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2A Daily News – Thursday, January 17, 2013 Community people&events 5 generations 2012 A busy year for RBFD By JON BENNETT Red Bluff Fire Chief Courtesy photo Five generations are pictured here on Christmas Day. Front row: Marty Bloxham 7, Evelyn Benefield, great-great grandmother, holding DejaRae White, 4 weeks old. Back row, from left: Linda White, grandmother, Bob Benefield, great-grandfather, and Jessi White, mother. 2012 was a record-breaking year for the Red Bluff Fire Department with an especially busy December bumping our annual run total to 3,468 emergency responses. We saw our annual call volume increase 10 percent over 2011. At 9.5 calls per day, Red Bluff City Fire's one operational fire station is easily the busiest in the County. One of our two staffed fire engine companies is usually busy much of the day running calls, and often needs to be backed up by our second out engine. And in addition to these emergency calls our crews stay busy with equipment and station maintenance, training, fire prevention and other duties required of them. In spite of the increase in emergency business the RBFD continues to operate with reduced budget and staffing levels compared to past years. While our personnel have stepped up to take care of business, there have been many times when we have relied on mutual aid from CalFire and Tehama County Fire to back us up on major fires or multiple alarms. And our crews then reciprocate when our mutual aid partners ask for help from us as they are also spread thin at times. But with an increase in busi- ness, and a decrease in funds and staff, something has to give. While we have cut elsewhere in order to maintain our on-duty engine staffing levels for emergency response, we have had a decrease in reserve fire fighters who respond from home to add manpower to a rescue or working fire call. Recruitment and retention of reserve fire fighters who meet our stringent training standards is challenging at best. We also have less administrative staff and funding to facilitate prevention and training programs. Negative effects from decreases in these activities may not be apparent in the short term but will eventually catch up to us if we allow these activities to degrade too far. Quality bread-and-butter shift training is in the hands of our Fire Captains and does not cost much, but some of the specialized training and education we seek for our staff is only available from outside sources or instructors that we no longer have funding for. So what lies in store for the RBFD in 2013? With our dedicated staff and supportive mutual aid partners we will be able to continue providing an effective response to fires and medical emergencies in spite of the budgetary and staffing challenges. Other City departments are in the same economic boat, but we work together to make the best of these lean times. And we have always received gestures of appreciation from the citizens of our community which is very much appreciated. I hope for the economy to improve soon so our funding base may be restored to the levels we used to enjoy. Then we can return to a more robust staffing and training level to improve our service to our community. Until then we will continue to economize where we can to keep our heads above water as many of our tax-paying citizens are also doing these days. The Red Bluff Fire Department responded to 345 calls in the month of December 2012: 6 Structure Fires; 7 - Other type fires; 261 - Medical/Rescue; 8 Hazardous Condition; 42 - Public Service; 21 - False Alarms From the Firehouse runs on Fridays. Jon Bennett is the Red Bluff Fire Department Chief. He can be contacted at jbennett@rbfd.org or by calling the station at 527-1126. Photo club reception today SECRET WITNESS 529-1268 A program of Tehama County Neighborhood Watch Program, Inc. Setting it straight –––––––– It is the policy of the Daily News to correct as quickly as possible all errors in fact that have been published in the newspaper. If you feel a factual error has been made in a news story, call the news department at 527-2153. DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY THE VOICE OF TEHAMA COUNTY SINCE 1885 VOLUME 128, NUMBER 40 HOW TO REACH US On the Web: www.redbluffdailynews.com MAIN OFFICE: NEWS Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. News Tip Hotline: 527-2153 FAX: (530) 527-9251 E-mail: clerk@redbluffdailynews.com Daytime: (530) 527-2151 Sports: Ext. 111 Obituaries: Ext. 103 After hours: (530) 527-2153 ______________________ ADVERTISING DEPT. Main Phone (530) 527-2151 Outside area (800) 479-6397 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080 ______________________ Mail: Red Bluff Daily News P.O. 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FAX: (530) 527-2151 Ext. 122 (530) 527-2151 Ext. 133 (530) 527-5774 E-mail: advertise@redbluffdailynews.com CLASSIFIED: 1-855-667-2255 SPECIAL PAGES ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS Tuesdays: Kids Corner, Health Wednesdays: Business Thursdays: Entertainment Fridays: Education Saturdays: Select TV, Farm, Religion Publisher & Advertising Director: Greg Stevens gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Editor: Chip Thompson editor@redbluffdailynews.com Sports Editor: Andre Byik sports@redbluffdailynews.com Lincoln Street School invites the public to attend its annual Photography Club Reception from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, in the Tehama County Department of Education Gallery. The school will have about 30 photos on display, taken by their fourth through eighth graders. COMMUNITY CLIPS Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CUSTOMER SERVICE Display: DEPARTMENT: Subscription & delivery Online (530) 527-2151, Ext. 126 Courtesy photo Circulation Manager: Kathy Hogan khogan@redbluffdailynews.com Production Manager: Sandy Valdivia sandy@redbluffdailynews.com POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: PO BOX 220, RED BLUFF CA 96080 The Red Bluff Daily News is an adjudicated daily newspaper of general circulation, County of Tehama, Superior Court Decree 9670, May 25, 1955 © 2012 Daily News Postage Paid Periodicals Hand-on at Turner Hands-on art activities led by CSU, Chico Art Education faculty and students for kids interested in art will be taking place in an upcoming workshop. Open to students from first to 12th grades. Workshops begin Feb. 5 and take place 3:30 to 5 p.m. on most Tuesdays this spring at the Turner Print 90 years Museum at CSU, Chico. For more information, go to the Education link at www.theturner.org. PATH schedule The rotating PATH shelter schedule is as follows: Jan. 11-Feb. 8, North Valley Baptist, 355 David Ave. Feb. 8 -March 8 Abundant Life Fellowship, 21080 Luther Road March 8-April 5, Church of the Nazarene, 900 Johnson St. ago... Red Bluff District Has 73 Percent of Sunshine During the Year 1922 Seventy three percent of sunshine was record in 1922 for the Red Bluff district, figures show in the office of H. J. Andree, local observer for the United States weather bureau. There were 242 clear days during the year, 62 partly cloudy days and 61 cloudy days. It was one of the coldest years experienced here in some time, the average temperature being 61 degrees. — Jan. 17, 1923 Full Service Salon Stylists: Harmony ~ Julie ~ Cassidy ~ Brynn ~ Amanda Nail Techs: Billie ~ Madisen Historic Downtown Red Bluff 644 Main Street