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Welcome to another edition of the Murrieta Fire & Rescue newsletter! This month, we're showcasing our ongoing commitment to keeping our community safe, involved, and informed.
For our younger residents, we're thrilled to highlight the "Caught with Your Helmet On" program. This fantastic initiative encourages safe cycling habits by rewarding kids who wear helmets with gift certificates from local businesses. It's a win-win for everyone – promoting safety while supporting local shops!
Speaking of community events, in April, we had the 77th Annual Firefighters BBQ, where we invited 120,000 of our closest friends to come join us at the longest-running event in Southwest Riverside County. We use this event to engage the community and provide an opportunity for our firefighters to throw a party for the whole city. With over 5,000 people in attendance and 1,200 lbs. of tri-tip later, we will call that event a success.
Our commitment to safety goes beyond celebrations. We're proud to share the story of Engineer Cory Wheeler, who was recently recognized for his dedication to the community. His efforts in organizing fundraising for a young girl in need truly exemplify the spirit of service that runs deep within our department.
This newsletter also features updates on various other programs and initiatives:
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Every 15 Minutes: This powerful program educates high school students about the dangers of drinking and driving, helping to prevent future tragedies.
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Fire Cadet Program: We're excited to share the success of our Fire Cadets, who recently secured a first-place win at the annual muster!
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Public Safety Dispatchers Honored: We extend a heartfelt congratulations to our Murrieta Public Safety Dispatchers for their well-deserved recognition at the Annual Public Safety Awards.
We encourage you to explore the newsletter further for a deeper look into these stories, as well as updates on training exercises, fire prevention efforts, and more.
As always, Murrieta Fire & Rescue remains dedicated to serving you, our valued community. Stay safe, and we look forward to connecting with you again next month!
Sincerely,
Bernie Molloy
Murrieta Fire Chief
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Murrieta Fire & Rescue News | |
Mental Health Awareness Month
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to remind the public of Murrieta City Council's proactive stance in addressing community mental health challenges. In December 2023, the Council forged a partnership with Care Solace. The main goal of Care Solace is to connect people with mental health and substance use treatment providers, regardless of their insurance coverage. Their services are free to the Murrieta community.
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Get Caught With Your Helmet On!
In an effort to boost bicycle safety and helmet use among young riders in the Temecula Valley, Nurse Practitioner Angelyn Miracle-Fowler and her husband, Brian, launched the "Caught With Your Helmet On" program in Murrieta. The campaign, which is already successful in Temecula, allows first responders to reward kids for wearing their helmets by providing them with a gift certificate from local businesses. Miracle-Fowler's kick-off in Murrieta also aligns with National Bike Month.
Caught With Your Helmet On
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Weed Abatement Update
Vegetation inspections are in full swing around Murrieta, and we are happy to report that over 9,100 properties have been inspected. Our work is not done, and our fire inspectors will continue to work through the initial inspections to ensure property owners are notified and can eliminate the significant fuels before they become a threat.
Our immediate focus is to reduce the fuels to heights that ensure that when a fire starts, growth will be limited. Out of the properties inspected, approximately 1,200 (just over 13%) failed the initial inspection. We want to thank those who have proactively cleaned and cleared their property—it's truly neighbors helping neighbors.
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Rotary Club of Murrieta Honors FF
Join us in celebrating and congratulating Engineer Cory Wheeler, who was honored by the Rotary Club of Murrieta at the Vocational Service Awards luncheon on April 29.
Engineer Wheeler was recognized for his outstanding efforts in organizing and rallying department members to raise funds for a young girl who tragically lost her father just before Christmas. This highlights his passion and dedication to supporting those in need in our community. Congratulations, Cory!
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Every 15 Minutes Program
Battalion Chief Eric Ackerman, along with the crews from Truck 2 and Medic Patrol 2, joined Murrieta PD, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and AMR in this year’s Every 15 Minutes program held at Murrieta Mesa High School. The program is aimed at educating high school students about the dangers of drinking and driving, which includes a simulated traffic collision to emphasize the consequences of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Engineer Academy - Elevating Skills for Future Advancements
Murrieta Fire and Rescue’s Engineer Academy is usually held every other year and is offered to all qualified Murrieta firefighters/paramedics looking to further their knowledge as a Fire Engineer. The Engineer Academy is a two-week academy where they learn many aspects of the position, including pumping operations on all fire apparatuses, safe and efficient operations for the aerial ladder truck, gaining access to various rooftops with the aerial ladder, federal, state, and local laws while driving a fire apparatus, off-road driving, and initial report on conditions of various fires.
