CNF - Prescribed burns continued today on Palomar Mountain

Prescribed burns continued today on Cleveland National Forest

Prescribed burns continue today with 60 acres on Palomar Mountain and 27 acres on Mt. Laguna near the Observatory. pic.twitter.com/jBXlBXwIqm

— Cleveland NF (@ClevelandNF) March 24, 2016

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CA-SCU- Remembering CAL FIRE Firefighter Kirstin Snook #CAFirefighters

CAL FIRE Firefighter Kirstin Snook

Remembering CAL FIRE Firefighter Kirstin Snook

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of CAL FIRE Firefighter Kirstin Snook. Kirstin, 25, of the Summit area, passed away from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while off duty. 

Kirstin had been with CAL FIRE for 1 year working in the Santa Clara Unit as a Fire Fighter 1 as well as a Volunteer Firefighter with the Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Company 36. Kirstin’s lifelong dream was to become a career firefighter and she was working towards that goal. 

Her presence will be deeply missed. Please join us in sending thoughts to her family and her crew as they grieve this tragic loss. Funds donated will assist the family and continue Kirstin’s memory.

DONATE NOW » Charitable hand of Firefighters First Credit Union

https://www.firefamilyfoundation.org/news-events/news/articletype/articleview/articleid/378/remembering-cal-fire-firefighter-kirstin-snook

Troopers say alcohol and/or drugs are not suspected factor in this collision.
If you have any information that can help authorities, call CHP Truckee at 530-582-7570.

California Highway Patrol says a 25-year-old woman has died after being involved in an accident on State Route 89 south near Goose Meadows last Friday. 

Troopers say just after 6:30 p.m., Kristin Snook of Los Gatos was speeding north SR 89 south, while 51-year-old Tony Gurule of Reno was heading south, when for some unknown reason she lost control of her 2006 Toyota and crossed over into median. And that’s when troopers say Gurule collided head-on with Snook’s vehicle. 

As a result of the impact, authorities say Snook’s Toyota went back into the north lane where drivers of three other vehicles hit Snook’s car.

Snook was flown by Care Flight to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno where she later died. Both Gurule and another driver were transported by North Tahoe Fire to Tahoe Forest Hospital for treatment. The other two drivers were not hurt. 

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Tsunami Preparedness Week - Sunday, March 27 – Saturday, April 2 2016

Tsunami Preparedness Week

Man versus Tsunami

 Tsunami Preparedness Week will be recognized on Sunday, March 27 – Saturday, April 2 to coincide with the Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, which occurred on March 27, 1964.

The 1964 earthquake in Alaska registered a 9.2 magnitude. It caused more than $2.3 billion in property loss. Due to the severity of a tsunami, everyone should know how to prepare for an earthquake, and resulting tsunami especially if you live, work, or play on the coast.

Many of the actions to prepare for a tsunami are the same as preparing for other hazards such as developing a family communication plan and creating a disaster supply kit.  

The National Weather Service also provides recommendations to help protect you and your loved ones in case a tsunami ever strikes your community:

• Find out from your local emergency management office if there are evacuation routes identified for your community;
• Plan to evacuate to high ground or inland, away from the coast and outside of the tsunami zone;
• Map out evacuation routes to your safe place from your home, workplace, or other places you visit frequently;
• Practice walking your evacuation routes, including at night and in bad weather; and
• Find out about your children’s school evacuation plans.

Check out the National Weather Service website to learn more about tsunamis and how to protect your family. 

tsu·na·mi

(t)so͞oˈnämē/

noun

1. a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance.

   • an arrival or occurrence of something in overwhelming quantities or amounts.

