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CAL FIRE Fuel Reduction Guide View Guide

PRE-ATTACK MAPS The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District has developed pre-attack maps to provide strategic information during an emergency response with the primary use being wildfires. These maps were utilized during the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 Lightning Complex and are sought after by assisting agencies. These maps show the location of houses and denote if the house has a water source, road, proposed dozer lines/breaks, fire roads, and potential locations where a wildfire can be stopped or slowed. These maps do not contain confidential information.

WILDLAND FUELS CREW The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District formed a “fuels crew” in the Spring of 2018 to perform vegetation management (wildfire “fuels”) using CAL FIRE grant funding. The crew is comprised of part time employees who are primarily volunteer fire fighters and forestry students. The crew operates chain saws and chippers to cut and chip vegetation. The initial work focused on reducing vegetation along private roads and helped stop the spread of the 2019 Kincade Fire along Coyote Ridge Road. Community donations, project sponsorships, and grants have provided funding to keep the fuel crew operational. The fuel crews has completed several fuel reduction projects in its short existence and has evolved into helping with burn piles and prescribed burns. MEET THE CREW Tyson Cummings Crew Foreman Alexander Beorchia Crew Foreman Carla Delgadillo Crew Foreman 1/1 PROJECTS GEYSERVILLE ROADSIDE CLEARANCE GRANT COMPLETED AUGUST 2021 Northern Sonoma County Fire District “Fuels Crew” Completes 42 Miles of Roadside Vegetation Management The Northern Sonoma Fire Protection District (District) obtained a CAL FIRE California Climate Investments Fire Prevention Grant in 2018 to complete the Geyserville Roadside Clearance Project. The Project cut and chipped vegetation along roads to reduce vegetation on approximately 303 acres near Geyserville, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. This Project also led to the creation of the District’s “Fuel Crew” which completed the Project. The Fuels Crew vegetation management work prevented the November 2019 Kincade Fire from advancing across Coyote Ridge Road, reducing the fire threatening additional structures in northeast Geyserville, and supported evacuations and firefighter access during the August 2020 Walbridge Fire. The District believes that a coordinated regional approach to vegetation management will reduce damages from future wildfires and support other land management options such as prescribed burning. The District has prioritized roadside vegetation management for shaded fuelbreaks to decrease the intensity of wildfires that start along a road, provide for evacuations, firefighter access, and to slow or stop an approaching wildfire. The Fuel Crew continues to work 7 days a week completing the vegetation management work funded by additional grants, donations, and contracts for service. The Fuels Crew is primarily composed of Santa Rosa Junior College students. Some members of the Fuels Crew have fire fighter training and this led to the formation of the “Geyser Crew #1” which helped extinguish the 2020 Walbridge Fire. The Geyserville Roadside Clearance Project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov. Contacts: Marshall Turbeville, Chief Northern Sonoma County Fire District, email: mturbeville@nosocofire.com tel: (707) 292-3754

WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS PRESENTATIONS A method to prepare yourself and your neighbors for a wildfire is to work with your neighbors to create a plan to help each other during an emergency, work together on vegetation management, and taking other actions to prepare for an emergency. We can host or attend a neighborhood or community meeting to talk about how neighbors can work together in partnership with the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District. These meetings can be in person or virtual, and are a great way to receive personalized information for your area and have questions answered.

THE GEYSERVILLE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER'S ASSOCIATION (GVFA) The Geyserville Volunteer Firefighters' Association (GVFA) [name update in progress] is made up mostly of current members and a few past members of the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District staff. The GVFA’s primary responsibility is to raise money to buy equipment and supplies to increase the level of service that the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District can provide. The GVFA differs from the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District in that the GFVA is a non-profit organization run by volunteers who raise money through fundraisers. The GVFA is a 501(c)(3) with the federal tax identification number 23-7054738. The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District is a special district that receives a portion of property taxes every year. The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District uses that tax money to run the fire department. The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District's income is limited to the annual tax revenue it receives. The GVFA raises money to support the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District's goal of providing the best level of service possible. Before the Geyserville Fire Department became a fire protection district in 1996, all of the expenses of running the fire department were paid for by the GVFA. Since becoming a fire district the GVFA has been able to spend its money on more than just the basics. Now the GVFA serves the communities of Franz Valley, Knights Valley, Geyserville, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley. The GVFA has purchased rescue equipment and Automated External Defibrillators (used to jump start your heart if it stops). In 2001 the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District opened a fire station on Dry Creek Road. This fire station was paid for by your donations and was built mostly with donated labor. In 2004 the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District took delivery of Engine 6181. The New Fire Engine, which cost $280,000 was paid for by donations to the GVFA. ​ To donate, please mail cash or check to the GVFA, PO Box 1042, Geyserville, CA 95441. Donations are tax deductible. ​ ​ ​

