THESE ARE BRIEF VERSIONS OF SOME OF OUR PAST NEWS STORIES:

Chimney fires are caused when debris, resin, creosote and other chemicals build up over time and then ignite when homeowners use their fireplaces for the first time. These fires are easily prevented by maintaining a clean chimney.

Oracle Fire Department receives $24K grant to create community fuel break! This grant has allowed OFD to create a mile-long leg, 132-foot-wide fuel break that extends from Mt. Lemmon Rd. heading north past the transfer station. The area borders Oracle State Park and homes along Blazing Star Rd. It is part of an 18-mile long community fuel break. The area was previously covered with dense vegetation and trees which posed a severe fire hazard. “It was so thick, you couldn’t walk through it.” OFD working with the Arizona State Forestry Division and their Wildland Fire Crew from the Arizona Department of Corrections, were able to clear the vegetation and build the fuel break.

THE AUTO-DIALER – Auto-Dialer Systems are similar to Reverse 911 systems in that they use a combination of database and GIS mapping technologies to deliver outbound notifications. Users can quickly target a precise geographic area and saturate it with thousands of calls per hour. The OFD Auto Dialer is up and running with several people trained to use it in case of emergency.
The Auto-Dialer (reverse 911) could also be used for notifying people in case of evacuations. Do we have all your contact information? If you wish your cell phone number to be included in this list, stop by the station to sign up or find out more about it. You can also click HERE to print out the form to bring in.

Dense Fog Tips – Avoid travel if possible. Drive very slowly with dipped headlights, full-beam lights reflect off the fog causing a ‘white wall’ effect. Keep an eye on your speed, fog can give the illusion of moving in slow motion. Use fog lights if you have them, but remember to turn them off when the visibility improves. Don’t hang on the tail lights of the car in front, rear lights can give a false sense of security. Watch out for freezing fog which is made of water droplets that freeze on contact with objects such as the pavement, road, car, etc. It can quickly form a layer of ice. Be aware that "black ice" may be on the road.

THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY DINNER – Thanks to everyone that contributed and volunteered to the Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 22nd sponsored by Oracle CERTs and Firewise Board. We could not have done it without this great effort by so many people. FYI: We cooked 13 turkeys and prepared seven hams. We estimate we fed approx. 450 people (a record)! There were 54 home deliveries (primarily home-bound individuals) and the remainder either dine-in or take-outs.

SNAKES – Click HERE for some advice on rattlers that is very informative.

KIDS MURAL – Mountain Health and Wellness held a ceremony on Sat., Nov. 19th to unveil a new mural done by a group of kids who donated their time and talent to paint on the back side of the old fire station on Mount Lemmon Hwy. We especially enjoy the fire engine and the cat rescue pictures.
Pictured right to left are: Firefighter Tyler McGovern, Captain Robert Jennings, Firefighter Tina Acosta, Firefighter Brent Frost, Firefighter Jared Ortiz and Battalion Chief Larry Southard.

Oracle CERTs attended a Safety Fair in Casa Grande on October 28th. Many public safety agencies were on hand to provide important safety information to the attendees. CERTs in the picture are getting ready to listen to Frank Duarte of Tucson Police Department. Duarte was the Incident Commander at the Jan. 8th shooting near Ina and Oracle Road.

HIGHWAY 77 CLEANUP – The Oracle Firewise Board and CERT team with the help of some Explorers cleaned up Highway 77 between Mile Marker 101 and 102 for the third time on Saturday, Sept. 17th as part of the ADOT Adopt a Highway program. A sign is up for our part of the highway. Click HERE or on the photo below to see more images.

Emergency Guide – Check out this great website on disaster preparedness for hurricanes or whatever happens our way. It has three parts: Get a Kit / Make a Plan / Be Informed. All kinds of advice for the situation you may be in. Click HERE or go to this site for more information: http://www.ready.gov/america/

Click HERE for the most recent Incident Command Center information on all Arizona wildfires.

ARE YOU ON THE AUTO DIALER? Be sure the OFD numbers are not blocked in case you get a call. The phone numbers are listed with Qwest as Oracle Fire Department and Oracle Volunteer Fire Company. The actual phone numbers are 896-9385 and 896-2357. The auto-dialer toggles between the two numbers in order to make more calls in a shorter period of time.

