Summit Siren
December 2009 Newsletter
- Thoughts from the Chief—Reminiscing
As I sit here today, I find myself thinking about the past and where our department has come from. They say that the only
thing you can count on is change and for some of us at Summit Fire, we have been through a significant amount of it. I started
doing this as a volunteer in 1978 prior to us having any station or equipment. My two main reasons for joining our community’
s fire department were to fight fires and to give back to our community. The Radio Fire on Mount Elden in June of 1977 had
forced the evacuation of the upper Timberline area and citizens banded together to start a volunteer fire department. On a vote
of 56 ayes and 0 nays, the fire department was formed. A similar approach was taken by the citizens of Doney Park a couple
years earlier and we had two volunteer fire departments. It was with the help of many people that both of these organizations
grew as our areas began to grow. I know that when I die, one of my greatest loves will be the Volunteer Fire Service.
In the mid 1980’s, the Doney Park FD hired their first full time people and I was hired as the full time chief at Timberline-
Fernwood in 1992. Over the coming years, we began some discussions about merging together and it made sense to many of
us. Over 94% of the people in the area voted in favor of us merging and in July of 2001, we became the Summit FD. While
we can always count on change, there are always positives and negatives associated with growth. I’ve lost some friends over
some of this movement forward and at the same time acquired new ones. I’ve had people accuse me of many negative things
while others have complimented us on building a quality organization. As an organization grows, its culture changes and alters
and as an organization gets larger, the politics can become more forceful and involved. The Summit Fire District has become a
highly dependable and professional department. While we take what we do very seriously, we try not to take ourselves too
seriously. When we started all of this over 30 years ago, we had a saying that has become our motto and that is “Fire
departments don’t succeed, people do.” I wish that our citizens could really understand who makes up the strong organization
that we call Summit Fire. We have a fire board that has a thankless job and serves without any compensation. Their main role
is to oversee the fudiciary and funding aspects of what we do and during these stressful economic times, it can be quite a
challenge. We have a small but dedicated Auxiliary who provides support to our organization and to those people in our fire
district who have suffered loss. You have an administration that works tirelessly to provide the direction and vision that will
keep us strong and positive in our outlook. Our career and volunteer staff is made up of men and women who will go
anywhere, at anytime, in any weather conditions to help others when they are sometimes having the worst day of their lives.
Why people want to work in this profession amazes me because of what we see firsthand and what we have to deal with. I
believe, however, that if you asked us, almost to the person, we would say we have the greatest job in the world. The ability to
serve and provide to others is one of the main reasons we are on this planet and we truly love what we do.
We have now changed again and have merged the Fort Valley and Summit Fire District’s into one. We hope that the values
and principles that we started with are still with us today. We feel we are a better organization because of the changes we’ve
made and we will be here in the future to provide for our citizens. We hope all of you have a great Holiday
Season.
Don Howard, Chief
Page 2 Summit Siren
- Burn Permits
You are required to have a burn permit before burning any weeds, paper or branches. The burn permits are FREE and have
no expiration for as long as you own the property.
If you do not have a burn permit, please call before driving to the station to get your permit. You can get a permit at any of our
five stations:
Station 31 6425 N Cosnino Road 526-0344
Station 32 8905 N Koch Field Road 526-9537
Station 33 6050 E Firehouse Lane 526-1724
Station 36 8015 Wing Mountain 213-0935
Station 37 5500 N Fort Valley Road 213-5299
Please make sure you read your copy of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) rules and regulations for
there are some things that you are not allowed to burn such as plastic.
Burn times are:
9:00 am to 4:00 pm April through September
9:00 am to 3:00 pm October and March
10:00 am to 2:00 pm November through February
Please abide by the burning times and call Station 32 at (928) 526-9537 before you burn.
Friends and Family CPR Classes
CPR has been a proven tool that can save the life of someone experiencing a heart attack. The Summit Fire District conducts
regularly scheduled CPR classes.
The next Friends and Family CPR classes are scheduled for January 11th and March 8th. Classes are from 6:00 pm to 9:00
pm at Station 32 at 8905 North Koch Field Road.
For more information or to register for this class, contact Brian Walsh at (928) 526-9537.
- Please Note: This class is NOT for certification purposes.
Can We See Your Address?
During an emergency, time is of the essence—the faster we can arrive on scene, the better. As we drive through the Summit
Fire District, we notice that some homes are not well marked with the address numbers. Some homes have no numbers at all.
If you have no house numbers, it could cause us to miss your house.
Please take the time to insure that we can visibly see your address from the roadway. When we are responding to a medical
emergency every second counts, so please help us help you.
To make sure that we can see your address, Summit Fire District is offering house numbers as well as placards to our
residents at no charge. Please call Station 32 at (928) 526-9537 or Station 37 at (928) 213-5299 to get your numbers today.
