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2A – Daily News – Friday, August 13, 2010 Community people&events Local 4-H does well at State From the Firehouse: Self reliance By JON BENNETT Red Bluff Fire Department The strong should protect the weak. That is how we in the Fire Service see our mission. Our spe- cial talents and equipment allow us to enter challenging and dangerous situations to rescue people from injury or death. This is our calling, but over the years this calling has been diluted to the point where many of our “emergency” respons- es are not truly emergencies. In the early days of our nation, people pretty much took care of themselves. If the barn caught fire they put it out or rebuilt it with the help of their neighbors. If people were sick or injured they nursed themselves back to health. But as populations grew, buildings were built closer together, and one per- son’s emergency impacted others. Thus the first Fire Departments were born. Last month Ally Hasting, from Bend Jelly 4-H Club, travelled to Sacramento with her family and her pigmy goat, Pablo, to compete in the California State Fair. After four very successful days Ally and Pablo returned to Red Bluff with some great stories and numerous ribbons to show for their effort. Ally and Pablo placed first in the Junior Showmanship Class and first in 1-2 yr. old Pygmy Goat Class. Pablo was named the National Pygmy Goat Best Wether and 2010 California State Fair Open California Classic Grand Champion Wether. Ally and her sister Megan enjoyed the huge assortment of carnival rides and are looking forward to next year’s state fair. 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. In more modern times the fire service picked up responsibility for medical emergencies. Originally we responded only to rescue calls where our specialty tools were needed. Then we began going to “resuscitator” calls where people needed oxygen and CPR. Today we respond to every imaginable med- ical problem from heart attacks to earaches, from severed limbs to stubbed toes. We have become a mobile medical clinic for some peo- ple. Obviously this is wasteful when we tie up a fire engine with two per- sonnel at a minor problem that could easily have been handled by a band-aid or a car ride to the family doctor. So how did we get to this point? It is partly our fault. Government in general tends to grow and take on more responsibility for people’s lives than it really should. And fire fighters always want to help people so we embraced these new missions with additional training and equip- ment. The more that government does for people, the more people become dependent on government to solve their problems. But this is presenting a dilemma for us that is especially challenging during these lean budget times. Gone are the funds we used to have to call back personnel to cover additional engines whenever our on-duty staff was busy at calls for service, or for maintenance of our fire engines that are running many more calls than they used to. Your Fire Department is spread thin with only two Engines staffed at a time here in Red Bluff. To tie up a two-man Engine Company at a non-emergency call could cost someone with a true emergency their life or their property. This also means our crews may have to respond to your early morn- ing house fire already fatigued from answering non-emergency calls all night. So how can people help? Well, fire prevention is critical as we have always stressed. And preparedness for major disasters is also very important. But also learn to take care of life’s minor problems your- self rather than calling 9-1-1. Make no mistake, we don’t want people trying to extinguish a house fire or driving a loved one with chest pain to the doctor. Those are true emergencies and that is what we are here for, and as always if you are in doubt you should call us. But ask any 9-1-1 dispatcher about the silly calls we get. The cat stuck in a tree (he will come down when he gets hungry) the flooded bathroom (get a mop or call a plumber) and the guy who cannot reach his TV remote from his chair (believe it or not) Sometimes it is so obviously not an emergency that the fire engine will not be sent. But usually the dispatcher must play it safe and assume help is real- ly needed, and there goes half of our avail- able fire fighting staff to be committed for a half hour or more for no good reason. So please help us, help you. Learn to handle small problems with a first aid kit and a fire extin- guisher. Give your elderly relatives your phone number to call if they need non-emergency assistance. Teach your kids to be safe and self- sufficient as they grow into adults. Self-reliance doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. Let’s reserve our precious few emergency resources for the big stuff so it will be there when we really need it. And rest assured your Fire Department is ready to do everything in its power to rescue you and your property when a major calamity does occur- if we are not tied up with that flood- ed bathroom call. *** RBFD responses for Aug. 4 through Aug. 10: 1 Vegetation Fire, 1 Vehicle Fire, 47 Medical/Rescue Calls, 13 Other Type