     "a tsunami of data pours into the CNBC newsroom every minute of every trading day"

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CAL FIRE NEWS: Surge of CAL FIRE Firefighters Hired to Prevent Wildfires Residents Urged to Prepare for Wildfires Now

Surge of CAL FIRE Firefighters Hired to Prevent Wildfires
Residents Urged to Prepare for Wildfires Now

MVU FUEL REDUCTION PROJECT

Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/sets/72157666122688975/

 With spring now taking hold in California, CAL FIRE is already staffing up for fire season, while focusing the efforts of its crews on preventing large and damaging wildfires. Recent rains have been a welcome sight to drought-parched California, but CAL FIRE firefighters are not letting their guard down, instead they are training for another potential busy fire season and working hard to prevent wildfires.

Across the State, CAL FIRE has already hired a surge of over 400 additional seasonal firefighters, whose focus includes fire prevention, fuel reduction and defensible space programs.
“While the winter rain has helped decrease the fire risk in some areas, it has not been enough to end the drought,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE. “The rain is welcome, but it will not revive the millions of trees that have already died due to drought and bark beetle. Our firefighters are taking advantage of the weather and ensuring that we are doing everything we can to prevent the types of wildfires we experienced last year.”

While the additional firefighters are available to respond to wildfires, like the 240 fires that have already occurred since January 1, these firefighters will focus their efforts of fire prevention. The projects the crews are working on range from removing dead trees, creating and maintaining fire breaks, removing dense brush, performing prescribed burning, and assisting homeowners with education on Defensible Space.

While firefighters are busy performing fire prevention projects, it’s critical that residents do their part to prepare for wildfires by maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space around their homes and property. This includes removing weeds and other dead or dying vegetation, limbing up tree branches, and cleaning off leaves and debris from roofs and gutters. For more information on how to create Defensible Space and prepare for fire season, visit ReadyForWildfire.org

Fire Prevention Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/sets/72157666122688975/
PSA (Video): https://youtu.be/YuyuMgXkhU8?list=PLBB35A41FE6D9733F
Public Service Announcement (Audio): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B63s5etyr7jYRUlBekdXWUpaT1E/view?usp=sharing
CONTACT: Daniel Berlant Information Officer (916) 651-FIRE (3473) @CALFIRE_PIO

Super Tanker AT-944 Wheels Down At McClellan Airfield Today #CAFire

Global Supertaker Services 747 AT-944 Wheels Down At McClellan Airfield Today

Air tanker 944 Just rolled into McClellan.

now at Cal Fire Hangar.
Photo credit: Melvin Clouser

The 747 SuperTanker arrived at McClellan Air Field in Sacramento today from Marana, Arizona after a gorgeous new paint job. Bob Soelberg, Senior VP and Program Manager of Global Supertaker, said the retardant delivery system still needs a few tweaks before it can actually drop water or retardant, but they hope to have it ready to fight fire later this year.

The Air Tanker will be on static display for attendees the Aerial Firefighting conference until Wednesday, March 23. [more below]

McClellan Jet Services know McClellan Airfield houses a fire retardant reload base that gets activated when there is a great enough need and a CAL FIRE and USFS firefighting aircraft base

The wildfire season in North America has been a challenging one for all concerned. According to the National Interagency Fire Centre, 6,224,545 acres had been burned by a total of 37,894 fires by 8th August, the second highest in the last decade with the fire season still at National Preparedness Level 4, the second highest level.

It is against this backdrop that the 13th Aerial Firefighting International conference has been officially announced by Tangent Link and will take place during March 2016, returning to its recent US home of Sacramento in California.

Tangent Link has a long-standing commitment to the international aerial firefighting community in the way it has continually brought together governing bodies, institutions and associations, as well as operators and those who are tasked with overcoming wildfires.

Over the two days of conference in March 2016, delegates will hear from several invited US Senators and international aerial firefighting specialists.

The session programme will include presentations on the following issues: civil and military firefighting operations, both nationally and globally; an examination of the latest developments in night vision techniques and the increasing use of unmanned systems; together with an examine of future technologies.

At the conference dinner, The Walt Darran International Aerial Firefighting Award will be presented to recognise the contribution of an individual or organisation who have been judged by a panel of experts to have made a significant contribution to aerial firefighting.