CERTs: The CERT team (Community Emergency Response Team) is trained in first aid, safety procedures, incident assistance, and other venues that help the fire dept. and the community in an emergency. They may help in the office or other non-hazardous tasks. Ongoing classes and training are held often.

SCORPIONS – Many stings do not require special treatment but sometimes they require fast and expert medical care. Click HERE or on the photo of the bark scorpion below to get more information.

DUST STORMS – It seems to be happening more often. When a big wind blows across a dry desert, there is no way around a big dust storm, haboob, whatever you want to call it. News stories predict a hotter, drier, and dustier future for the "Southwest Dust Bowl." Click HERE to read more about this condition from the Arizona Daily Star.
• If you see a dust storm in the road ahead, exit the interstate and wait for the storm to pass.
• If you are caught in a dust storm, turn on your lights and slow down. Stopping on the roadway could hurt you and others.
• If you decide to stop, pull completely off the road, turn your lights off and take your foot off the brake.
• Have emergency items such as food and water in your car in case you are stranded a long time.

9/11 Memorial – Click HERE if you would like to see a photo gallery of the 9/11 memorial in New York that just opened to the public.

Arizona fires in 2011 – (Sept. 5, 2011) Fires have burned more than 1 million acres of Arizona forest and grassland this year. They have burned in every month of the year, including this one.
There are fires burning now in the Kaibab, Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves forests, and in Grand Canyon National Park. There is even a small fire in the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson.
"The thing about Arizona is we have fires year-round," said Cam Hunter, spokeswoman for the State Forestry division. Arizona fires reported to the Southwest Coordination Center as of Aug. 31 totaled 1,008,753 acres. That total does not include current fires, which range from 3 to 2,200 acres. All were lightning-caused and are being managed for "resource benefit," burning mostly along the ground and clearing out accumulations of dead wood, brush, leaves and pine needles. Monsoon moisture makes it possible to simply monitor the fires this time of year, rather than actively fight them.
The real destruction came during Arizona's dry summer, and most of it hit the eastern and southeastern areas of the state. Wind pushed the 538,049-acre Wallow Fire across the Apache Forest on the eastern edge of the White Mountains and into New Mexico.
The Horseshoe 2 Fire burned most of the Chiricahua Mountains in the state's southeast corner and the Monument Fire burned through the canyons of the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista.
All burned in areas listed throughout the summer as being in severe, extreme or exceptional drought - classifications that cover nearly all of neighboring NM, where 1,098,186 acres burned this year. Drought also created conditions for record fire seasons across the southern United States. In Texas, more than 3.5 million acres have burned and 14 large fires are currently being fought, according to the Texas Forest Service.
Arizona's largest fires in 2011:
Wallow - 538,049 acres / Horseshoe 2 Fire - 222,954 acres / Murphy Complex - 68,079 acres /
Monument Fire - 30,526 acres

Wallow Fire update – A Tucson man and his cousin have been charged with starting the Wallow Fire - the largest wildfire in state history. The Wallow Fire started May 29 and destroyed 32 homes, four commercial structures and 36 outbuildings. David Wayne Malboeuf, 24, of Tucson and Caleb Joshua Malboeuf, 26, of Benson, are each charged with causing timber to burn, leaving a fire unattended and unextinguished, leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it, causing and failing to maintain control of a fire and building a campfire without removing all flammable material from around the campfire adequate to prevent its escape. The cousins are scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff on September 19. It cost over $79 million to fight the Wallow Fire, which charred more than 538,000 acres in Arizona and part of Western New Mexico before it was contained.

THANKS FOR THE BATTERIES – OFD recently received a number of AA and AAA Duracell batteries, thanks to a donation of the National Volunteer Fire Council and Duracell from their "Power to those Who Protect Us" battery donation program.

Annual OFD Picnic – Saturday, Aug. 13th was the Annual Oracle Fire Dept. Picnic at Oracle Park. A good time was had by all with excellent weather, horseshoes, croquet, good food and even better company. Click HERE or on the photo below to see more pics.

A walk through woods shows the need for more thinning, deliberate fires – Click HERE to read the full article.

Fire strategy helped save 2 towns – The thinned swaths of forest that stood between two Arizona towns and the advancing Wallow Fire did not stop the blaze. The selective logging and clearing did, however, change the behavior of an inferno that was leaping treetop-to-treetop. Click HERE to read the full article.
Interested in seeing photos from the Wallow Fire? Click HERE.