These numbers are free and could help save your life!
- Christmas Holiday Light Parade
The 2009 Northern Lights Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, December 12 promptly at 6:00 pm. This year’s theme is
“Winter Nights and Holiday Lights. This spectacular “electric” parade is a favorite wintertime event and holiday tradition in
Northern Arizona. Floats lavishly decorated with thousands of twinkling lights parade through historic downtown Flagstaff for
the viewing pleasure of thousands of residents and visitors lining the streets. Mark your calendars now and come to the parade.
It’s a great time for all!
- Firefighter of the Year
Each year the Masonic Lodge of Flagstaff recognizes the outstanding firefighters and police officers in the Greater Flagstaff
area. This award is special on many fronts but it’s very special because it’s voted on by the employees of each
department.
This year’s winner for Summit Fire is Captain Martin Johns. Martin exemplifies what is great in the fire service in that he
always has a willingness to provide and help others both on and off duty.
Congratulations Martin!
- Page 3 Summit Siren
- Summit Fire Board Members
Chairman Jim Doskocil
Clerk Gary Selig
Member Dan Atkinson
Member Jerry Loynachan
Member Rick Parker
The Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm. On the even months, the meetings are held at
Station 32 and on the odd months, meetings are held at Station 37.
- Meeting Dates for Station 37
5500 N Fort Valley Road
January 19, 2010
March 16, 2010
May 18, 2010
July 20, 2010
September 21, 2010
November 16, 2010
Meeting Dates for Station 32
8905 North Koch Field Road
December 15, 2009
February 16, 2010
April 20, 2010
June 15, 2010
August 17, 2010
October 19, 2010
December 21, 2010
- Notices and Agendas of such meetings will be posted at the following locations:
- All five Summit Stations
Ski Lift Lodge, 6335 Highway 180
Mountain View Market, 6869 Lumberjack Blvd.
Silver Saddle Store, 9001 Highway 89
Chevron, 11230 Highway 89
Peak View Country Store, 3400 Fort Valley Rd.
The public and residents of the community are encouraged to attend. Meeting dates, times and location may change due to
unforeseen circumstances so please call the Administrative Office at (928) 526-9537 if you have any questions or for more
information, check our website at: http://www.summitfiredepartment.org
- Heating and Carbon Monoxide
The warm weather is over and the winter months are here. As the temperature drops, our need to heat our home causes our
thermostats to go up. Due to the time of year, the weather and our economic times, many people struggle to heat their homes.
Many of us have wood burning stoves and many of us heat our homes with gas, propane and/or a combination of both. People
often look for alternative ways to heat their homes: the oven, the stove, grills (propane, gas, charcoal, etc.) These are a
dangerous practice and these methods are not safe and are deadly when used indoors. Any fuel burning equipment produces
carbon monoxide, an invisible, colorless, odorless gas. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms and
include nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches and shortness of breath. Hundreds of people die every year due to
unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and it is predicted to increase this year because of our difficult times.
Remember to have your home heating equipment inspected yearly and heat your home safely (woodstove, fireplace, furnace,
etc.). The Summit Fire Department is urging everyone to be safe in heating your home.
Wildfire in and around our community is the majority of emergency incidents that the Summit Fire Department responds to.
Many of these wildfires are caused by improper burning of yard waste and improper ash disposal. This is the time of year
when the number of incidents increases with heating homes and the holidays. Please dispose of your ashes properly and
remember to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace your batteries if needed.
Summit Fire Department is asking everyone to help us meet our goal of increasing our community’s safety. Summit Fire
Department wants to remind everyone to be safe, and happy holidays from our family to yours.
For more information, call Summit Fire at (928) 526-9537 or visit us at our website at:
www.summitfiredepartment.org
Vision begins with one person, but it is only
accomplished by many people
- Page 4 Summit Siren
Coconino County Updates
Supervisor Mandy Metzger, District 4
Season’s Greetings!
Wasn’t it just yesterday that we hosted the Picnic in the Park where more than 500 Doney Park/Timberline/ Fernwood
residents were able to attend on a warm, sunny day? Hot dogs and hamburgers; games and music; information from service
providers and community non-profits -- all made August 29th a real community affair. It is hard to believe the holidays are
right around the corner.
Long overdue rains and snow on the higher elevations ring in the holidays. Andy Bertelsen, Director of Public Works, reports
the snow plows are tuned up and ready to roll. He also reminds us that parking is prohibited on County maintained roads
November 1 through April 1, in order to expedite snow removal and prevent damage to snow plows and private vehicles.
Vehicles may be towed if they are on the roadway. There is much more information available to you about County roads
during the winter, covering topics such as snow berms, private road plowing, and County right of way. Look at the County
website: Coconino.az.gov/publicworks. The far right column has two entries that will be helpful: Snow Plow/Snow Removal
Info and Snow Removal & Road Maintenance Maps. Or call County Public Works Department at (928) 526-2735.
