Do you feel the heat?
Summer is still “officially” a month away, yet fire season has arrived well ahead of schedule. To date there have been over 500 more fires statewide compared to the same time last year. We have already experienced a “Red Flag” warning here in the Bay Area. Two weeks ago we dispatched personnel and equipment to fires in Ventura County. This early start has us concerned about what lies ahead. With very little rainfall having occurred during this last winter, coupled with several years of average or less than average rainfall, we find current conditions equal to what we normally see in late September. Net/net: the potential for a significant wildland fire in Mill Valley has always been of concern and this year is no exception. Lesson: be prepared. Here are some of the things Fire Chief Davidson’s team is doing for the City:
· Coordinating with the County mutual aid system to support initial response to any local fire;
· Conducting wildland fire refresher training – and physicals - for all personnel;
· Protective equipment for all personnel has been inspected and certified for the season;
· Seasonal fire safety messaging is ongoing;
· Our annual “Weed Abatement Inspection Program” began May 1st. Fire Department personnel have started inspections of homes in the high-hazard areas for compliance with City of Mill Valley Title 15 and California Fire Code requirements for vegetation management;
· We began our annual maintenance on the Camino Alto Grade. This is a cooperative project with the Fire Department, Mill Valley Public Works and the Marin County Open Space District;
· Sample vegetation management plans have been posted on the Fire Department page on the City web site to assist contractors, developers, architects and homeowners to develop vegetation management plans for their homes;
· We continue our dialog with the Marin County Open Space District regarding maintaining and improving fire safety on lands owned by the Open Space District that are within the limits of the City of Mill Valley or immediately adjacent our city limits.
WE NEED YOU to join us in preparing. Here are some tips:
· Maintain “Defensible Space” around your home; clear flammable and combustible vegetation around structures, road and property lines;
· Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters;
· Trim branches ten feet from the ground;
· Use trimming, mowing and power equipment before 10 am;
· Use ignition and fire resistive plants and landscaping around homes and on properties;
· Use fire ignition resistant building materials on your home.
Fire Department staff is always available to conduct site assessments to assist property owners with determining what steps they can take to create defensible space on their property and around their home. Additional information on preparing for wildfires can also be found on the following web sites:
· City of Mill Valley at www.cityofmillvalley.org. Visit the Fire Department and Emergency Preparedness Commission pages for tips on how to prepare;
· Ready, Set, Go Marin at www.readysetgomarin.org for information on what to do before and during a wildland fire;
· Take a “Get Ready” – there’s even one this week (Tuesday at 7 PM at the Community Center). This is a free class sponsored by the Mill Valley and Southern Marin Fire Departments that teaches you how to prepare your home and family for all types of emergencies. To sign up call 380-1105;
· Have a family safety plan in place; know where to meet up with loved ones in the event a sudden evacuation occurs.
Thank you for being prepared.
What else . . .
Community Oriented Policing of our Environment: As you know, I an ruthless about reminding ourselves that we are all in this together and need to get along. One way to do that is to help us protect the environment by reporting suspicious stuff. So what do you do if you see something dumped into a creek? If it’s during the workday you should call the Department of Public Works at 388-4033; if it’s after hours, then you should call the Police Department at 389-4100. When reporting a creek problem, try to have the following information handy: time, location, and description of what you saw. The City is committed to protecting our precious natural resources and we need all the help we can get in meeting this important goal.
About town:
· Planning Commission Meeting: Tuesday at 7 PM at City Hall
· At the library:
Tuesday:
- World Literature Book Club: The Leopard by Giussepe Di Lampedusa, Tuesday at 7 PM in the conference room
- Computer Class: Technology for Healthy Living - Apps, Devices and More! 7 PM in the Creekside Room. Register here: Computer Class
Wednesday:
- Computer Class: Create Music with GarageBand. Wednesday at 7 PM in the Creekside Room. Register here: Rock On!!
Thursday:
· General Plan Advisory Committee: Thursday at 630 PM at City Hall- Film Screening: The Dipsea Movie Documentary – 730 PM in the Creekside Room. This is a documentary film about Mill Valley’s historic Dipsea Race. Filmmaker Sam Lueck will introduce the film and be available for Q&A.
· Councilmember on the Plaza – Saturday from 10-noon at The Depot Plaza.
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Thanks, as always, for reading. Enjoy a safe, healthy Memorial Day, and I’ll see you at the Parade on Monday!
Andy