Ben Lomond/Boulder Creek Fire Districts Support Fund
by Savannah Lira, Program Officer
The CZU Lightening Complex Fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties has been burning for 11 days, consuming over 80,000 acres of land. As homes are burning and people are evacuating, firefighters are combining resources to provide emergency services.
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District is working side-by-side with the mostly volunteer Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek Fire Districts to contain the fire. They loaned their Reserve Training Engine to the Ben Lomond Fire District last week, noting it also now "serves the communities of Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek", and noticed a need for much more. Below is a statement from Menlo Park Fire Chief Schapelhouman:
We specialize in rapid mobility for various actual emergencies with the potential for immediate deployment anywhere in the United States and its territories. Our mind set as first responders is adapt, improvise and overcome. The initial "ask" from Ben Lomond was for a loaner stripped down reserve training fire engine. But we quickly realized when we brought it up there that they and Boulder Creek, needed much, much more. Fire personnel were lying on the concrete floor of the apparatus room in their dirty gear just to get some sleep. Within hours we were back with a 6,000 Gallon Water Tanker we occasionally use at our training center along with pallets of water and Gatorade. Within the next 24 hours, we delivered cots and sleeping bags, toiletries, spare radios and fire foam. Now each day we ask them what they need and serve as their logistical supply line so they can focus on the important task of saving their communities.

We were able to coordinate our efforts over the last several days and work with Pastor Baines with We Hope Services in East Palo Alto, who graciously supplied both the shower and laundry trailers and two people to operate them for the Boulder Creek Volunteer Firefighters, who tonight took advantage of getting cleaned up for the first time in a week and after being on the fire line all day. - Chief Schapelhouman
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District has now created a fund with PVF to support the Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Districts. You can donate at the button below.
You can also find volunteer opportunities here, and to support folks on the Coastside, you can donate to Puente. For additional information, visit InMenlo or The Almanac News.
About the Editors
James Higa
James Higa, Executive Director, brings 28 years of executive experience from Silicon Valley, working with Steve Jobs to change the face of technology. He was at the birth of the personal computer revolution as a member of the original Macintosh team and was deeply involved in the creation of many products and services at Apple over 3 decades. He has a long history of public service as a board member of Stanford's Haas Center and in grassroots relief efforts.
Bill Somerville, Founder, has been in non-profit and philanthropic work for over 50 years. He was the director of a community foundation for 17 years, and in 1991, he founded Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. Bill has consulted at over 400 community foundations, on creative grantmaking and foundation operations. Bill is the author of Grassroots Philanthropy: Field Notes of a Maverick Grantmaker. 
About PVF
PVF is a demonstration foundation practicing unique forms of grantmaking and innovative philanthropy. Our primary interest is in the creative and significant use of the philanthropic dollar.
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