Health Department: Have you had your flu shots? H1N1 (swine) Flu Vaccination clinics at the Health Department on 2625
N. King St are scheduled as follows:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — 9:00 am to 4 pm
(beginning November 23 through December 31)
Saturday, December 5, 9:00 am – 4 pm
Appointments are required (call 679-7300) and limited to H1N1 first priority risk group:
Pregnant Women
Children 6 months to 4 years old
Children between 5 & 18 years with underlying health conditions
Anyone who lives with or cares for children under 6 months
Health care workers with direct patient contact
Senior Services: Most seniors are on top of their health screenings but how about a Benefits Checkup? Each year discounts
on utilities (APS, QWEST and Unisource) go unused because people don’t apply. Tied to the changing Federal Poverty Level
it means a couple with monthly income of $1,821 can qualify for significant savings. Also the Medicare Part B premium of
$96.40 a month can be a great burden but singles with monthly income of $1,219 and couples with income of $1,640 a month
or less can qualify to have that amount put back in their monthly Social Security checks. Call Senior Services at (928) 679-
7425 or go on-line at: www.benefitscheckup.org
Coconino County Housing Services: Now accepting applications for the following programs (for low-moderate income
residents):
Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation
Owner Occupied Emergency Repair program
Unisource Appliance Repair and Replacement
APS Solar Water Heating Unit Installations
For questions, applications or information regarding existing or new programs, call Jack Clark, Program Coordinator at (928)
679-7465.
Neighborhood Watch Meetings: If you haven’t participated in the neighborhood watch meetings, please join us. These
gatherings provide a great way to candidly discuss ideas and concerns that impact your neighborhoods and to get county
information.
The Timberline/Fernwood Neighborhood meeting is held on the 1st Tuesday of each month at Summit Fire Station 33 (6050
Firehouse Lane, just off Hwy 89) at 6:30 pm (next one is January 5). The Doney Park Neighborhood meeting is held on the
1st Thursday of each month at Cromer Elementary School (7150 Silver Saddle Rd) at 6:00 pm (next one is December 3).
Holiday Giving: Cold weather and the holidays bring emphasis to those who may be in need of extra assistance. Here are a
couple of ways you can help share the holiday spirit:
Give a toy for a child to Toys for Tots
Donate food to our two local Food Banks
Call Community Services and ask to adopt a Senior Citizen at (928) 679-7447
Call for Volunteers for Fair Committee: Parks & Recreation is forming a Fair Committee. This Committee will be a
working committee comprised of volunteer members that will provide hands-on assistance to specific program areas of the fair.
If you are interested, contact Cynthia Nemeth at (928) 679-8005 or email cnemeth@coconino.az.gov.
(continued on next page)
- Page 5 Summit Siren
(Coconino County Updates continued)
Career Center Opportunity: The Center is offering two new training programs in the medical field: Caregiver and Electronic
Medical Records. To learn more, call (928) 679-7400.
Looking to the New Year: Coconino County's long-term financial planning efforts over the past several years allowed the
County to continue to provide most services even with significant reductions to County revenues and a reduction in State
funding due to the economic downturn. We believe that prudent financial planning helped the County avoid major service
impacts. However, our concerns are now increasing given the State's recent proposals to cut over $1.5 million in funding for
important services and to sweep funding for services like road maintenance. During the last fiscal year, the County's belt
tightening reduced costs by over $1.2 million. In addition, the State cut or swept over $1.5 million in funding for services. The
County will continue to identify options for managing the fiscal crisis with a focus on maintaining the services most valued by
our citizens, such as public safety, road maintenance and public health.
District 2 Office Hours at Timberline-Fernwood: Starting in January, Supervisor Liz Archuleta will hold open office hours
the 1st Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 pm prior to the neighborhood watch meeting at the Fire Station on Hwy
89. No appointment needed.
District 4 Coffee with Mandy Metzger: Mandy invites District 4 residents to join her for coffee on the 3rd Monday of each
month from 7 to 9 am. We have great conversation and share community news. The next coffee will be held on December 21
– Location to be announced.
We wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
Supervisor Liz Archuleta, 679-7152
Supervisor Mandy Metzger, 679-7154
- Christmas Time Safety
The cold weather is here and the holidays are quickly approaching. This is the time of year when most house fires occur. Most
of these fires are caused by improper disposal of ashes, dried Christmas trees, and electrical problems with lights and/or
extension cords.
The Summit Fire Department has already responded to a couple fires that were caused by improper disposal of hot ashes.
