Neighborhood Emergency Communications 

Communication between neighbors and first responders is critical during an emergency, but telephone and cellular infrastructure in our region can be unreliable. Preparing for phone outages should be part of your emergency plan.

GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios can be utilized as a reliable form of communication during outages. Sonoma Public Infrastructure (formerly TPW) and a group called Neighborhood Auxiliary Communication Service (NACS) are developing and standardizing the wide scale use of GMRS radios in this county. Fire agencies are embracing the use of GMRS to reach neighborhoods in their districts. 

This all starts with neighbors coming together to form localized GMRS radio groups, such as the ones in Knights Valley, Franz Valley, Fitch Mountain and the greater Cloverdale area. We have all experienced natural disasters over the last ten years, and know that neighborhood ties are important, especially when help is delayed. Using GMRS radios is the easiest way to check on your neighbors and share information during a disaster. A small amount of knowledge, practice, and inexpensive equipment is all that's needed to get started. More information can be found at the North Bay Communication Cooperative website.

Budget Meeting

The 2024/2025 Final Budget will be approved at our September 19, 2024 board meeting. This is a public meeting, and all are welcome to attend.

Fire Blankets - Do They Really Work?

We wondered if fire blankets really work, and thought you might be wondering too. Our firefighters decided to find out, so we filled a skillet full of flammable liquid and lit it on fire. Once the fire was going strong, we threw a fire blanket on top, and the fire was extinguished.

For a fire to burn, all three elements of the fire triangle must be present: heat, fuel and oxygen. When used correctly, a fire blanket cuts off the supply of oxygen to the fire, smothering it. A fire blanket is made of fire resistant materials woven into a sheet. These materials are designed to withstand high temperatures and prevent a small fire from spreading. Fire blankets are particularly useful for kitchen fires involving grease or oil, and can also be used to extinguish someone’s clothing if it accidentally catches fire. Fire extinguishers are useful for extinguishing these same fires, but leave behind a powder. An advantage of the fire blanket is less cleanup.