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Emergency Preparedness Presentation
Disaster Preparedness Coordinator Rachel Hollinger made a presentation to those attending the quarterly Southwest Riverside County Fire Safe Council meeting at Station 4 on April 18. She provided information on how to prepare for an emergency, including creating a “go bag,” which includes basic necessities needed if you have to evacuate or services are unavailable for a period of time.
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MFR Participates in Vista's Career Fair
Acting Battalion Chief Sean DeGrave participated in the Vista Murrieta High School career fair. Chief DeGrave spoke with over 200 teens about careers in the fire service and the MFR Fire Cadet program.
Skilled Paramedic/Firefighter Opportunity
Fire Cadet Info
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Skilled Paramedic/Firefighters
Murrieta Fire & Rescue seeks skilled firefighters to join our team through lateral recruitment. If you're looking for a change, this opportunity could be your next career move!
Application Deadline: 6/5/2024 11:59 PM
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April 2024 Calls
At Murrieta Fire & Rescue, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our community. In the spirit of transparency and ongoing communication, we're sharing some statistics from April 2024:
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- Total Calls: 952
- Fire Incidents: 16
- Medical Emergencies: 696
- False Alarms: 26
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Demolition Derby Showdown Fundraiser
After clinching an impressive fourth place in their inaugural demolition derby last year, Murrieta Firefighters Association-Local 3540 is gearing up for another showdown. Your Murrieta Firefighters will be at the Murrieta Market Nights in Old Town on May 16 and June 20 to collect donations for this year’s Demolition Derby! All proceeds go to the Burn Institute. We appreciate your support!
More information...
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Total Training Hours
- April 2024 - 2,583.58
- YTD Total for 2024 - 9,268.49
Training Highlights
- Engineer's Academy
- Video Larynogoscopy
- Santa Ana Wellness
- Multi-Agency Boat Drill
- Swift Water Awareness
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Fire Marshal Strosnider Pinned
Fire Marshal Doug Strosnider was officially pinned with his new badge by his wife, Cindy, and surrounded by family and colleagues who congratulated him on a well-earned promotion. In one of the largest private badge-pinning ceremonies we have hosted, many firefighters and fire prevention personnel expressed their appreciation for the dedication Fire Marshal Strosnider has shown to the safety of our fire personnel and community through his efforts and mentorship in the Community Risk Reduction Division.
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Award-Winning Public Safety Dispatchers
Hats off to our Murrieta Public Safety Dispatchers for being recognized at the Annual Public Safety Awards (APSA) presentation by the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
Becky Valerio received an Honorable Mention in the category Outstanding Performance by an Individual - Fire. Jennifer Barnett, Auralee McGinnis, Katelyn James, Lori Koza, Sonia Hasso, Michelle Fountain, and Mattie Medina received an Honorable Mention in the category Outstanding Performance by a Team.
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PHOTO (L to R): Menifee Police Chief Chris Karrer, Murrieta Police Chief Tony Conrad, Murrieta Police Captain Phil Gomez, Dispatcher Shannon Johnson, Dispatcher Aurie McGinnis, Dispatch Supervisor Mattie Medina, Murrieta Fire Chief Bernie Molloy, Dispatcher Sonia Hasso, and Dispatcher Katelyn James. (Not pictured: Becky Valerio, Jennifer Barnett, Lori Koza, and Michelle Fountain) | |
MFR Fire Cadets Take the Muster Win
Murrieta Fire & Rescue Fire Cadets secured a 1st place win at the annual muster during the Firefighter's BBQ in April, showcasing their teamwork.
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Congratulations to ACM Holler
Assistant City Manager Ivan Holler was presented with an honorary axe as a token of appreciation for his contributions to the fire service in Murrieta and San Diego County. Fire Chief Bernie Molloy led the presentation to honor Holler’s retirement on April 4.
Read More...
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Photo Recap of April 2024 | |
Each month, we plan to bring you a photo recap of the events that occurred in the previous month, including significant incidents, crew training, public education, community events, donations, and whatever! | |
Katie and Brooklyn Jurovich from Girl Scout Troop 626 donated thirty boxes of Girl Scout cookies to MFR. The cookies were distributed to thankful firefighters at each station. Development Services Technician Tisha McKnight and Office Specialist Kay Riscol accepted the cookies on behalf of the department. | | |
Murrieta resident Elise Garcia brought us this beautiful Dalmatian dog as a way of saying thank you for all the service the crews provide to her community and in honor of our 77th birthday. | | | |
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Regional CERT Field Day 2024
Offering Riverside & San Bernardino County communities the opportunity to refresh their disaster response CERT skills.
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Clean your dryer lint filter regularly to prevent lint buildup
and reduce the risk of dryer fires.
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