Bravo! – 8/10/11 – We received a call for a rattlesnake removal. The lady in the chair sat down and unknowingly put her feet right on it. She felt the snake and it rattled, but did not strike. She slowly put her feet up and decided not to move while her friend called the fire department. Using two sets of snake tongs, our firefighters grabbed the snake and pulled it away from her. The snake was very angry and bit the tongs several times. She has to be the bravest lady in Arizona to be sitting there and smiling. Also the luckiest!

WE GOT RAIN – and as a result, we were able to get rid of the HUGE piles of brush at the Brush Disposal Site. Click HERE to see a series of photos that showed what we did.

FIGHTING WILDFIRES WITH COMPUTERS AND INTUITION: Check out the recent interesting article in The New York TImes on wildfires in Arizona. Click HERE to read the article.

The Myths and Facts Of Fire - a 5-min. video from Arizona Illustrated (6/17/11) with Don Falk, an associate professor in the U A School of Natural Resources and the Environment, discusses fire ecology and restoration ecology. He has for decades focused his research on fire history, fire ecology and restoration ecology of the Southwest. Falk says extensive fires in the West have been part of the natural landscape for ages and play a vital role in those areas.
Click HERE to watch this excellent video.

HIGHWAY 77 CLEANUP – The Oracle Firewise Board and CERT team cleaned up Highway 77 between Mile Marker 101 and 102 for the second time on Saturday, April 30th as part of the ADOT Adopt a Highway program. A sign is up for our part of the highway. Click HERE to see some images of the event.

EXTRICATION DRILL – OFD Fire, Oracle CERTs, and Explorers as well as Mammoth Fire, San Manuel Fire, Life Net 2, Native Air 17, and UPH joined together on April 10th for an Extrication Drill in San Manuel. The purpose of the drill was to build relations amongst the agencies and to learn new techniques in Extrication for new people just joining from the different agencies. VIDEOS and SLIDE SHOW can be seen by going to Copper Basin News. Thanks to John Hernandez of the Miner for taking these photos. Click HERE or on the photo below for information on the day and a 4-min. slide show!

July 6, 2011 – CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST TO REOPEN SANTA CATALINA RANGER DISTRICT – Fire restrictions remain in effect, other Ranger Districts to open when fire danger is reduced.
Find out more information as it is posted on the Coronado Forest website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/

WANT TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON WILDFIRES IN ARIZONA? Click HERE to get to the Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention and Information website home page. Check out Map of Large Wildfires in Arizona or Fire Weather & Outlooks.
Check out LIVE WEBCAMS near Arizona wildfires – Click HERE to see Greer/ Springerville, Arizona.

July 4, 2011 - 5:30pm – Access to Mount Lemmon will remain closed until 6 a.m. Tuesday. A fire was reported at about pm at highway post 21, at Spencer Canyon. It likely was caused by lightening, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. The blaze burned a tenth of an acre, but firefighters quickly contained it, Barkman said. The mountain is not being evacuated and firefighters are working to douse the fire, Barkman said.

Daily Wildfire News:
• Devastating Wallow Fire 95 percent contained
• Monument Fire near Sierra Vista almost contained

BY THE NUMBERS (6/16/11):
This is Arizona's biggest fire year in recorded history, with wildfires still burning and the fire season far from over. In figures updated Tuesday, the SW Incident Command Center pegged the burned acreage in Arizona at 757,076, or 1,183 square miles. The previous record of 761,959 acres, set in 2005, was certainly surpassed Tues, and Wed. with the enlargement of the Wallow, Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires.
• The Wallow Fire, at 478,452 acres as of Tuesday night, is now the state's largest fire in history.
• The Horseshoe 2 Fire, at 184,198 acres, is No. 3 on the list.
• The Murphy Fire, at 68,078 acres, is eighth.
In Southern Arizona, fire has burned through 303,076 acres of the Coronado National Forest so far this year, according to the center. For comparison, between 1988 and 2009, fires in the Coronado burned a combined 585,619 acres, according to the Coronado's Fire Management Plan. Northern Mexico is also experiencing its biggest fire season in at least 25 years.

