Mother Lode Fire Information – Useful Information
Data shows home fires burn hotter, faster than ever: How you can reduce risks here
Flood Concerns
A quick guide about what to do before, during and after floods or Atmospheric River storms is here.
Tips on Managing wells during excessive rain and flooding here in this news story.
Earthquake: Practice and Prepare
Practice DROP, COVER and HOLD ON with all members of your household. Doorways are no stronger than any other part of a structure so don’t rely on them for protection! During an earthquake, get under a sturdy piece of furniture and hold on. more info here.
Useful Links
There are now many resources available to assist property owners, including a number of Web sites with excellent information on fire-resistant building materials, landscaping techniques, evacuation procedures, etc. We know you will find these links very useful.
Disaster Preparedness Before, During and After A Flood
In the event of flooding there are several things you can do to prepare, minimize the damage and stay safe after the water recedes.
Disaster Preparedness for Dog and Cat Owners
In the event of an evacuation, pets may not be allowed inside human emergency shelters. Determine the best place to leave your pet in case of a disaster. Identify an off-site location as well as a place in your home. Dogs and cats should always wear properly fitting collars, personal identification, rabies, and license tags.
Disaster Preparedness for Horse Owners
Determine the best place for animal confinement in case of a disaster. Find alternate water sources in case power is lost and pumps are not working or have a hand pump installed. You should have a minimum of three days feed and water on hand.
Family Evacuation Checklist
Create a family disaster plan to include any major emergency that may occur and make a list of things to do and take in the event of an evacuation. Here you will find seventeen steps from simply creating a family disaster plan to registering your evacuation location with the emergency shelter in the area.
FCC/FEMA Tips for Communicating During an Emergency
Here you will find eleven tips that the FCC and FEMA recommend for Communicating During an Emergency.
California Firesafe Council
The California Fire Safe Council’s mission is to be California’s leader in community wildfire risk reduction and resiliency.
The California Fire Safe Council (CFSC), a California non-profit corporation, was first formed as a project of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) in 1993.
The Council brings together community leaders, governmental agencies, and corporations to provide education to the residents of California on the dangers of wildfires and how they could be prevented. The Council has distributed fire prevention education materials to industry leaders and their constituents, evaluated legislation pertaining to fire safety and empowered grassroots organizations to spearhead fire safety programs. California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) became a non-profit corporation and received its non-profit, 501c3 tax-exempt status in 2002.
For more information visit California Fire Safe Council
History of Firefighting
The Romans In recorded historical times, First Century Romans were the first known civilization to have a paid fire department. It consisted of about 7,000 fire fighters, who not only doused fires, but were also empowered with authority to police the streets in order to punish those who violated their fire prevention codes. An inventor by the name of Ctesibius devised the first known fire pump around 200 B.C. but the idea was lost, ironically, in the burning of Alexandria, Ctesibius’ home city. It wasn’t until A.D. 1500 that the fire pump was again re-invented. For many years throughout Europe and the American colonies fire-fighting equipment was extremely elementary, and not very effective. The Great London fire of 1666, which burned for 4 days and destroyed the city, encouraged the advancement of fire fighting by the invention of a two-person operated piston pump that was moved about fairly easily on wheels.
New World Fire Inspectors In 1648 Peter Stuyvesant, Governor of New Amsterdam (Now known as New York City) pioneered fire prevention for the New World by appointing fire inspectors with the power to impose fines for fire code violations, an idea he unknowingly copied from the Romans. In 1653 Boston had its first “great fire,” after which it adopted a fire code. A subsequent great fire in 1679 destroyed the dockyard, warehouses, and 150 houses prompting them to import one of the early fire engines, a ten-person pump that was created by English inventor Richard Newsham. It wasn’t until 1743 that Thomas Lote constructed the first fire engine to be manufactured in the America’s.
Steam In 1829 a steam-powered fire engine was invented, but fire fighters of the day were reluctant to accept it. In 1841, a self-propelled fire engine was invented, financed by a group of insurance companies. It was scoffed at by the firefighters of the time, who refused to use it. Finally, the insurance companies were forced to concede that the project was a failure. Eventually there was such an outcry by the public in Cincinnati, Ohio, that the fire fighters there were forced to adopt its use.
Ladder Wagons The first ladder wagon’s appeared in 1870 and the hose elevator was put in use around 1871. Gasoline engines were at first used either as pumping engines or as tractors to pull other apparatus. Eventually the two functions were combined, with one engine both propelling the truck and driving the pump. In modern times, equipment is most often diesel powered and has become extremely diverse and versatile, with many variations on the basic fire engine design. This enables firefighters to respond to many types of emergency situations with appropriate equipment at hand.
