RHFD

The Pinole Rotary Club  Honors Rodeo Hercules Fire District Captain John Houseman and Pinole Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic Steve Dorsey.   Captain Houseman began his career in 1977 as a Reserve Firefighter with the Rodeo Fire Department and was hired as a full-time firefighter in 1980.   He quickly rose through the ranks becoming a Captain in 1989.  He grew up in Rodeo attending St. Patrick’s Elementary School and John Swett High School.  He and his wife Pam, have lived in Pinole for over 30 years.    Paramedic Dorsey is also a home town boy, graduating from Pinole Valley High School and Sacramento State.  He began his fire service career with the Cordelia Fire District and as a Reserve Firefighter with Pinole Fire Department.   He was hired as a full-time firefighter/paramedic in 2008.   The District is proud to honor Captain Houseman and Paramedic Dorsey for their dedication to the fire service and to the communities they serve.

The Rodeo Hercules Fire Protection District continues its effort to lessen its carbon foot print and green house gas emissions by joining with Bay Area Air Quality Management District and its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant Program (GGRGP) to install energy efficient gas fired water heaters in both District Fire Stations.  Without the GGRGP assistance this project would not have been possible. The District looks forward to again joining with GGRGP in the next component of the project, the installation of Solar Panels at Stations 75 and 76.

For more information about Bay Area Air Quality Management District   –  BAAQMD

CITIZENS of RODEO and HERCULES  – LIVE BROADCAST ON HERCULES TV 12/12/11

The Rodeo Hercules Fire District provides service from two fire stations in the communities of Rodeo and Hercules. In 2010 our members responded to over 2000 incidents, including fires, rescues and cardiac incidents. In addition they assisted in helping our neighbors in Western Contra Costa and Northern and Southern California.

Providing established core service and maintaining the “standard of care” in the communities of Rodeo and Hercules continues to be a challenge. Funding restrictions require strict adherence to statewide initiatives and election laws. 

Due to catastrophic financial conditions and a 30% reduction in assessed values in the Hercules Redevelopment Merged Project Area, Fire District revenues have plummeted. In addition, the Fire District loses more than $2 million dollars annually from state and local property tax shifts. As a result of these circumstances we continue to seek long term alternatives and options to stabilize our fiscal situation.

As we all work through these challenges, the Fire District is committed to providing the highest level of service that conditions allow. Unfortunately this means extraordinary measures including relying on automatic and mutual aid, shared service agreements and beginning January 2012 temporary fire station closures to bridge the budget shortfall and reduce our ongoing structural deficit.

As your Fire Chief, I want to assure you that these actions were not taken lightly or without significant changes to staffing, existing practices and the full cooperation and sacrifice of each member of the organization.

We invites you to discuss the current condition of the Fire District, the struggles we face and the efforts we have made to continue our long standing commitment to the community.

Charles Hanley, Fire Chief

COMMUNITY MEETINGS:

Location                                                                          Time                             Date

Fire Station 76 1680 Refugio Valley Rd                  6:30 – 8:30                        November 28, 2011

Fire Station 76 1680 Refugio Valley Rd                  6:30 – 8:30                        November 30, 2011

Saint Patrick’s School 825 7^th St.                         6:30 – 8:30                        December 5, 2011

Saint Patrick’s School 825 7^th St.                         6:30 – 8:30                        December 7, 2011

Hercules City Hall 111 Civic Drive                        6:30 – 8:30                        December 12, 2011

Hercules City Hall 111 Civic Drive                        6:30 – 8:30                        December 14, 2011



As part of their ongoing efforts to keep our country and communities safe during emergencies, the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS test plays a key role in ensuring the nation is prepared for all hazards, and that the U.S. public can receive critical and vital information, should it ever be needed.  The first nationwide test will be conducted Wednesday, November 9 at 2 p.m. ET.  This test may last up to three and a half minutes, and will be transmitted via television and radio stations within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Similar to local emergency alert system tests, an audio message will interrupt television and radio programming indicating: “This is a test.” When the test is over, regular programming will resume.  For more information about the nationwide Emergency Alert System test, please visit http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6407 and www.FCC.gov.   On November 9 at 2 p.m. EDT, please remember: Don’t stress; it’s only a test.