Wildfire Prevention
by Chief Ben Palm
We have already had many wildfires this year. It is important to keep your grass and overgrowth cut. The March wind has lived up to its reputation, and can cause a fire to spread rapidly. Create defensible space around your home.
Our Fuels Abatement Project has been very successful, thanks to the hard work of Joe Miller, Aaron Casem, Hayden Bartlett, Cody Wilson, Derrick Piper, Bruce Olson and Eric Sparks. We welcome Eric as the newest member at YFD. The abatement will continue through the summer. So far, 80 acres have been cleared. Part of that crew has moved on for the season to work for the Bureau of Land Management. We especially thank Joe Miller and Hayden Bartlett, who have new opportunities and won’t be returning to Yarnell next winter. We wish them all the best.
Just a reminder: the Knox Box Program is available in Yarnell. Here’s the details: a homeowner or business owner may purchase a box containing a key to their premises; the box is placed next to the entry door of the building; If Yarnell Fire needs access to the building, rather than breaking in, we will be able to access the Knox Box with our master key, and retrieve the entry key. For information, please contact us: Chief Ben Palm or Denise Roggio, Admin. 928-427-6578. Visit yarnellfire.org
The Yarnell Fire Training Center is offering another EMT Class beginning Tuesday, May 17th. The cost for the 11 week program is $800 and includes the text book. This is an intensive and comprehensive program to prepare students for the National EMT Exam. We are also offering a class for EMT’s, an IV, Albuterol, Combi/King Tube Certification Class, which will be held on Saturday, April 30th at 8am. The course is one day only, and costs $100. To learn more about our classes, feel free to visit our website: http://yarnellfire.org. Register by calling 928-427-6578.
Congratulations to Denise Roggio, our SAFER Grant Administrator, who earned her Certified Grant Writer® Professional Credential through the American Grant Writers Association. This is beneficial for Denise, our department and the community.
Upcoming events: The Yarnell Memorial Run, Saturday, June 4th. Register online http://yarnellmemorialrun.com. You may also register by mail or in person by visiting the Fire Administration Building. The 19k is a new category this year, and teams are also available. The website has all the details. Please patronize our sponsors!
We are frequently asked about the Granite Mountain Hotshot State Park, which will be located at the incident site. If you ride southbound from Yarnell down Hwy 89, you’ll notice the construction taking place for the parking area and trail head. Officials have set the goal of opening the park by June 30th this year. We will provide more details in the near future.
The mission of Yarnell Fire District is to protect the public – life and property, promote fire safety and awareness, and provide educational services to our residents for their health and welfare. In keeping with that mission, we are instituting a Pre-Disaster Plan; at this time Yarnell’s businesses are being evaluated for such items as construction material, roof type, means of egress and proximity to fire hydrants. This will help us better protect the structures in case of a fire or any disaster. Our goal is to evaluate the residential structures in the near future.
Questions? Contact Chief Palm at 928-427-6578
February 2016 Calls: Total calls 12, EMS calls 3, Public Assists 8, Other 1