Calls/Public Service/False Alarms for a total of 62 incidents From the Firehouse runs on Fridays. Jon Bennett is the Operations and Training Division Chief with the Red Bluff Fire Department. He can be contacted at JBennett@rbfd.org or by calling the station at 527-1126. Jackson Heights goes camping D NEWSAILY HOW TO REACH US RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY THE VOICE OF TEHAMA COUNTY SINCE 1885 VOLUME 125, NUMBER 227 On the Web: www.redbluffdailynews.com MAIN OFFICE: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Main Phone (530) 527-2151 Outside area 800-479-6397 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080 ______________________ Fax: (530) 527-5774 ______________________ Mail: Red Bluff Daily News P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 CUSTOMER SERVICE: Subscription & delivery Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (530) 527-2151 Ext. 125 subscription rates (All prices include all applicable taxes) Monday through Saturday $9.59 four weeks Rural Rate $10.69 four weeks Business & professional rate $2.21 four weeks, Monday-Friday By mail: In Tehama County $12.29 four weeks All others $16.23 four weeks (USPS 458-200) Published Monday through Saturday except Sunday, by California Newspaper Partnership. Home delivery NEWS News Tip Hotline: 527-2153 FAX: (530) 527-9251 E-mail: clerk@redbluffdailynews.com Daytime: Sports: Obituaries: Tours: (530) 527-2151 Ext. 111 Ext. 103 Ext. 112 After hours:(530) 527-2153 ______________________ ADVERTISING Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Display: 527-2151 Ext. 122 Classified: 527-2151 Ext. 103 Online (530) 527-2151 Ext. 133 FAX: (530) 527-5774 E-mail: advertise@redbluffdailynews.com SPECIAL PAGES ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS Mondays: Kids Corner Tuesdays: Employment Wednesdays: Business Thursdays: Entertainment Fridays: Select TV Saturdays: Farm, Religion Publisher & Advertising Director: Greg Stevens gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Editor: Chip Thompson editor@redbluffdailynews.com Sports Editor: Rich Greene sports@redbluffdailynews.com Circulation Manager: Kathy Hogan khogan@redbluffdailynews.com Production Manager: Sandy Valdivia sandy@redbluffdailynews.com newspaper of general circulation, County of Tehama, Superior Court Decree 9670, May 25, 1955 © 2010 Daily News The Red Bluff Daily News is an adjudicated daily 90 years ago... Miss Minnie Wilson, Edward Gunther son, two popular, well-known young people of Red Bluff and the Los Molinos section, were united in marriage at the Catholic church yesterday ... The groom is the son of Edward J. Gunther and Miss Minnie Wil- Mrs. Mary Gunther of the Los Molinos sec- tion. After a short honeymoon the couple will make their home here. – Daily News, Aug. 13, 1920 645 Main St., Red Bluff • 529-2482 Monday Morning, 8am-noon Wednesday Evenings, 5-9pm Join us for neighborhood Bring your jars & ingredients. CANNING & PRESERVING www.californiakitchencompany.com $1 We’ll help you and provide equipment. a jar Blood drive At the Red Bluff Community blood drive, Wednesday, Aug. 18 donors will receive a coupon for a pint of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. Sponsored by Red Bluff Emblem club, it will be from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial build- ing, 735 Oak street. Professional staff come from BloodSource the non-prof- it organization that provides blood and blood products for hospitals in Tehama County and much of inland Northern California. Requirements include general good health with a minimum weight of 110 and minimum age of 17 (16 with parental consent). There is no upper age limit for those who Courtesy photo Eighteen students and six teachers from Jackson Heights Elementary School enjoyed a four-day camping trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park. While there, they attended ranger talks, explored the visitor centers, hiked, swam and had a good time. All 18 earned their Junior Ranger Badges. The trip was sponsored by the Lassen National Park Foundation. COMMUNITY CLIPS can meet other criteria. Especially during hot weather, donors are encouraged to eat and drink plenty of fluids. Photo identification such as a driver's license or a donor card is required. Juice, cookies and snacks are served by Emblem club volunteers in the required 10-minute period. For information call 866-822-5663. rest Car show The eighth annual Cottonwood Hot Rods and Hogs Car and Bike Show, benefiting the Chamber of Commerce, Fire Department and Library, is 9 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 11, in downtown Cottonwood with registration 7 to 9 a.m. The Fire Department Pancake Breakfast will be 7 to 10 a.m. Other events include a walking poker run, tri-tip barbecue and beer garden, live music, vendor booths, raffle prizes and the Napa spark plug challenge. Information 347-7468. *RAIDERS TICKETS FOR SALE* Red Bluff Jr. Spartans Football Fundraiser End Zone Tickets 3rd level $ 1st & 2nd 40.00 level $ , 45 Tickets must be ordered 30 days in advance. Contact Jenn Moniz with Red Bluff Jr. Spartans: (530) 524-0110 or jennrbyf@yahoo.com P.O. Box 8027, Red Bluff, CA 96080