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SKNA Fire Safety
Meeting 3-3-09 Minutes
Organized by Vicki
Ferrar
The purpose of this
meeting is to do some initial brain-storming before we do more general and
neighborhood wide educational meetings.
- What has the
Sandia Knolls neighborhood done previously to prepare for fire or other
emergencies? What has worked or hasn’t worked? Why?
Eric Jantz (286-1812) reported on the SKNA Safety Committee originally
established 6 years ago with Eric, Leila Steel, Mel Gellenthien, and Marge
Patton. Eric said the Safety Committee has been dormant for about a year.
They wrote pamphlets on Fire Prevention, Animal Evacuation, and Home
Evacuation which are posted on the Sandia Knolls website and attached
here. They began working on a phone tree and potential second emergency
exits from the Knolls. Eric felt that the project was too big for the
number of people involved and workload distribution was uneven. Keeping
people interested and engaged in the problem of fire safety is a problem
because of the high turnover of the Knolls population and lack of
follow-through. Sue Clark-Sorger (281-6318) heads up Sandia Knolls
Evacuation Committee and is the Equine Evacuation Coordinator. She wrote
an equine evacuation plan which is posted on the SKNA website under
“Fire”. Phone trees have been created (SKNA ) and Margie Tatro (281-9285)
distributed one for the North Sandia Knolls (includes many, but not all,
Canyon Rd, Gilbert, Gaddis, Pinon Heights and Longview neighbors near the
Monte Largo wilderness area). Both were used recently when a structural
fire occurred at 72 Canyon Rd. in February to alert neighbors of potential
evacuation. Problems are: some people do not pick-up their phone and had
to have their door knocked on, the lists are incomplete, and no block
captains or organized system exists to insure that all neighbors are
notified in an efficient manner.
- What do we have
already in place to respond to a wildfire emergency (people, plans,
equipment, communication, etc.)?
Sandia Knolls fire evacuation information exists on the SKNA website but
probably needs to be updated and distributed more widely. EMIFPA
(Emergency Management Interagency Fire Protection Agency) magnetic
emergency phone lists are available from Sandia Park Ranger Station
(however, Linda Kearns states there is a bad number on the magnets and
they need to be redone). Bernalillo County Fire Department representative
Mike Chavez (944-6798) provided information on staff and equipment at
nearby Fire Stations (I didn’t get all the equipment written down):
Station 6 (Frost Rd. in San Antonito) has 5 firemen, 1 engine, 1 tanker
with 750 gal. capacity, a drop-tank, and an emergency response vehicle;
District 10 (Tijeras on Hwy 333) has 4 firemen; District 13 (Sedillo
Hill) has 5 firemen; Station 11 (South 14 near Kuhn Rd.) has 5 firemen.
In addition, other close-by stations out of Bernalillo County include La
Madera Volunteer Fire Station and Edgewood Fire Station. Lack of water
determines their response. With only one hydrant in the Knolls (on Frost
Rd. at the entrance), firefighters use 150 gals. per minute (exhausting
tanker-supplied water in 5 minutes). If the house is fully engaged,
their goal is containment (preventing spread of fire to nearby structures
and wilderness). If just a room is on fire, they will fight the fire to
save the structure. The BC Fire Dept. is limited to roads. They need
gates open and at least 20 ft. wide for their trucks to access. They need
4 inch reflective house numbers by the road (visible both directions) to
find addresses. An evacuation order may come via “Reverse 911” calls to
listed land-lines only. Bernalillo County will soon have on the
http://www.bernco.gov a link for residents to “opt-in” and list a cell
phone instead of a land line on the Reverse 911 database. The Bernalillo
County 9-1-1 Communications Center (505-798-7000) has a form called CARE
(Citizen Address Response Enhancement) for residents to submit to the 911
system with special instructions and special needs (gate codes, special
medical conditions of residents, emergency contact numbers, special
directions to residence, wrong mapping and addressing, etc.). You may
contact Jared Sanchez (798-7004)
jasanchez@bernco.gov to obtain this form. Mobile Data Terminals will
soon be installed in BC emergency response vehicles to guide them to an
emergency. Information provided via the CARE forms will be downloaded
into these MDT’s so responders have more complete information. Pets are
not a priority. Phone trees and a personal evacuation plan (practiced in
advance), and knowing your neighbor(s) are the only truly effective
responses to a fire emergency in the Knolls.