SERVICE AREA MAP MISSION & VALUES HISTORY STAFF BOARD STAFF ​​ ​ FIRE CHIEF Marshall Turbeville August Grube ​ CAPTAINS Joseph Stewart Carlos Mendez James Tovani ​ FIREFIGHTERS Andrew Wallace Erik Padilla Tyler Bowman ​ ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Anneke Turbeville ​ VOLUNTEERS Evan Bradish Tyson Cummings Carla Delgadillo Richard Dilworth David Dunrud, Jr. Ivann Falcon Mark Gradek Bennett Holden Nicholas Langevin John Lilienthal Juan Martinez Chris Munsell Scott Newman Michael Pigoni Robert Pochini Richard Sereni Tony Sinprasert Bryce Turbeville Monica Vanoni Nathan Ziegler ​ ​

LOCKED GATE ENTRY (KNOX) WHAT IS THE KNOX RAPID ENTRY SYSTEM? The Knox Rapid Entry system is a secure emergency access program developed for property owners and fire departments. When a fire breaks out, or there is any emergency, the Knox Box Rapid Entry System allows firefighters and paramedics immediate entry into buildings and property without forced entry damage or delay. Property owners store keys, access cards, gate keys, etc. in high security Knox-Boxes mounted near building entrances. Each Knox-Box purchased by a property owner is keyed to a master key controlled by the Fire Department. In addition to key boxes and vaults, Knox Padlocks and key switches operate the same master key. This allows fire department access to gated communities and storage areas using the same Master key. HOW DOES THE KNOX RAPID ENTRY SYSTEM BENEFIT PROPERTY OWNERS? When an emergency occurs, the Knox Rapid Entry System will allow the Fire Department to spend less time and fewer resources gaining access to your building. This faster access will result in a more rapid control of the emergency situation. This could mean faster fire control or more rapid shut off of a sprinkler system, resulting in less water damage. In addition, the Knox Rapid Entry System allows fire department access without damage to the building. Without this system, the fire department will gain access by forcible entry. This generally results in damage to doors or windows and their associated facings. After forcible entry, it is generally difficult to secure a building again after the emergency has been controlled. Repairs made after a s single forcible entry will likely pay for the purchase and installation of a Knox-Box. With the Knox-Box Rapid Entry System, property owners save in two ways; first, with more rapid control of emergencies and second, with less damage caused by fire department entry. WHY IS THE KNOX RAPID ENTRY SYSTEM REQUIRED? DON’T OTHER COMPANIES MAKE SIMILAR PRODUCTS? Other companies do make similar products. However, any system adopted by a Fire Department must be compatible from one installation to another. Only one master key will be carried on the fire apparatus. This key must operate all lock boxes in the Fire District. To maintain master key security, all companies in this business carefully guard the master key codes. They will not release this information to any other manufacturer or supplier. These security concerns require that one supplier be selected for all installations in the Fire District. The Knox Company was selected for several reasons. Their system has proven reliable in thousands of cities across the nation. They have a variety of products that meet rapid entry and access needs. However the primary reason the Knox Company was selected for the Geyserville Fire Protection was Key security. No other company makes a product similar to the Knox Master Key Retention system. Because we were not willing to compromise the reputation of the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District, we chose the Knox Entry system. WHO IS REQUIRED TO INSTALL THE KNOX BOX? Owners of any structure which contains a fire alarm that uses an automatic dialer to notify the Fire Department, or contains an automatic fire suppression system, or a multi-family residential structure, which includes senior apartments/ condo complexes that have restricted access to the living units. It also includes Commercial and industrial buildings identified by Fire Officials as difficult to access during emergencies. It does not require that the owner place keys to individual living units in the Knox Box, but this is allowed at the owner's discretion. It also does not require that a structure having on-site 24 hour security personnel utilize the system. DOES GEYSERVILLE FIRE MAKE ANY MONEY OFF THE SALES OF THE KNOX BOX? NO. The Fire Department has absolutely no financial interest in the sales of the Knox Company. The only purposes in requiring the Key Lock System is to improve Fire Department Access in emergency situations and to reduce property damage caused by forcible entry. HOW MUCH DOES A KNOX BOX COST? Currently, the cost of a Knox Box is about $215, plus freight. This product is adequate for most key only installations, but The Knox Company has many other products to choose from. WHERE SHOULD MY KNOX BOX BE MOUNTED? Key boxes should be mounted near the main entry door to your building. The Fire Department recommends that the box be mounted on the right hand side of the door, between five and seven feet above the ground. We also realize that this may not be possible in all applications, so we would recommend calling the Fire Department for advice in some situations. HOW DO I LOCK MY KEYS IN THE KNOX BOX? I DID NOT RECEIVE A KEY? ​ Property owners do not receive keys that will open their Knox Box. Any key that will open your Knox Box will also open other Knox Boxes in the Fire District.. For that reason, only the Fire Department has the master key. When your box is mounted and ready to install keys, call the non emergency number at the Fire Department and advise them that you are ready to place keys in your box. An officer from the Fire department will come and place the keys securely in your box. WHAT KEYS NEED TO BE INSTALLED IN MY KNOX BOX? The Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District can assist you with that information. Keys required will vary from one business to another. Usually keys for the exterior doors, and all interior doors which control access to shared systems such as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), Sprinkler systems, Alarm and electrical panels. HOW DO I ORDER A KNOX BOX? It is very simple. Visit Knox Box online and purchase with a credit card. Please note that the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District will not show up as a listed agency. Sonoma County Department of Emergency Service is the agency you choose. Please see our Knox Box Odering bulletin for additional information.