UPCOMING
EVENTS

October 3

Sponsored by the Foundation, SDFD and  SDG&E  

 

Kick off Fire Prevention Week with your family at a FREE Safety Fair. Activities include:
- SDG&E Fire Safety House 

- Safety City driving course

- SDFD demonstrations

- Photos with Sparky the Fire Dog

- CPR/AED training by San Diego

  Project Heartbeat

- Bike helmet giveaways in

  partnership with Kaiser  

  Permanente and Cox Cares 

  Foundation

 

 

 

October 23

2015 Service Awards Honoree Luncheon

 

Join the Foundation as we honor the men and women of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and Rural/Metro San Diego who put their lives on the line every day to help protect our community. We will also recognize ordinary citizens who have done extraordinary things to help others in their time of need. We hope you'll join us for this heartwarming event.

 

For more information about sponsorship and underwriting opportunities please contact

Wendy Robinson

wendy@sdfirerescue.org

619.410.4742 

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Meet SDFD Firefighter/Paramedic Donald Chen
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Donald Chen didn't always dream of being a firefighter, but today, he couldn't imagine any other line of work. A native Southern Californian, Donald moved to San Diego to attend UC San Diego and play on the collegiate volleyball team. After graduation, he remained in the area and began work in the scuba industry. It was through this job that he was introduced to the field of fire rescue.
 
"I was learning about rescue diving and met some firefighters," says Donald. "I saw what an amazing profession it was and decided to get an EMT certification. Now, more than seven years later, I'm a firefighter/paramedic (FF/PM) for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. It's just gone up from there."
 
Donald also serves as the Department's rescue rope officer and rescue rig specialist. The rope officer is a voluntary position who is responsible for the maintenance of all the rope and rescue hardware on every unit of the department. He tracks rope use, replaces damaged and expired rope and is currently working on a rope budget to help better maintain the Department's ropes and hardware for the future.
 
When asked about the best part of his job, Donald unequivocally says it's the people. "We get to work with so many individuals from all sorts of backgrounds. It makes it fun and rewarding."
 
Not one to take it easy during his free time, when Donald isn't spending time with his wife and two children, you'll find him rock climbing, scuba diving or playing volleyball. Currently, he is working on a goal to climb all the Fourteen Thousand Foot Peaks in California. He has completed three of the 15.
 
"Donald is one of the most conscientious, loyal and motivated firefighters we have in our Department," says Battalion Chief Lane Woolery of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. "He wears many hats at Station 4, which is one of the busiest stations in the city. Just by showing up to work, he's extremely valuable to his rescue team."
 
The Foundation would like to thank FF/PM Donald Chen and the entire rescue crew at Station 4 for their service to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and our community.
Fire Prevention Week:
Hear the Beep Where You Sleep!
 
When you sleep, you may not smell smoke or even hear the crackling of a fire that could be consuming your home. Half of all home fire deaths occur at night between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when people are most likely to be sleeping. This fact underscores the importance of having working smoke alarms in all bedrooms.
 
Along with firefighters and safety advocates nationwide, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is joining forces with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) during Fire Prevention Week, October 4 - 10, to remind San Diegans about the importance of having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
 
According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire by half. Meanwhile, three out of five fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
 
"People are more at risk today due to the fire load, the contents and type of furniture, and the way homes are built," says Doug Perry, deputy chief and fire marshal for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. "Newer homes are usually larger, have bigger open areas for fires to quickly spread, and use lightweight construction. All the more reasons to make sure your smoke alarms are in working order."
 
Smoke alarms can cost between $20 and $60, depending on the brand and whether it is a combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. New battery-operated smoke alarms have a built-in 10-year battery. This means even the most expensive models would cost families about six dollars a year or just 50 cents a month. It is a small and very worthwhile investment

"Smoke alarms do save lives," says Perry. "It is the most cost-effective way to protect your family 365 days a year and 24 hours a day in your home. The life you save might be your own."
 
To kick off the week, the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation, in partnership with SDG&E and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, will sponsor a Fire Prevention Week Safety Fair at the Westfield Mission Valley Shopping Center on October 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
The community is encouraged to attend the free event. Attendees will receive fire safety literature, CPR/AED demonstrations, firefighter exercises and free smoke alarms for the first 75 guests. Kids can look forward to experiencing the SDG&E fire safety house, Safety City driving school, free stickers and coloring books, junior "fire chief" helmets, photo opportunities with Sparky the Dog, interactive demonstrations and more.

Additional station open houses will be held throughout the week. Visit our website for details or download the event flyer here.
 
To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, visit the events page on www.sdfirerescue.org, or call 619-410-4742.

Your Support Makes A Difference
 
The San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation supports the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department in its efforts to provide the highest level of service to the community by helping to supply funding for enhanced equipment, training, and technology for our first responders. Through the generous support of community members, like you, we are able to help provide unmet needs that would not otherwise be available through the City's budget process. Our funding starts where the City's budget stops.

But, we cannot do this alone.

Now more than ever, these dedicated men and women need our support to continue to keep the citizens and property of San Diego and the surrounding region safe.

We invite you to join us in supporting our first responders by making a tax-deductible donation today.

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