THE COPPER CREEK WILDFIRE (6/29/11) – This wildfire is burning in the Coronado National Forest east of Mammoth and has grown to 1,200 acres as of Wednesday morning (6/29/11), fire officials said. The fire sparked Tuesday in the Galiuro Mountains and is now 30 percent contained, said Jason Ownbey of the U.S. Forest Service. The steep rocky terrain is making it difficult for fire crews on the ground but aircraft support is keeping the fire down, Ownbey said. Crews have the fire under control and expect to have it fully contained by Friday, he said. The cause is under investigation. The fire poses no fire threat to Oracle. However, smoke may be present in Oracle especially during the evening and morning hours.

TODAY'S STORIES ON WILDFIRES (6/1/11):
• Horses affected by Sierra Vista fire focus of weekend fundraiser
HEART — Happy Equine Acres Rescue and Therapy — of Tucson is working with other local animal-rescue groups and authorities to ensure the safety of horses and other animals in Sierra Vista affected by the Monument Fire.

National News: Wallow Fire near biggest in the state's history: click HERE to read the latest story and view photos. Click HERE for more photos on the Wallow Fire. Go HERE to see photos from the online Atlantic magazine.

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/29/11):
• Photo gallery: Los Alamos fire
• Despite some rain, fire activity remains high

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/28/11):
• Account amid controversy over how Monument Fire started

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/27/11):
• Monument Fire reined in, with 85% containment
• Few flames seen on Monument Fire near Sierra Vista

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/26/11):
• Chiricahuas blaze is now contained
• Backyard fireworks are out for celebrating the Fourth
• Forest fire near Heber-Overgaard burns 1,955 acres

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/25/11):
• Monument Fire: All evacuations canceled
• Monument Fire expected to attract scam artists

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/24/11):
• Last of fire evacuees to be allowed home tonight
• Crews continue progress on Arizona wildfires
• More evacuation orders are lifted; Arizona 92 reopened
• Endangered species hit hard by historic Ariz. fire
• Blaze is being held in check, but only after much damage
• Photo gallery: Monument Fire June 23

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/23/11):
• Buffer zone helps slow Monument Fire’s march
• Fire closes part of forest 40 miles from Payson
• People in 2,600 homes near fire allowed to return

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/22/11):
• In Sierra Vista, no areas under pre-evacuation notice
• In Sierra Vista, gas service being restored
• Generous Tucsonans come to SV fire victims' aid
• Photo gallery: June 21: Monument Fire
• Evacuees return, tally their losses
• Southwest will have to wait for fire-stifling rain

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/21/11):
• New evacuations due to blaze near Sierra Vista
• Firefighters make headway on blaze near Sierra Vista
• Governor sends military police to Sierra Vista
• 2 fire-centered Facebook pages are hub of information, communication in SV
• Tamer winds let firefighters make progress, provide hope
• Photo gallery: Monument Fire near Sierra Vista
• Dad, son stay behind to save their guest ranch

WILFIRE NEWS (6/20/11):
• Residents learning fate of their homes near Sierra Vista
• Lighter winds will help in battling fire near Sierra Vista
• YouTube: Time lapse of Monument Fire June 18-19
• Photo gallery: June 19: Monument Fire

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/19/11):
• Resources for Sierra Vista and fort residents: Meeting tonight; beware of wildlife
• In Sierra Vista, winds ground aircraft
• Photo gallery June 18: Monument Fire
• Massive fires' damage, power can be lessened
• The price of fire management

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/18/11):
• Fire holding in Miller Canyon; crews dig lines in prep. for back burns
• More crews on line in Sierra Vista, to keep fire from spreading
• Calm winds keep Sierra Vista fire at bay, but gusts are coming
• Resources for Sierra Vista residents
• Photo Gallery: Monument Fire continues to burn

WILDFIRE NEWS (6/17/11):
• Fort Huachuca blaze was sparked by bulldozer
• New wildfire sparked near Fort Huachuca
• Fire near Sierra Vista grows to more than 18K acres
• 'A hallway of flames' and a vortex of fire
• How to donate supplies for Wallow Fire pets and rescuers
• Acreage increases on Horseshoe Two fire
• Wildfire south of Sierra Vista jumps Highway 92
• Wildfire in NE Arizona now 33 percent contained
• Gov to take aerial tours of 2 wildfires in Arizona

