 On
behalf of the 40 professional men and women that serve the
citizens of the Valley Center Fire Protection District,
I welcome you to the Valley Center Fire Protection District
web page. Here you will find both statistical, as well as
anecdotal information regarding the district. The Valley
Center Fire Protection Districts operates a full service
fire department providing services ranging from fire prevention,
public education, fire suppression, emergency medical services
in partnership with Mercy Ambulance, technical rescue and
hazardous materials mitigation.
Operating from 2 strategically located stations in an 84.5
square mile response area, the Valley Center Fire Protection
District provides the highest quality of service to our
20,000 residents and visitors who come to our community
and experience our family atmosphere. We responded to over
1060 calls for service in 2014 and with our growing community,
we expect to see an increase in calls for service in the
years to come.
We have strived to provide you with information that is
most frequently requested, and I hope you find this page
easy to navigate. As always, if you see ways we can make
your experience here on our page better, please do not hesitate
to let us know by contacting any of the members of the Valley
Center Fire Protection District.
Joe
Napier
Fire Chief
Valley Center Fire Department
January 2013
Dear Property Owner,
In an effort to provide prompt and efficient emergency services
to our customers, the Valley Center Fire Protection District
is surveying all bridges, culverts and other crossings within
our jurisdiction to ensure compliance with District, County
and State fire codes. This effort is in response to the
identification of several substandard, non-permitted bridges
or culverts in the district, with the ultimate goal of preventing
our fire apparatus from falling through a bridge or collapsing
a culvert. Our staff has conducted a survey and determined
that there is a bridge or culvert on your property. We will
be requiring that all private bridges and culverts have
the maximum vehicle load limits posted on both entrances
to the elevated structure. This requirement can be found
in the 2010 edition of the California Fire Code Section
503.2.6 which has been adopted by the Valley Center Fire
Protection District in Ordinance 2010-39. See codes on Attachment
A.
In
order to ensure the safety of our personnel and equipment,
we cannot guarantee our fire apparatus will cross your
bridge or culvert until such time as we receive verification
that your elevated structure will support a capacity of
75,000 pounds. Rest assured we will continue to provide
prompt service to your property; however, service will
likely be delayed if the capacity of your structure remains
unanswered. Verification of capacity may be accomplished
by one of the following:
-
Provide proof of a permit, or obtain a permit from the
County of San Diego, Department of Planning & Land Use
(858) 694-2960
-
If
your bridge or culvert cannot be permitted by the County,
obtain written verification from a licensed structural
engineer. You may find such engineers in the yellow
pages under “engineers-structural.”
We
thank you for your prompt attention in this matter. Should
you have any questions, please contact me at (760) 751-7600.
A completed county permit or verification can be mailed
to George Lucia Sr., Fire Marshal at the above address.
By: George Lucia Sr., Fire Marshal
PRESS
ANNOUNCEMENT
October
21, 2008
Fire
Marshal George E. Lucia Sr. and District Administrator John
H. Byrne today announced that the Valley Center Fire Protection
District will commence enforcement of its rights to recover
the costs incurred by the District for public fire suppression
efforts caused by property owners who fail to observe the
District's fire code ordinance.
There
have been a steadily increasing number of incidents requiring
the dispatch of fire engines and firefighters to suppress
fires started by landowners and business owners in violation
of the existing Fire Code. Examples of such violations are:
burning without a valid burn permit; burning on "no burn"
days; burning in violation of burn permit conditions; repetitive
false alarms; impeding fire apparatus access; and maintaining
unsafe conditions which result in a fire.
The
District is allowed under its Fire Code to recover from an
offending landowner fire suppression, investigative and other
administrative costs associated with a fire caused by negligence
or as a result of a violation of the law. These costs may
be substantial in amount, often exceeding thousands of dollars
per incident.
Lucia
and Byrne said that it is unfair to District landowners who
comply with the Fire Code to ultimately shoulder the unnecessary
financial burden caused by landowners who fail to comply with
the Code. Code violators also detract from the District's
readiness and capabilities to provide fire suppression services
for legitimate fire incidents.
For
additional information regarding this release, contact the
Fire Marshal or the District Administrator at (760) 751-7600.
Holiday
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Making
plans ahead of time can often mean the difference between
tragedy and survival. And, while the VCFPD and other emergency
responders are dedicated to making your life safer, no one
agency or governmental entity can do everything that needs
to be done to protect you in all circumstances.
Good
planning includes having knowledge of your community, its
terrain, its roads, the best places to go or avoid in an emergency,
what media stations to turn to during a disaster for information,
and many other things.
Don't
delay. Start planning today!
George E. Lucia Sr.
Fire Marshal/Captain
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