were to start in your home.

Children and Fire: Life Saving Tips

Young children are not able to sense danger in the same way as adults. They have a very limited ability to react quickly and properly in an emergency situation as well as little control over their environment. This increases their risk of death and injury in a fire.

• Keep matches, lighters and other items used for ignition in a secured drawer or cabinet out of the reach of children.
• Teach you children to tell you when they find matches and lighters.
• Always dress children in pajamas that meet Federal flammability standards. Avoid dressing children for sleep in loose-fitting, 100% cotton garments, such as oversized t-shirts.
• Teach children not to hide from firefighters, but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.
• Show children how to crawl low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and stay out.
• Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if clothes catch fire.
• Develop and practice a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside. Get out and stay out.
• Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm.
• Replace mattresses made prior to the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
• Check under beds and in closets for burnt matches, evidence your child may be playing with fire.

WA State Department of Ecology provides the following information, rules & regulations:

Outdoor burning is banned in all Urban Growth Areas of Washington State.

Not sure if you are in an Urban Growth area?

Visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/aginfo/ugamaps.htm for maps of Washington’s Urban Growth Areas.

If burning yard waste is banned in your area, or if you choose not to burn for health reasons, there are plenty of other ways to dispose of yard waste. These include:

• Chipping
• Composting
• Curbside pickup
• Community-wide or neighborhood cleanup days
• Taking your yard waste to a landfill

More information about outdoor burning is available online at:

www.ecy.wa.gov/BreatheTheDifference or by calling (509)575-2490

Things you should know before you do any outdoor burning:

• Burning in a burn barrel is illegal everywhere in Washington.
• You can burn only natural vegetation.
• If smoke from your fire affects your neighbor, you must put out your fire.
• Burning is not the only way to get rid of natural vegetation. Consider composting and chipping.
• Call and follow the Burn Day hotline, 1 800-406-5322.
• Where burning is allowed, your burn pile must be less than 4’x4’x3’ and you may burn only one pile at a time.
• Do not leave your fire unattended.
• No residential fires are allowed within 500 feet of forest slash.
• No fires are allowed within 50 feet of structures.
• You can’t burn materials hauled from another property in your fire.
• No outdoor fires are allowed when air pollution levels are unhealthy.
• No burning is allowed after sunset, unless your permit specifically allows it.
• Always check with your local fire department for permit and safety requirements before you light any outdoor fire.
• If you see someone you think is burning illegally, or if the smoke from someone’s fire is bothering you, call Ecology’s toll-free complaint line at 1-866-211-6284