- Report from Erik
Aspelin and others re: the Fox Hills/Monte Largo community plans for a
fire emergency
Erik Aspelin (270-8513) of the Fox Hills and Monte Largo Fire Safety
Committee provided us with their Firewise-approved Plan, including their
Evacuation Map for Fox Hills. Beginning in 2007, they asked Karen
Lightfoot, Wildland Urban Interface Forester, with the Dept. of Forestry
(505-867-2334) do a Firewise Assessment of their community (Fox Hills)
which scored 111 pts Firewise rating (112 constitutes “Extreme Hazard”).
The community developed a plan which primarily focused on the highest
risks and the development of an Evacuation Plan and phone tree. They had
the fire department do a drive through to ensure access to each home. They
have 4” standpipes for water access within the community. They utilized
Ciudad SWCD for thinning forests and eliminating ladder fuels, used
chippers to dispose of slash. They charged $2 per capita (utilizing funds
from their mandatory road fund), formed a standing committee of 4 and
qualified as a Firewise Community
http://www.Firewise.org allowing for access to grants and other
benefits. The community has only 37 homes (10% of Sandia Knolls which has
350 homes). They have tried to get the rough grading of a secondary
entrance to the property (via Magic Valley) by the owner of the
pressurized gas line that runs through Fox Hills (Western Refining), but
have thus far been unsuccessful because of Western Refining’s liability
concerns. No true secondary exit exists presently (there is a very rough
4WD road on the east side of the community).
- What current
programs exist (government and non-government) to help us plan
(including grant programs) and provide resources for education and
assessment of our existing fire risks?
Ciudad is a totally grant-funded organization. They have grants to thin
properties where the owner pays 30% and Ciudad pays a contractor 70%.
They can provide a chipper for 8 hours at a cost of $250 when communities
(2 households or more) want to coordinate their slash removal. Ciudad may
be able to do a 100% match to thin and clean-up Sandia Knolls Open Space
Park. Contact:
Sue Hansen Putze, Project Manager,
Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District
6200 Jefferson Blvd. NE, Room 125,
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Office: (505) 761-5446
Fax: (505) 761-5448. Sue Hansen will attend a future SK community-wide
meeting.
The Bernalillo County Fire Marshall, Chris Gober, (468-1310) will come out
to assess a resident’s property to ensure that there is defensible space,
access for the fire responders, and other suggestions.
The American Red Cross provides emergency planning training, on-line and
in person (free) and sells emergency kits
http://www.redcross.org/. Every family should have a plan in place.
You don’t have time to do this when the emergency happens! You will have
merely minutes to evacuate in the event of a fire and you will be in panic
mode.
EMIPFA has a free workshop March 7 in Tijeras for EM residents to become
aware and prepared:
http://emifpa.org/PDF/EastMountainCommunityWorkshop0309.pdf
EMIPFA has created a free DVD called the Homeowner’s Emergency
Preparedness Toolbox which you can obtain from the Sandia Ranger Station
(Vicki Farrar, 286-0479, has extra copies) or access fire emergency and
prevention information on line at:
http://emifpa.org/links.html under “Publications”.
The Central New Mexico Electric Co-op (our electric company) has safety
information here:
http://www.cnmec.org/electrical_safety.htm
Further, they will send a contractor out to clear branches and dead trees
adjacent to power lines on your property. This is a free service and is
important to do ASAP because of high winds which can cause trees or
branches to fall on lines or cause arcing which result in fires. Email:
dfulfer@cnmec.org to request thinning service.
- Report from Carol
Moritz, Adm. Mgr. Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District, re:
Sandia Knolls fire hazard assessment from Karen Lightfoot and Sue Hansen
neighborhood tour 2/28/09.
Sandia Knolls needs to prepare for evacuation, practice the evacuation
plan, have phone trees and drill in advance, have a plan for evacuation
and care of pets, know who are the handicapped and homebound residents
and perform immediate maintenance you can do now, including: replace or
install fire arrestors on stoves and fireplaces, have chimney/stove
cleaned professionally, install flashing to break wood walls from roof,
clean rain gutters and grounds of pine cones, pine needles, and ladder
fuels (dry grass, shrubs, weeds extending to homes and roofs), screen
below decks to prevent embers from starting fires under decks, place
firewood piles at least 30 ft. from home, install readable address numbers
by road. Trim branches away from roofs and up 6-10 feet on trees to
prevent ladder fuel. Clear slash from property during free green waste
days from March 8-14 at the Tijeras Transfer Station (761-4986).