Ashes that are removed from a fireplace or woodstove can stay hot for several days, even if they feel cool to the touch on the
outside. When you clean out your woodstove or fireplace, put the ashes into a metal can designed for ashes, saturate them
with water and stir thoroughly. Keep them there several days and make sure they are completely cold to the touch and keep
away from combustibles. They can then be spread on the ground or disposed of in the ash receptacle at the Landfill. NEVER
place ashes in bags, any combustible container or in your trash. Also, never place ashes near your home, deck or combustible
vegetation.
When you buy a Christmas tree, make sure it is not dried out. If the tree was cut down several weeks ago, the needles could
be dried and could easily ignite. A way to check is to grab a branch tightly and pull it towards you, letting it slip through your
hands. If the needles are dry, a lot of them will come off in your hand. If you decide to put up a real tree, keep the water
reservoir full, and check the needles often to see if they are dried out. Excessive heat can dry out a tree quickly. Do not place a
tree near a woodstove or fireplace. Do not leave the tree up for a long period after the holidays. Even with a full water
reservoir, the tree will eventually dry out.
After you decorate your tree, do not leave the lights on all night while you sleep or when you're not home. Make sure you buy
quality lights, for your tree and your home. Make sure to check if you are buying interior or exterior rated lighting. Follow the
directions on how many strings you can put together or you may overload your circuits. Try not to use any extension cords,
but if you have to, make sure they are of good quality and they are rated to handle what you are using them for. Be very
cautious on putting staples over lighting cords or extension cords. If a staple pierces the wiring or is too tight, it could cause a
fire. Most stores carry plastic pieces that are designed to safely hold up lights on your house. Also make sure to not put
extension cords under carpets so they are walked on or under the feet of heavy furniture. If you have any questions on
Holiday safety around your home, please call any Summit Fire Department Station or stop by.
Have a happy and safe Holiday season.
- Page 6 Summit Siren
PSPRS Board Members
- The Summit Fire District Public Safety Retirement Board is looking for two members of the community to sit on the Board.
These positions are necessary in order to grant personnel their request for retirement and meet the Arizona Public Safety
Retirement requirements.
Commitment involves one mandatory meeting per year, one 8 hour conference/training, (to be held in Flagstaff in June 2010)
and periodic meetings on an as needed basis i.e. retirement, disability retirement, etc. These positions are a 2 or 4 year
commitment.
If interested please contact Firefighter Chris Zambeck at (928) 526-9537 and leave a message. For more information on
Arizona Public Safety Retirement, please go to: www.psprs.com.
- Cisterns
Summit Fire District is asking you, the community, if you have cisterns or other water sources on your property that the
Summit Fire District could use in the event of an emergency situation such as a wild fire.
If so, please call your respective station or our administration offices at 8905 North Koch Field Road, (928) 526-9537 to make
an appointment for us to come and look at your water source.
- Help us help you!
- you to HELP US HELP YOU!!!
- property and in our neighborhood. After completion of a property inspection, we discuss our recommendations with the
property owner. Most of our recommendations are based off of national standards developed by FireWise.
- Summit Fire District
8905 N. Koch Field Road
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
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Property Assessment Form
If you are interested in having your property checked, please fill out this form. Mail or bring this form to any of the five fire stations.
Name: _____________________________________
Address: ___________________________________
Phone: _________________ mail to: 8905 N. Koch Field Rd.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Best time to call: _________
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- Page 7 Summit Siren
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Santa Claus is coming to the Summit Fire District on Saturday, December 5th and will be at these stops in the Doney Park area:
9:00 Riding Arena in Cosnino
9:25 Winona Bridge on Townsend-Winona Road
9:45 New Fire St. 31 Parking Lot/Cosnino & Townsend Winona
10:05 Station 32 Firehouse on Koch Field Road
10:45 Burris Ln & Hwy 89 Parking Lot
11:15 Corner of Tyson and Margaret/Hutchison Acres
11:45 Corner of Timberline & Leisure Lane/Timberline
12:10 End of Sunset at Forest Entrance/Fernwood
12:40 Station 33 Firehouse on North Hwy 89
1:05 Cromer School Parking Lot
- If the weather is bad, Santa will be at Station 32 at 8905 North Koch Field Road from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
For the Fort Valley Area, Santa will be at these stops:
- 10:00 Station 36, Bader Road and Wing Mountain
10:25 Snowbowl Road and Highway 180
10:45 Hidden Hollow Road and Highway 180
11:05 Magdalena Road and Highway 180
11:25 Elden Lookout and Schultz Pass Road
- If the weather is bad, Santa will be at Station 37 at 5500 North Fort Valley Road from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Mark your calendars now to see Santa!
- Page 8 Summit Siren
- Summit Fire District Auxiliary Presents
Friday, December 4th
7:30 pm at The Orpheum Theater
Tickets—$15.00 in advance
This concert is a fundraiser benefitting the Summit Fire
District Auxiliary and United Flagstaff Firefighters
Local 1505 Charities.
For tickets or more information, please contact
Peggy at Station 32 at (928) 526-9537.