There will be external live demonstrations of aircraft and fire fighting equipment, together with static displays.

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Jurors Consider Case Of Man Who Stabbed Two San Diego Firefighters And Claimed Self-Defense #CAFire

Jurors Deliberating in Calif. Firefighters' Stabbing Case

DANA LITTLEFIELD ON MAR 22, 2016
SOURCE: MCCLATCHY

Suspect in attack on two San Diego firefighters

March 21--SAN DIEGO -- As jurors consider the case of a man who stabbed two San Diego firefighters during an altercation at a trolley station last year, they might be inclined to wonder: Who is Ryan Allen Jones?

Is he, as a prosecutor argued Monday, a violent man who committed a brazen attack on firefighters and trolley security officers who were doing their jobs?

Or was he, as argued by the defense, a Good Samaritan who felt compelled to defend himself to save his own life?

Jones, 35, faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the June 24 incident that injured the two firefighters. He also faces battery charges linked to two Metropolitan Transit System officers who were involved in the scuffle.

Jones has a 2008 conviction for battery on a peace officer, causing injury.

According to the evidence presented in the San Diego Superior Court trial -- including surveillance and body-worn camera video -- the stabbing occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at the trolley station at Park Boulevard and Market Street. The situation began when trolley officers contacted a man who appeared to be highly intoxicated.

Jones testified last week that he saw the officers interacting with the man, and he decided to assist. Video shows the defendant helping the man take a seat on a concrete bench and kneeling in front of him.

Jones said he was trying to calm the man down.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott told the jury in his closing argument that transit security officers asked Jones repeatedly to back off, but he did not comply. At one point, the prosecutor said, even the intoxicated man seemed to get annoyed.

When firefighters arrived, Jones continued to interfere, the prosecutor said. One of them, Capt. Steven Michaels, shoved the defendant, causing him to fall. The altercation continued when Jones stood up again and approached a transit officer standing nearby. The officer threw Jones over a railing.

"He's angry, no doubt about it," Schott told the jury, adding that the defendant kept fighting and was hit with pepper spray when he approached one of the transit officers again.

Jones pulled out a folding knife and said, "What's up now, mother----?" He then swung the blade at two firefighters, hitting Ben Vernon, a firefighter/paramedic, and Alex Wallbrett, who rushed to his partner's aid.

Vernon, then 37, was stabbed twice and received medical treatment for a broken rib and collapsed lung. He was out of work for four months. Wallbrett suffered three stab wounds, one of which was close to his spine.

"That's not somebody scared," the prosecutor said of Jones' comment when he pulled out the knife. "That's somebody trying to kill."

Jones testified that he made the comment because he feared for his life. Already blind in his right eye from a childhood injury, he said he was rendered completely blind temporarily when he was sprayed in the face with pepper spray.

He said he was surrounded and didn't know what would happen next.

"I'm not going to be a statistic," he recalled thinking. "I'm not going to die today."

His lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Thomas Bahr, argued to the jury that what happened the day of the stabbings was not "some brazen act of violence," but a necessary act of self-defense.

The two firefighters attacked and stabbing while responding to a medical call

Bahr said it was the fire captain who instigated the event, a man who had been involved in two domestic violence incidents. The defense attorney said the captain had trouble controlling his temper, and in this case he let it "explode on Mr. Jones."

The jurors started their deliberations Monday afternoon.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com
Copyright 2016 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Jury Awards Fired Vallejo Firefighter $2.3M - $400,000 for Emotional Distress, Rest For Past And Future Wage Loss

Jury Awards Fired Calif. Firefighter $2.3M

IRMA WIDJOJO ON MAR 22, 2016
SOURCE: MCCLATCHY

March 22--A jury awarded a former Vallejo firefighter more than $2.3 million Friday at the end of a nine-week long trial in a case against the city.


Todd Milan, 47, sued the city alleging retaliation in 2013 after his employment was terminated in 2012.