- What do we want to
do? Possible goals may include: survey residents regarding
needs and interests, community education on fire risks and prevention,
assessment of our neighborhood by trained fire safety personnel,
establish Sandia Knolls fire safety committee, develop communication
networks, create emergency response plan
The following are 10 ideas suggested at the meeting about what we could
do:
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Make an
Evacuation Plan for the Sandia Knolls (including maps)
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Establish
Phone Tree for Sandia Knolls
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Improve
Communication within the Knolls
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Thinning
trees and Slash Removal Plan for Sandia Knolls. John Helmich (228-6802)
said we could get the free use of a chipper with advance notice and
coordinated community-wide participation over one day or a weekend.
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Create a
Teen Corps to help clean up the neighborhood/thin and remove trash and
fire fuels (establish a Sandia Knolls Youth Corps or look into existing
youth groups like Boy Scouts, Talking Talons, etc.)
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Explore
Emergency Response Tools (beacon/siren, safe havens in the Knolls for
persons to gather if they can’t get out, emergency response weather
radios)
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Establish
Block Captains for emergencies
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Welcome
Packets for New Neighbors (use of business supported refrigerator
magnets, real estate agencies to inform people of SKNA and emergency
procedures)
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Grants for
Cleaning our Open Space
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Make Sandia
Knolls a Firewise community
Please select one of these projects to work on. Let Vicki Farrar 286-0479
vickfarrar@comcast.net know which project you are interested in and
she will connect you to others with same interest. Then you will meet to
discuss, fact-find, and make recommendations within the next two weeks.
It was suggested we hold a community-wide meeting in about 2-3 weeks at
Vista Grande Community Center to report back our progress/suggestions for
each project, educate and recruit more volunteers for Fire Safety
preparation in Sandia Knolls.
7. How can we communicate better with all
residents in Sandia Knolls about issues like this?
We need a bulletin board or information kiosk at the entrance to the
Knolls to help inform residents about important information, especially
for those who do not access the internet site, or who are new to the
community, or who do not access flyers at the mailboxes. We need to
advertise voluntary membership in the Association ($10/year) and inform
residents of the SKNA web site and yahoo discussion site (top of this
page). For reproduction of SKNA information, John Helmich (228-6802)
volunteered his copy machine (100 ppm) located in his office at 1 Gaddis
and Carol Moritz (286-4866) offered assistance in getting copies made with
advance notice.
8. What is the possibility of an
additional water hydrant off the 6 inch line on Pinon Heights Rd. down
hill from the water tanks in Fox Hills?
A
fact-finding committee should meet with our water company to explore the
feasibility of installation of a hydrant or standpipes in the Sandia
Knolls. There are SK water tanks at the top of Pinon Heights Rd. in Fox
Hills and there is a gravity-fed 4” or 6” line going west on Pinon
Heights where a hydrant might be installed. Because of the sensitivity of
the current water rights legal issue, this should be a fact-finding
committee, not a negotiation committee.
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RED FLAGS IN BERNALILLO COUNTY SIGNAL SEVERE
WILDFIRE DANGER As wildfire conditions continue to decline,
Bernalillo County fire stations and several other local agencies have adopted a
simple, yet effective way to alert residents of pending danger. On Red Flag Days, meaning days on which the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has declared that “catastrophic wildfire
conditions” exist, the county’s 12 fire stations will replace each of its U.S.
flags with a 3’ x 5’ red, rectangular flag outside. Red Flag Days remind
residents that it’s hot, dry, and windy—the
perfect outdoor recipe for wildfires to cause the most damage. The Bernalillo
County Emergency Communications Center will also fly a red flag on Red Flag
Days.
“This is just one more visual aid that the Bernalillo County Fire Department
is using to educate the public that high fire danger conditions exist,” says
Bernalillo County Fire Chief Bett Clark. “When you see red flags be extra
cautious. Don’t light any fires outside. If you see smoke or flames, call 911
immediately so that we can get the needed firefighting resources on scene as
soon as possible.”
Since last fall, unseasonably dry and windy conditions have combined to
produce hazardous conditions for area homeowners—especially
those living in heavily wooded, rural areas such as the East Mountains. The
Bernalillo County Commission has unanimously passed a resolution that
establishes “a state of readiness” for the 2006 wildfire season within all
unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County and Governor Bill Richardson has
declared a statewide fire emergency, freeing $750,000 in emergency financial
resources for local governments that declare an emergency, impose fire
restrictions, and request assistance. It is the first statewide fire emergency
declaration in New Mexico history.
