October 2020 Fire District Newsletter

City of American Canyon, California sent this bulletin at 11/12/2020 09:00 AM PST

October 2020

Chief's Message

Well, we have made it through another month of what seems to have become our 'continuous' Fire Season here in Northern California. Although the recent fires further to the North of us in the Valley did not affect us directly, we still felt the effects locally here in American Canyon. All of us were forced to deal with the smoke, ash, and the anxiety of wondering if we were next? In an effort to reduce the potential threat of a Wildland fire locally, the Fire District, in cooperation with the City of American Canyon, directed our Parks and Rec personnel to restrict the use of Newell Open Space during Red Flag Warning days. I appreciate the close working relationship we here at the Fire District have with city staff to ensure our residents' safety during FIRE SEASON!

Speaking of SAFETY… Let's not forget to keep focused on the IMPORTANCE of controlling the potential SPREAD of COVID-19 in our Community -

Wear a mask in public.
Wash your hands regularly.
Keep at least six feet of physical distance when in public.
Limit mixing with people who don't live with you.

Please follow closely these Public Health directives every day and especially as we approach Thanksgiving and upcoming Holiday Season.

In closing, our overnight temperatures are starting to drop and the need for Home HEATING will start to become more important. Make sure your furnaces and other heating sources have been serviced recently and your filters have been replaced.

Be SAFE, we always see a rash of calls this time of the year related to smoke filled homes caused by ‘closed’ fireplace dampers and dirty furnace filters!

It’s always better to check these out before you flip the switch on your thermostat or ‘light’ a fire in your fireplace!

Thanks again for all of your support and BE SAFE American Canyon.

Mike Cahill
Interim Fire Chief

To ensure that our fire personnel reduce the threat of COVID-19 exposure within the fire station, on-duty personnel have been segregated

Click here for the Monthly Statistical Report for October 2020

‘B’ Shift participated in Urban Search and Rescue training on October 19th. ACFPD crews are continually training to keep their skills up to date.

FILE OF LIFE
On Friday, October 16th, the American Canyon Fire Protection District launched our ‘File of Life’ program. The File of Life is a voluntary program designed to enable Firefighter/Paramedics and other medical personnel to quickly obtain vital information regarding your medical history to support your needs. During an emergency, time is critical, and having this information facilitates a quicker assessment and treatment, leading to a greater level of care.

The File of Life is a refrigerator magnet with an attached pocket containing a form to record your medical history and other vital emergency information. Fill in the information on the card, put it back in the pocket, and place it in a prominent spot on your refrigerator. Your first responders know to look for the File of Life on your refrigerator in the event that you are incapacitated and unable to relay this important information.

The File of Life is also large enough for you to put other critical medical forms into, such as Advanced Directives, POLST forms, and Durable Power of Attorney over Health Care Decisions. It is a goal of the American Canyon Fire Protection District to respectfully carry out your wishes, enabling emergency personnel to do so. Please remember it is important to keep this information current, accurate, and on the refrigerator. Forms can be printed from this link.

HOW TO USE THE FILE OF LIFE

Please fill out the File of Life form completely.
Fold the File of Life form and place it inside the magnetic pouch provided. (Which can be picked up from the Public Safety Building located at 911 Donaldson Way, E, Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm).
Enclose in the pouch a copy of any Advanced Directives (DNR, POLST, Living Will, etc.) that you wish to be followed.
Place the File of Life pouch on the door of your REFRIGERATOR.

The File of Life kit is available free as a public service from the American Canyon Fire Protection District. You may obtain the kit by contacting the American Canyon Fire Protection District at (707) 551-5650 or emailing admin@amcanfire.com

On Friday, October 30^th, our Engine Company crews participated in a touchless, contact-free Drive Thru Trick of Treat event coordinated by the City of American Canyon. While it was a bit different than normal, it still allowed us to see all the great costumes!