Mar 20, 1980
Dinner Committee for April: Virgil Mortensen, Don McCoy, Don Palmer, Eric Palmer, Mike Polka.
Assuming it doesn't rain, training in April will include hoselays up ladders to the roof of the Courthouse on April 2, and relay pumping in the Straight Stretch area on April 16. Future training plans include a CPR class, a simulated fire/evacuation at the hospital, radio communications training, a house burn, and maybe even a disaster exercise. Also, as usual, there will be wildland fire suppression practice as soon as things dry out, and some oil school work parties.
The Lewiston Fire Department is planning a 2-day vehicle extrication course, probably for MAy 17-18. The sessions will be conducted by Shasta College and should provide some very valuable hands-on experience.
The Oil Fire School will be June 13-14, that is, if we can get more fuel and a place to put it. A 14,000-gaallon tank has been loaned by the Public Works Department, but we need to prepare a place for it and mount it on about a 6-inch slab. And obtaining fuel is a problem. Assuming all goes well, John White (Shasta College) will be in charge of the Friday night program and the Saturday fireground activities.
A series of minor earthquakes lately has been caausing the unstable Station 1 to shift around on its so-called foundations, and, of all the rotten luck, one of the wiggles conincided with the return of Training/Safety Officer McMillan and Engine 5 from a Saturday training session. The building hopped sideways, the door trim losing a short but violent battle with 5's ladders. The next day, without warning, another tremor struck as Captain Roszell was responding his engine to a smokey flue fire. With no regard whatsoever for the public safety, the shakey building took a leap toward Weaver Bally, nicking a suction hose coupling. This time the building won.
Let the Station 2 crowd try to come up with an excuse like that! They couldn't get one of the building's apparatus doors shut-- two feet from the floor and it would go no lower. Four or five of them jumped up and down on the thing to no avail. They checked thee mechanism-- in perfect working order. In desperation, they called thee Chief (who, it sould be noted, in all fairness, is also an East Weaverite). With his extensive fire command experience, it took the Chief no time at all to find the bucket sitting under one corner of the door.
Alarms: #28. Flue fire, Weeks Lane. (Interestingly, only one engine responds but 9 firemen are on the scene.) #29. Reported vehicle fire on Ridgetop Drive, but its only radiator steam. #30. Flue fire, Garden Gulch Road. (One engine responds, 8 firefighters on the scene!) #31. Furnace fire, Mountain View Road, out on arrival. (Two engines respond, but somehow 14 firefighters are present on the scene.) #32. 183 responds to what turns out to be a controlled vegetation fire on Vitzum Grade. #33. Flue fire, Waterworks Street, occurring during our dinner meeting. #34. Alarm malfunction at the hospital. #35. Flue fire, East Weaver Road. #36. 183 responds to a fully-involved house fire on Little Brown's Creek. (Somehow 7 firefighters show up at this out-of-district call.) Captain Roszell finds religion when he is greeted by a rifle aimed between his eyes. The holder of the weapon (also apparently the torch, also apparently the owner of the house) is hauled off to jail but is soon out on bail. #37. Captain Palmer extricates a log from a fireplace on Mill Street. #38. During a non-emergency firephone call, the horn is blown by mistake.
Siren's Song: All Sirens are reminded of the next meeting, Tuesday April 29, 7:30 pm at Station 1. Appreciation is expressed to Charlie Downen, Paul Schmidt, Gerard and Dale Kaz, Becky Helsley, Joan Berrien, and Kathy Sumpter for their fine work in connection with the baby-sitter's class held earlier this month.
News Shorts! Still no definite word on whether the Oil Fire School is go or no-go. The Chief reports some fuel may be forthcoming. Treasurer Mortensen suggests we have a Wood Fire School.*** Commissioner Brown reports that our chances fof getting ground for a new fire station are actually improving.*** The Fire District has made an $18,500 annual payment on Engine 5.*** The District has received $9,000 from the County's 'augmentation fund', which helps delay the effects of Proposition 13. Other special districts in the County received the $21,000 remainder.*** Rescue 15's clutch problem turned out to be minor and has been repaired. Its seat has been re-upholstered.*** At the April Officer's Meeting, it was decided that any District money that becomes available for new equipment should go to: (1) safety equipment, (2) communications gear, and (3)"tune-ups" for our air paks, in that order.*** Last summer we came very close to beating 3 paid departments in the First Annual Interdepartmental Softball competition. The Second Annual game is scheduled for June 28. Sign up on the list at Station 1 -- more people are needed. Crutches will be provided by Captains Miller and Roszell.*** Keep in mind the Fireman's West Coast Muster, July 19 and 20.
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Notes:
- In the years around 1980, there were two regular drills per month, on the 1st & 3rd wednesdays.
- 'Station 1', at that time, was a 2-story unreinforced block structure perched on fill over a culvert, thru which Garden Gulch flowed. See http://wfdca.org/Gallery/History/fullsize/OldSta2.jpg. It was located across Garden Gulch Street from the Courthouse. Compared to the new station, the apparatus doors were quite narrow.
- 'Engine 5' is the present '2112'.
- Jim Roszell was a long-time active member of the Department, serving as Captain and Foreman. (Foreman was an elected position. The Foreman was in charge of department business, and was 3rd in the Chain of Command, behind Chief and Assistant Chief.)
- Station 2, at the time, housed two active engines. Dick Berrien was Chief.
- '183' was the OES engine assigned to WFD.
- The 'babysitter's class' likely references training for babysitters on dealing with emergencies. Charlie Downen was a Sheriff's Lieutenant/Captain/Undersheriff-i-think for many years. Paul Schmidt at the time was likely a Sheriff's Sergeant, later Trinity County Sheriff. Becky Helsey was/is wife of WFD Captain-turned-Commissioner Larry Helsley. Gerard Kaz served as WFD Foreman; he & wife Dale operated The Brewery, a restaurant in the historic Brewery building on Main St across from Oregon St. Joan Berrien, Dick's wife. Kathy Sumpter, wife of CDF Captain Tom.
- As i recall, both Danny Miller and Jim Roszell broke legs in the previous year's games. (Either that, or one broke a leg in a game, the other a leg in some non-game incident at about the same time.)