For more information on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from
wildfire, please visit the county’s website at
www.bernco.gov,
click on Depts, Offices & Divisions, Fire and Rescue, and select the link on the
right hand side of that page entitled Fire Preparedness Information.
Sandia Knolls Neighborhood Association has a Safety Committee headed up by
Eric Jantz
Rainfall Totals YTD
8.91"
through 10-15-08
Sorry for the lack of updates! I need a new weather
station...2-6-09
Feb. 22nd-Dec. 3rd 2007
6.89"
(Sorry does not include snow in the total)
Summer & Fall 2006
Since 6/26=17.08"
6/26-7/31=7.84" 8/1-8/31=5.64"
9/1-9/30=1.60"
10/1-10/19=2.00"
measurements taken at 82 Pinon Heights
5.15
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Save your Horses! Sue
Clark-Sorger has some good advice for you to follow regarding the evacuation of
your horses. Download a copy Here
for an easy to Print Version. (Acrobat Reader PDF 106K)
EQUINE EVACUATION
Emergencies such as fire or flood are usually chaotic and
frightening, especially when they concern your horses. Don’t wait until it is
too late! Advanced planning can save you and your horses’ lives.
Evacuation:
v
Equine evacuation can be challenging. Develop an evacuation plan
and make sure your animals are familiar with being led into a trailer. Having a
plan prior to a disaster will help you accomplish a successful evacuation and
maintain the safety of your animals.
v
Locate and prearrange an evacuation site for your equines outside
the immediate area.
o
Expo New Mexico (State Fair) will be open during an evacuation.
o
Northern New Mexico Horse Arena, Santa Fe, will also be open.
v
Keep trailers and towing vehicles well maintained, full of gas,
and ready to move at all times.
Identification: Photograph, identify, and
inventory your animals. Permanent identification, such as brands, tattoos, or
microchips, is best. Temporary identification, such as halter tags, mane clip,
luggage tag braided into tail or mane, clipper shaved information in the
animal’s hair, livestock markers, paint and duct tape with permanent writing
will also work. Include your name and contact numbers. Keep identification
information with you to verify ownership.
Disaster kit: Prepare a disaster supply
kit. Your kit should be readily accessible and should be checked monthly to
keep the supplies up to date. The kit should contain
v
3 day supply of food and water source
v
Leads and halters
v
First aid kit (include medications)
v
Emergency contact list
v
Vaccination and medical records
v
Photographs & other proof of ownership (Livestock Board
Transportation Permit)
v
Water buckets
v
Battery powered radio
v
Flashlight
v
Spare batteries
v
Duct tape
v
Paper towels
v
Disinfectant, lime or bleach
v
Wire cutters
v
Knife (sharp, all-purpose)
v
Trash bags
v
Tarps
v
Hoof knife, nippers, pick, rasp
v
Bandannas (blind folds) Are these for the horses? Do people still
use those blinder things?
v
Fly spray
v
Gloves (heavy leather)
v
Leg wraps
v
Shovel, muck fork
v
Twitch
Your kit should be assembled in an easy-to-carry waterproof
container. It should be stored in an easily accessible location. Replace the
food, water, and medications as often as needed to maintain their quality and
freshness, consult with your veterinarian for advice on making a first aid kit
that is appropriate for your individual animals.
Paperwork and Records: Store important
documents in a waterproof plastic bag. These should include current vaccination
and medical records as well as important test results (coggins, etc.). You might
want to suggest storing copies of these off site (at a friend’s in town, in a
safe deposit box, etc.)
During an Emergency:
v
Evacuate your family, including your animals as early as
possible. By leaving early, you will ensure their safety and ease your stress.
v
Be aware of changing conditions; monitor your television or radio
for information. Lt. Rider told us that 770 AM KKOB will broadcast disaster and
evacuation information.
v
If you must leave your equines, leave them with enough hay and
water for 48 to 72 hours. Do not rely on automatic watering systems.
Power may be lost, and in the Knolls, that means no water.
Action now: It has been shown time and time
again, if you don’t make the above preparations in the next 24 hours, the
chances are very good that you won’t do anything at all to prepare for a fire
emergency.
Remember, your animals are counting on you for their
survival and support!
Sue Clark-Sorger (281-6318)
Sandia Knolls Evacuation Committee
Equine Evacuation Coordinator
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