BY THE NUMBERS (6/16/11): This is Arizona's biggest fire year in recorded history, with wildfires still burning and the fire season far from over. In figures updated Tuesday, the SW Incident Command Center pegged the burned acreage in Arizona at 757,076, or 1,183 square miles. The previous record of 761,959 acres, set in 2005, was certainly surpassed Tues, and Wed. with the enlargement of the Wallow, Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires.
• The Wallow Fire, at 478,452 acres as of Tuesday night, is now the state's largest fire in history.
• The Horseshoe 2 Fire, at 184,198 acres, is No. 3 on the list.
• The Murphy Fire, at 68,078 acres, is eighth.
In Southern Arizona, fire has burned through 303,076 acres of the Coronado National Forest so far this year, according to the center. For comparison, between 1988 and 2009, fires in the Coronado burned a combined 585,619 acres, according to the Coronado's Fire Management Plan. Northern Mexico is also experiencing its biggest fire season in at least 25 years.

Coronado National Forest have implemented fire restrictions across the forest. Increased fire danger has caused forest officials to carry out restrictions through either July 18 or when the danger decreases, according to a national forest news release. The following actions are prohibited on forest land:
• Building or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove fire, including within a developed, recreation site or improved site. Use of petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns, or heating devices is allowed. • Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
• Using an explosive. • Operating an internal combustion engine except for motor vehicles.
• Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. • Welding.
• Using a motor vehicle off national forest system roads. Parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the road, or parking in developed campgrounds and trailheads is allowed.
• Discharging a firearm, except while in a lawful hunt. • Violating these restrictions can result in fines and/or prison time.

COUNTY RABIES ADVISORY (3/29/11): Pinal County health officials have issued a rabies advisory after finding a third rabid skunk in the past six weeks. The warning comes after officials found a rabid skunk in Oracle last week. The other two skunks were found in Kearney and Mammoth. County officials are urging residents to have their pets vaccinated against the fatal disease.
Rabies is an infectious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord of animals and humans, and is transmitted in the saliva of infected animals. County officials also warn residents to stay away from animals exhibiting unusual or aggressive behavior and call health officials.

HIGHWAY 77 CLEANUP – The Oracle Firewise Board and CERT team cleaned up the highway between Mile Marker 101 and 102 for the first of four times on Saturday, Jan. 8th as part of the ADOT Adopt a Highway program.

PACK TEST FOR OFD – Wildland firefighters are required to perform a Pack Test (endurance test) followed by a Wildland Refresher Class annually. These classes for all wildland certified personnel are usually held just before the spring wildland fire season begins. Click HERE or on the photo below to see the crew in action.

AED DONATION – The Oracle Firewise Board has donated an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Mountain Vista School. An AED is a small portable computerized device used in conjunction with CPR to give an electric shock to a victim of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. If a shock is delivered promptly after collapse, many victims can survive without permanent brain damage. School office faculty have been trained on how to use the device that is mounted on a wall in the school nurses office.
This is the fourth AED that has been placed in the community. Funding for these devices was provided by fund raising events including private donations. photo: Superintendent Todd Kissick, Principal Dennis Blauser, School Nurse Lydia Smith, School Board member Kurt Steffens, and Oracle Firewise Board members.

ORACLE WILDFIRE INFORMATION VIDEO ON UTUBE – Check out Larry Southard and Frank Pierson's interview with Joe Pyritz of Pinal County. Click HERE to see the video.

PRESCRIBED BURNS – like the one deliberately set Feb. 10th by the U.S. Forest Service, are protective. Click HERE or on the photo below to see an excellent article with photos from Arizona Daily Star on this 137-acre Kent Springs prescribed fire in Madera Canyon.

ROPE RESCUE (new photos) – Several firefighters went to Vail again to practice rope rescue under a bridge. Click HERE or on the photo below to see new photos.

YES, WE HAD SNOW – Click HERE to see a time lapse video of the snowfall and melt from Feb. 27th to the 28th, 2011.

The Annual Firefighter of the Year Award Ceremony was held at the San Manual Elks Lodge on Saturday, February 26th. We congratulate Lt. Jeff Osborn as our 2010 Firefighter of the Year for Oracle. In addition, Charlotte Poole was named Citizen of the Year, and Kevin Armbrust & Collins Cochran as Outstanding CERT Team for 2010. Awards for drills and dept. activities were also given out. (Dec. 2010) Lt. Albert Ortiz, Jr., cert Kevin Armbrust, Tina Acosta, cert Charlotte Poole, cert Collins Cochran, Bat. Chief Larry Southard, Spencer Fairbanks, Chief Albert Ortiz, and Lt. Jeff Osborn.

