The Capital Campaign Committee has been busy this spring working hard to find funding for the sorely needed new Fire House.  We have prepared an informative package that contains all the details a prospective donor would want to know.  We are ready and eager to present the package to anyone, especially those who may be thinking about making a major donation.  You can learn about the many ways you can help, and the many different ways we have planned to thank you!  Please call the Fire Department if you are interested in looking at the package.  We will also display it at every fundraising event from now till we make our goal of $300,000.

Our first campaign “kick-off” event coincided with Ruth Burke’s 92nd birthday party and tribute to her newly published book entitled “An Intimate History of Bodega Country and the McCaughey Family”.  The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department was especially honored to pay tribute to Ruth because of her family’s tradition of support for the Fire Department. Ruth’s father, Howard McCaughey, was one of the main contributors to the current Fire House.  We were likewise honored by speeches from several notable Bodega Country figures such as Gaye and John LeBaron, Annie Springer and Chief Ron Albini.  Evelyn Casini presented a weeks worth of dinners at the Casino on behalf of BVFD.  The 10-piece Bodega Old Timeys Band debuted with rollicking polkas and waltzes - and people did actually dance! 

Our efforts were rewarded with many donations, the biggest of which came from Roberta Paskos.  Her $10,000 donation has given us the shot in the arm we needed and inspired our efforts to accomplish our goal. Thank you so much, Roberta!  We hope that many like her will come forward to support our community with financial contributions to the new Fire House. 

Democracy was alive and strong this May when BVFD sponsored a Sonoma County 5th District Supervisors Candidates Forum.  All seven of the candidates showed up to a full house.  We were very pleased about the large turnout because the County Supervisor can be very important to us.  We were well served by outgoing Supervisor Mike Reilly who spoke up for BVFD at the Board of Supervisors in April, and successfully convinced them to waive $35,000 in building permits for the Fire House.  Thank you Mike! The ensuing preliminary design review was successful, and we are well on our way to securing all necessary approvals.

Gary Watts and Nancy Perucchi have been hard at work applying for a low-interest USDA loan for $600,000.  In order to qualify, we must raise at least $300,000.  So please consider making a donation soon - your community needs you!  Your support is critical and urgent.


Bill Newman of the Capital Campaign Committee paints a new red band on the thermometer at McCaughey Hall to show $50,000 that was raised for the new Fire House this spring.

A new sign (painted by Karen Young) erected at the site of the new building lists the generous in-kind support from local businesses

CHIEFS REPORT SUMMER 2008

Summer has arrived and this year as we all know it has started off with a real bang. So far in 2008 your Volunteer Firefighters have already responded to 90 emergencies. 2007 was our busiest year ever at 133 emergency responses. I believe that we will break records again this year.            We have already had several small vegetation fires, a rarity in Bodega this early in the wild land fire season.
            Please make sure you start early when mowing and preferably on a foggy morning.  If you see smoke in the area don’t hesitate to call 911, the earlier you report a possible fire the better chance we have of keeping it a small fire.
            In February, Assistant Chief Gary Watts, Firefighter Christophe Zbinden and I, flew to South Dakota to do our final inspection and take delivery of our new Type 1 Engine. It was really a wonderful experience. Our new Engine has met all of our expectations.
            Our Building and Funding committees have been extremely busy this past year. The Building committee has gotten the approval of both the Landmarks and Design review committees. Our next step is to complete our site engineering followed by Board of Zoning Adjustments and then finally Permits. It has been a long hard road but I know it all will be worth the effort.
Our Funding committee has been busy with the Capital Campaign, which is now ready. They have done a great job preparing it. We have already had several generous monetary donations and several “in kind” donations but we still need more. Anyone interested in helping out can contact me at 8700@bodegafire.org.
            Our Big Event is quickly approaching and as usual we can always use more help. There are many easy ways you can contribute to making the Big Event a success. We will be looking for volunteers to work 2 hour shifts pouring wine, help running the kid’s games, and the setting up the Saturday before and early that Sunday morning. We also need volunteers to clear tables in the dining room and the clean up at the end of the day. Donating desserts for the Dessert Booth is always appreciated. If you are interested in helping please fill out the enclosed form and return it to the box located at the front door of the Fire Hall. Closer to the date you will be contacted about a time schedule that will work best for you.
Every year the Big Event is a huge success thanks to the incredible community support that is only found in Bodega. We should all be proud of that.

            Please don’t forget July is also membership month. We ask that each household pay the minimum dues of $25.00. Each year I hear people say, “I only rent my landlord pays our dues”. We provide services to everyone in our fire district: homeowners, tenants, landlords, accident victims and medical emergencies. Your fire department is one of the main ways we take care of each other So please give generously and remember your dues are tax deductible.

                                                         Have a Wonderful and Safe Summer!

SUMMER FIRE SAFETY TIPS FOR OUTSIDE YOUR HOME

1.  DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
            >Use flame resistant materials
            >Build your home away from ridge tops, canyons and areas between high points on a ridge.
            >Consider installing roof sprinklers
           >Make sure that electric service lines, fuse boxes and circuit breaker panels are installed and maintained as prescribed by code.
2.  ACCESS
            >Make sure your driveway address is clearly visible from all directions and especially at night.
            > Identify at least two exit routes from your neighborhood
             > Clear flammable vegetation at least 10 feet from roads and five feet from driveways.
            >Cutback overhanging tree branches above access roads
           >Make sure dead end roads and long driveways have turn around areas wide enough for emergency  vehicles
            >Design bridges to carry heavy emergency vehicles. 
3.  ROOF
            >Install a fire resistant roof.
            >Remove dead leaves and needles from your roof and gutters
           >Remove dead branches overhanging your roof and keep branches 10 feet away from your chimney
            >Cover your chimney outlet and stovepipe with a nonflammable screen of ½” or smaller. 
4.  LANDSCAPE
            >Create a defensible space of 100 feet around your home. It is required by law.
            >Create a green zone by removing all flammable vegetation within 30’ around your home.
            > Remove branches at least six feet from the ground.
           >Use care in clearing vegetation with equipment such as lawnmowers, one small spark can start a fire
            > Mow early and Mow often 
5.  YARD
            >Stack woodpiles at least 30” from all structures and remove vegetation around woodpile.
            >Keep LPG tanks at least 30’ from any structure.

“Big Event” Volunteer Sign Up Sheet

Yes!!!, I would like to help the day of the Event:
Name____________________________________
Best contact info: (phone or e-mail)______________
Please Check Desired Job(s).
__Setting Up Early Sunday morning (7:00am)
__Set up tables, Post signs, Blow up and distribute
     Balloons around town.
__Selling Tickets (Raffle,Quilt,Membership,Food)
__Selling Wine (2 hour shifts)
__Selling Desserts/(scooping Ice cream)
__Kid’s Games/Cosmic Cammode
__”Tour De Tater Race” sign-up table
__Kitchen Help/clearing tables
__Garbage/Recycling
__End of Event breakdown & clean-up (5:00pm)
__Any Job needed to be filled
I would like to help by Donating:
        __Cake__Pie__Cookies__Brownies
Please bring Desserts to the hall on Saturday or Sunday before the Parade   

Please Reply to -- msbini@comcast.net --
            Or, return completed forms to the Drop off box in front of the fire hall.
       Or, mail to Linda, P.O. Box 28, Bodega

Thank You For Supporting Your Fire Dept.!!!     
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