LUCERNE >> The Ready Fest is an important nonprofit benefit event and helps supply tools and services, which the fire department cannot fit into its budget, but which is needed now more than ever in its third year of existence.
One function of the Northshore Fire Fund, the nonprofit that raises money for the North Shore Fire District, is to raise public awareness of the importance of community outreach.
“We have the largest fire district in the county,” said Shannon Stilwell, founder and president of the North Shore Fire Fund. But the cost of Fire District operations outpaced revenue streams and have for 20 years, she pointed out at the fest April 27, hosted at the Lucerne Middle School.
“So that if you think about it, if I have a heart attack where I live in Upper Lake, and rescue units are here in Lucerne, they may be dealing with the fumes of a car accident, and it could be 40 minutes before they get to me.” But with adequate funds, Stilwell could have a fighting chance in an emergency.
One team the fire department deploys is the Logistics (aka rescue) teams. They were on board with the Ready Fest as Rescue Diver Dustin Pabst and Nathan Long, boat operator and diver, had their vehicle at the Middle School parking lot, a major component of their tool kit on display to engage with attendees.
“That’s what we’re doing at the Ready Fest, getting people thinking about each other, help each other and the Fire Department,” Stilwell said. “So we’re doing training and hosted paramedics to train at every safety class in the curriculum at Upper Lake High School.”
Doug Todd, a paramedic, reviewed the steps for CPR using a mannequin. The first thing is to determine if the victim is alive noted Todd. A volunteer can check the pulse placing an index finger over the carotid artery and feel for a pulse. “If you feel a pulse do not start CPR,” he said. “It should not take a bunch of time. You might want to get an AED (automated external defibrillator). If you feel the heart quivering, hopefully the AED will shock the heart into normal rhythm again.” The person attending the victim should place one palm down between temples of the chest wall with the other palm over it and press down one and a half to two inches of depth. They should do it continuously until help arrives. “If you stop, you’ll lose that blood flow and you’ll have to prime that pump again,” he said.
Fire fighter John Rodriguiez, a department engineer provided a demonstration of fire extinguisher use, “You want to approach the flame leeward (downwind), he said. Use the extinguisher applying the PASS method; pull pin, aim (hose), squeeze trigger and then sweep back and forth.” Rodriguiez provided refresher pointers for Barbara Higman, who has never used her extinguisher at home. “It’s probably time to update mine or chuck it out,” she said about her devise. “But I feel a 100% more confident in using it.”
Stilwell also emphasized the need for purchasing extrication kits aka, the Jaws of Life, a tool to rescue accident victims from mangled vehicles. “Ready Fest allows us to maintain the latest tech and (to) stay functional while not being so hard on fire fighters”, she said. They have several Jaws of Death. But they are cumbersome, yet new models are more ergonomic and easier to operate. “New models are versatile in what they can do,” she said. “And we’ve had opportunities to equip ambulances with them but want each of the engines to have them, so we’re trying to raise $60,000.”
Also, a priority purchase was the extractors, basically industrialized washing machines. These are needed to thoroughly cleanse fire fighter gear worn into active scenes since they accumulate various toxins that can eventually cause numerous cancers if not purged from gear.
Matthew Durbin, a recently hired Hogback Ridge Crew member whose job is to keep vigilance on fire fuels overgrowth, was removing the chain of a 440 Sthil saw under the watchful eye of his pre-school daughter, Saiyler Lyn Frye and arrived at Lake County following similar work in Napa County.
Amanda Collins, volunteer, reminded Ready Fest attendees to know the designation of their Fire Zones in case of an evacuation and to prepare a Go-Bag before disaster. Collins advised some of most important items to pack for disaster are a flashlight, battery charger, small denomination cash, out-of-town contact information, family member contact numbers. She aso recommended to drill evacuating your home inside of 15 seconds.
Stilwell noted the fire department just bought new software through the county, called Tablet Command. “We just paid $15,000 to replace old devices to more easily communicate with the hospital when they’re on scene with patients. “Ready Fest allows us to access the latest tech, while not being so hard on our fire fighters.”