WINTER FIRE – Firefighters responded to a report of smoke near the Catholic Church at 4:05pm on Dec. 30th. Engine 692 crew gave an on-scene report of a fully involved shed fire located behind a historic residence at 35 Maplewood Street. Engines 691 and 693 also responded, including Battalion 691. Firefighter efforts were primarily focused on protecting nearby structures. The shed and contents were a total loss. No other property damages occurred and no injuries were reported.
Click HERE or on the photo below to see more of these photos in our Gallery.

CARBON MONOXIDE: a Winter Hazard – Indications of carbon monoxide in the home report headaches, nausea and confusion. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are for treatment if people can get there in time. Such chambers allow patients to breathe pure oxygen inside a controlled environment. Safety information on carbon monoxide can be viewed by clicking HERE.

JANUARY 2011 – OUR CONDOLENCES – We deeply regret the passing of OFD CERT Steve Hesley. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends. Thank you to those that attended the celebration of Steve's life at the Oracle Fire Dept. on Sunday, Feb. 6th.

Archive of Rainfall Information: Rain on 12/30/2010: 0.19" / Snow fall: 4.0" / OFD Rain so far in 2010: 21.15"
Past Year Totals: Oracle Precipitation: 2009 year total: 13.96"/ 2008 year total: 24.00"
Avg. annual precip. measured at Oracle residence from 2002 through 2009, inclusive is 18.49"
AND from Ross Hopkins: Total: 18.761" for 2010 / CY2009 annual rainfall = 13.962" / CY2010" = 18.761" Difference: + 4.799 (+34.37%) CY2009 Monsoon Season (6/15 thru' 9/30) = 6.403" CY2010" = 7.067" Difference: + 0.664" (+10.4%) 9-year (CY2002 thru' CY2010) average annual rainfall: 18.52"
61-year ( 02/25/50 thru' 12/31/10) average annual rainfall: 22.10" (data prior to CY2002 from Oracle Town website on-line)

ROOF EXERCISE – Firefighters and CERTs responded to an unscheduled training exercise which involved a simulated traumatic injury (broken femur bone) with a roof rescue. The four person on-duty crew along with five off-duty and reserve firefighters and seven CERTs responded to the exercise. Southwest Ambulance provided the dispatching services.
These exercises are intended to refresh firefighter skills along with testing available resources. The exercise took place during the middle of the day and the middle of the week at a time when available responders are typically the least available. The on-duty crew and Southwest Ambulance Dispatch was informed of the exercise one hour ahead of time while the others had no advance notice. The response was extremely good and the the rescue went very well. The next unscheduled drill will be held during the spring of 2011 and will include a simulated structure fire involving forcible entry with victim search and rescue.

BE SAFE THIS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY! – Here are some tips from Arizona Daily Star on frying turkeys. Click HERE to see the pdf.

FIRE PUMP TRAINING – Several members of OFD recently completed a 32-hour service training in "Fire Pump Operations & Hydraulics" which focused on formulas to calculate proper water pressure and quantity needed for various types of fires. Congratulations to: Tina Acosta, Paul Farrell, Brent Frost, Tyler McGovern, Albert Ortiz Jr., Brandon Small, Traci Southard, Harley Van Coillie & Dan Wilson.

AUGUST 2010 – OUR CONDOLENCES – We deeply regret the passing of CERT and Firewise Board member Tom Wetzel. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends. There was a celebration of Tom's life at the Fire Dept. on August 21, where more than 100 family and friends gathered to remember Tom.

HWY 77 FIRE – On June 25th at 2:18pm, nine firefighters responded to a report of a brush fire on Hwy 77 near MP 102. The fire was quickly extinguished and held to about one acre. A team of Oracle CERTs were deployed to assist.

NEW FIRST RESPONDERS – We recently had several CERTs graduate from their First Responder Class given at the OFD firehouse. This greatly expands the capabilities of the CERT team. Congratulations to: Charlene Tipps, Kevin Armbrust, Tom Wetzel, Judy Sparkman, Doug Johnson, Jason Weiss, Rachel Opinsky, Charlotte Poole, Steve Hesley, and Joyce McRae.