The jury took about two days to deliberate before awarding Milan $2,357,089, $400,000 of which for emotional distress, while the rest is for past and future wage lost, said his lawyer Leslie Levy.


"We were ecstatic (with the verdict)," Levy said. "It vindicated him. The jury found that he had been retaliated against."


The Oakland-based lawyer said Milan's dismissal stemmed from a mobile home fire in 2011 that killed a paraplegic resident and injured the firefighter.


Milan was ready to enter the burning structure at the Olympia of Vallejo mobile home park to rescue the man, when he looked back to see his captain getting ready to go in with him.


"All (the captain) had to do was put on his helmet and gloves," Levy said.


Vallejo firefighters are supposed to enter into a burning structure in pairs, she added.


Milan then went ahead to go into the home after hearing screaming from inside expecting his captain to be seconds behind him.


However, while inside the blazing home, Milan did not see his captain. He then tried to pull the resident out of the bed but had to leave the structure because of a flashover, Levy said.


"He could have died if he didn't leave," she said.


The resident, Jimmy Brown II, 39, was eventually rescued from the house, but later succumbed to his injuries.


Due to the fire, Milan sustained third-degree burns on his hands, second-degree burns to his face and first- and second-degree burns to his back. He was out of duty for about six months.


Following the fire, Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the incident.


Milan was told by his supervisors, including the fire chief at that time, that his story should "match everybody else's," Levy said.


Due to Milan's report, the fire department received a notice of violation by OSHA for the captain not having his gloves at the time for the fire, and for the failure to adhere to the buddy system by Milan and the captain, Levy said.


Milan, who was still an apprentice, was later dismissed after not passing his 30th month examination.


Like all new hires, Milan, who was hired in 2009, had to go through a three-year apprenticeship at the beginning of his career at the Vallejo Fire department.


Levy contends that the chief was using the examination as an excuse to retaliate against Milan for his OSHA reports.


Since then, Milan has been teaching paramedic classes to doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians.


"He wants to go back to the fire service, but he hasn't been hired because of his termination record," Levy said.


Milan was a Silicon Valley salesman when he decided to go into public service in his 30s, and was hired by the Vallejo Fire Department at 41 years old.


The city has 60 days to appeal the case.


"We are very disappointed in the result, and are currently considering our options," said City Attorney Claudia Quintana in an email.


According to the city council meeting agenda, the case is set to be discussed during the closed session Tuesday.


"(Milan) loves the fire service," Levy said. "It saddened him to see the lack of integrity of a few people in the fire department, but he still holds the fire service as a whole in high regard."


Contact Irma Widjojo at 707-553-6835.


Copyright 2016 - Times-Herald, Vallejo, Calif.

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Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy is a strategic push to work collaboratively among all stakeholders and across all landscapes, using best science, to make meaningful progress towards the three goals:

1. Resilient Landscapes
2. Fire Adapted Communities
3. Safe and Effective Wildfire Response

Vision: To safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a nation, to live with wildland fire.

The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (PDF, 3.8 MB) represents the culmination of the three-phased Cohesive Strategy effort initiated in 2009. The National Strategy establishes a national vision for wildland fire management, defines three national goals, describes the wildland fire challenges, identifies opportunities to reduce wildfire risks, and establishes national priorities focused on achieving the national goals.

The National Strategy explores four broad challenges:

1. Managing vegetation and fuels;
2. Protecting homes, communities, and other values at risk;
3. Managing human-caused ignitions; and
4. Effectively and efficiently responding to wildfire.

The Secretaries of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture transmitted the following signed letter to the United States Senate and House of Representatives submitting this document.

• Secretaries Jewell and Vilsack Transmittal Letters to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives (PDF, 500 KB)

The National Strategy press release (PDF, 52 KB)…

The National Action Plan (PDF, 516 KB) is a companion to the National Strategy and supports its implementation. Backed by science, the National Action Plan provides a framework for implementation actions and tasks necessary at various scales.