WILDLIFE: RABIES: The Pinal County Public Health Services District is urging Pinal County residents to have their animals vaccinated. SNAKES: Please pay attention and be safe. Click HERE for some helpful advice. BEES: If bees are swarming, they are usually protecting their queen and moving on to another location. Most attacks are caused when an established hive is disturbed.

ORACLE MASTICATION PROJECT - Coronado National Forest has completed a fuels reduction project in the Oracle area. Click HERE for more details of the project.

MASTICATION PROJECT: The contractor was on site Friday (4/16/10). The equipment was in excellent working condition; the masticator having just come from the FECON factory where it had received a new masticator head and fuel tank. The area already treated with the GPS is about 14.5 acres. The contractor said he had worked a total of 2 full days to accomplish that acreage. At 8 acres/ day, he will need approximately 20 full days to complete the 160 project acres.

FIREWISE BOARD – The Oracle Firewise Board recently met on Feb. 20th and Chief Ortiz showed us the great banner presented to us from the National Firewise Board for our status in being "a recognized firewise community since 2005." We will be happy to display it at most of our functions.

FIRE IN SAN MANUEL - At 1:27am on Wed. morning (3/31/2010), we were dispatched for a mutual aid assignment to assist the San Manuel FD on a commercial structure fire. We know that the Republic Plastics building in San Manuel has experienced heavy fire damage including some structure collapse. Oracle FD sent two engines and one water tender with a crew of 10 firefighters to assist. An Oracle CERT team was also deployed to provide drinking water for the fire crews. Click HERE or on the photo below to see some photos taken after the sun rose.

ANNUAL ELKS AWARDS – On Saturday, March 20th, at the Annual Firefighters, Law-Enforcement, and EMS Appreciation Award Dinner at the Elks Lodge in San Manuel, Jason Weiss was awarded the "2009 Firefighter of the Year" award for the Oracle Fire Dept.

ANNUAL 2009 OFD AWARDS – Several people were honored at our annual awards banquet for 2009: Jason Weiss was awarded "2009 Firefighter of the Year." Other awards included Charlotte Poole for "Outstanding Firewise Award"; and Doug Johnson and Rachel Opinsky for "Outstanding CERT TEAM award."

2009 NEIGHBORHOOD FIRE RISK EVALUATION - The 2009 Fire Risk Evaluation project has several intended uses including: 1. A measuring tool to view the progress of the Oracle Firewise program since the last Neighborhood Fire Risk Evaluation was done in 2004. (a paper version of the 2004 map can be viewed at the fire department). 2. To identify the highest risk neighborhoods for future fire prevention grant funding. 3. To identify high risk neighborhoods for future Firewise Workshops and community fire prevention projects. 4. To identify neighborhoods that need fire hydrants.
Please note that this evaluation does not take the place of an individual on-site Firewise Communities Evaluation between the property owner(s) and fire department officials. An on-site evaluation has been completed for all addressed properties located within OFD boundaries. Properties were viewed from the street/driveway, graded by an OFD crew, and were then placed into three categories of wildfire risk. To see the 2009 Oracle map with evaluations CLICK HERE.

RABID BOBCAT:The bobcat we reported on 12/24/09 was found dead Fri. morning on Cedar Ridge. The party that was bit is now undergoing rabies shots as the bobcat tested positive for rabies. Health officials say that 261 animals in Arizona (a record number) tested positive for rabies in 2009, 85 more than in 2008.

THANKSGIVING DINNER (2009) –Thank you for making our dinner on Nov. 24th one of the best ever. We served about 250 people. Thanks to the approximately 70 volunteers who made it happen!

PAVING THE PARKING LOT – (Sept. 22, 2009) Long overdue work on our parking lot has been done by local concrete contractor Daniel Rodriguez. He was awarded the bid to provide a concrete parking area in front of the fire station. The project is completed and ready for the engines to drive on. Come visit us to see the area.