More Information

• National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Trifold Brochure(PDF, 6.1 MB)
• National Strategy Summary (PDF, 618 KB)
• Science for Wildland Fire Management (PDF, 611 KB)
• The National Strategy Key Messages (PDF, 107 KB)
• The Science Analysis of The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
• Building a Cohesive Strategy - Foundational Documents and Reports
• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 127 KB)

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Community Volunteer: Orange County Fire Authority Hiring Reserve Firefighters #CAFire

The Orange County Fire Authority’s Reserve Program is a community-based program. This program gives members of the community the opportunity to augment full-time career Firefighters with the delivery of emergency fire and rescue services and public relations and education to the community.

Reserve Firefighters volunteer their time to the community solely based on civic and humanitarian reasons. Reserve Firefighters receive a nominal stipend and limited benefits for their voluntary participation in this program. The Reserve Firefighter Program is managed through the Community Volunteer Services Office. 

• Must be at least 18 years of age at time of application submittal
• Must possess a valid California Driver License
• Must live within 10 minutes of a Reserve Fire Station or within 45 minutes of a Reserve Fire Crew Station (Fire Station 18 or 41)
• Must be able to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician License within 18 months of Academy graduation
• Must be able to pass a background check
• Must be of good health and pass OCFA’s physical requirements

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Paris Train Hero's Father Among Three Charged in Sacramento Area Arson For Profit Scheme

Paris Train Hero's Father Among Three Charged in Arson Scheme
by ELIZABETH CHUCK and LAUREN PRINCE

Three people, including the father of France train hero Spencer Stone, are accused of lighting multiple buildings on fire in a scheme that got them more than $1.5 million in insurance money, prosecutors said.

Businessman Jamal Shehadeh, 57, was charged as the ringleader of the Sacramento, California-area ploy, which allegedly entailed setting six commercial buildings on fire from 2009 to 2013, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.

Father of train hero Spencer Stone, 2 others charged in arson fraud scheme https://t.co/jwhnrcJLWX pic.twitter.com/gJY5jHgkWL

— kcranews (@kcranews) March 19, 2016

Stone's father, Brian J. Stone, 57, a business consultant for Shehadeh, helped with the fraudulent insurance claims, prosecutors said. Stone was charged with 13 counts of mail or wire fraud, while Shehadeh faces seven counts of arson and 52 counts of mail and wire fraud.

A third defendant, Saber A. Shehadeh, 73, was charged with three counts of mail fraud.

The defendants cashed in after Jamal Shehadeh set seven fires at six buildings in Sacramento and nearby Carmichael, where he operated businesses, the indictment said.

"Once Jamal Shehadeh knew that insurance policies existed, he deliberately set fires or caused fires to be set that damaged the businesses and at least one vehicle," it said.

He then allegedly lied about the value of the property damaged in the fire and the amount of lost business income.

Defense attorney Benjamin Galloway said in court Friday that Shehadeh denies the allegations, The Associated Press reported.

Brian Stone's attorney, John Manning, argued that his client should be granted bail because he's "not any flight risk whatsoever," according to the Sacramento Bee. But bail was denied.

When contacted by NBC News, Manning said he had no additional comment.

Spencer Stone, a 23-year-old U.S. Airman, was hailed internationally as a hero after he and his friends thwarted a terror attack by tackling a man who was toting an AK-47, a pistol and a box cutter on a Paris-bound train in August while they were on vacation in Europe.

U.S. Airman Spencer Stone during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Paris on Aug. 23, 2015. ETIENNE LAURENT / EPA

The three, all from the Sacramento area, were celebrated with a parade when they returned home. Spencer Stone was also invited by Michelle Obama to attend the State of the Union earlier this year.

He made headlines again in October when he was seriously injured after getting stabbed during a fight outside a Sacramento bar. He spent a week in the hospital recovering.

The younger Stone told the Sacramento Bee he didn't know about his father's charges, adding that he hasn't known what his dad does "for a long time."

Original article: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/paris-train-hero-s-father-among-three-charged-arson-scheme-n541881

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