MOCK CAR CRASH at 10am on Oct. 8th. OFD participated in a mock car crash put on by the Pinal County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) and Mountain View School. This event took place at the school. The scenario involved an adult driver (Dennis Blauser school principal) and 3 teenage students. The audience was 4th-8th graders, so because of their ages, the script has been slightly modified to exclude the fatality, but featured 3 critically injured students. PCSO narrated the event on a PA system so that everybody was able to follow what was happening. Some of the CERTs assisted the event by tarping and un-tarping the staged accident vehicle, applying fake blood and other injuries (with Halloween stuff) assisting the students with staging, taking pictures etc. The students were extricated by OFD with the Jaws of Life tools, one student was loaded into an EMS helicopter, and two students were loaded into an ambulance. The driver was required to perform a field sobriety test and was then arrested. This was a really good safety demonstration about riding with an impaired driver.
Stay tuned for some photos of the event.

COMMUNITY FIREWISE EVALUATIONS – OFD crews have began a project of assessing the populated portions of our fire district. We have selected a National Firewise Communities assessment model, which uses a scoring system to rate properties in categories of Moderate, High, and Extreme. Numbered scores will be given for items such as topography, fuel loading, type of construction, egress, address markings, hydrants, etc. The higher the numbered score, the higher the wildfire risk will be for that property. Each category of risk has been given a specific color. Those colors will be applied to a digital map which will be posted on our web site at www.oraclefire.org Individual scoring results will not be posted on the web site but will be available at the fire station. The objective of this project is to identify our ongoing fire prevention priorities along with being able to provide valuable information to working fire crews in the event we ever have a large wildfire. For the next 4 or 5 weeks, our crews will be knocking on doors in hopes of finding someone home. If no one answers, crews will gather all of the information that they can visibly see between the structure and the street. Most property assessments will take approximately 5 to 20 minutes. The evaluations, including posting the maps on our web site is expected to be complete by October 2009.

DODGE ROAD FIRE – (August 27, 2009) A faulty electrical transformer ignited four small grass fires along a 300-foot section of Dodge Road and Justice Drive. The fires were quickly extinguished with no other damage reported. Electrical power remained off in several sections of town while power company crews made necessary repairs.

AUGUST 3, 2009 – A small brush fire near the Sonoran B&B on West Oracle Ranch Road was reported by a passerby. The call was dispatched at 1654 hours and the fire was extinguished several minutes later. The fire was contained at just under one quarter of an acre and did not reach the structure. The cause was an electrical malfunction on a power pole.

AUGUST 5, 2009 – Engines 691 and 692 responded to a report of a structure fire. The small grass fire had just reached the shed when the engines arrived. It was quickly extinguished with only minor damage to the exterior paint. The apparent cause was a lightning strike.

GUTHRIE FIRE in the Catalinas – (July 22, 2009) The fire north of Redington Pass and ne of Tucson has grown to 4,852 acres and was 30 percent contained Tuesday. The fire continues to be managed to benefit the landscape, said Salek Shafiqullah, CNF fire information officer. The fire was started by lightning July 11.

CAVE RESCUE – (July 9, 2009) Oracle Fire Department Technical Rescue Team (TRT) rescued an 18 year old female who was trapped several hundred feet inside of Peppersauce Cave. The rescue took place at around 8 pm last night. The victim who was with her friends, was trapped for about an hour. Her friends unsuccessfully tried to free her from a muddy and rocky crevice after her leg became wedged into a small opening. After freeing the victim she was too tired to climb out of the cave on her own, so rescue crews had to use rigging to lift her up several steep areas. Once on flat ground, OFD firefighters took turns carrying her to safety. This was the first rescue operation performed by the recently formed OFD TRT.

RECENT HIGHWAY 77 FIRE – at 11:33am on June 12, Oracle Fire Dept. responded to a brush/ grass fire at MP103.5 (just east of E. American Ave.) on Hwy 77. The 1/2 acre fire was quickly extinguished by crews on Engines 692 and 693. Oracle CERT's were also deployed to bring cold water to the firefighters.

AED PLACEMENT IN ORACLE – We have one each AED unit now at the Oracle Community Center and the Oracle Masonic Lodge and there are plans to put one at the Oracle Public Library soon.
OFD is working on a public safety project to place AEDs inside of public places, such as the library, courthouse, post office, community center and all three schools. Odyssey Health Care has teamed up with us and is trying to get several Tucson Cardiology Clinics to sponsor a unit. We will also be working with Northwest Hospital, Pinal County, and several businesses in an effort to get them to sponsor AED units. The fire department will offer free CPR/AED training to all those who work and/or volunteer at these places. OFD will also provide the periodic equipment maintenance.