Firefighter volunteers needed

We still have a serious shortage of volunteers for the fire department. Here is a message from Fire Chief Mike Sonnen:

“The Dora-Sitkum Fire Department needs your help. If you are 18-80, male or female, you can help. We need volunteers! You don’t have to be 30 and buff. We need people to take notes, hand out water, keep an eye on the water level on trucks or port-a-tanks, so others can fight fire. Also, you can flag traffic when we respond to accidents. If we can’t get help, we will all suffer for lack of medical and fire response help to the community.”

Drills are on the last three Wednesdays of the month, at 6:30 p.m., at the fire hall on Goldbrick Road. Drop-ins are most welcome.

Dessert for people who might want to volunteer

All are welcome to attend a dessert to learn more about becoming firefighters. We will answer questions and show you around the fire hall.

The dessert will be held at the fire hall on Goldbrick Road at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17. Everyone is welcome!

Fire calls

We are fortunate to have had few fires. We appreciate everyone taking steps to prevent fires. Early in the summer, we extinguished a fire in a tree at Frona Park. The most recent fire was a chimney fire in McKinley in early September. Automatic Aid was activated to bring in trucks and firefighters from Fairview Fire. Thank you, Fairview Fire!

Sweep that chimney!

 Speaking of chimney fires, remember there are chimney brushes that can be checked out at the Dora Library. If you heat with wood, we hope that you sweep out your chimney, as many a house has burned down from a creosote-filled chimney.

 Fire truck garage to be built in Sitkum

 The Sitkum fire truck garage project is making its way through various piles of paperwork, and various wrinkles are getting ironed out. It’s a slow business, but it will be built.

The garage will be on land that Mark and Shirleen Stoller are supplying by way of a 50-year lease at $10 per year. The project is funded by a federal Community Block Grant. It should be a nice building when completed. It will house one or two trucks. It will be nice to have water close at hand in case of a fire in Sitkum.

For more information on the garage project, contact Chief Mike Sonnen or any of the members of the fire board: Rich Kirk, David Rose, Betty Vaughn, Tara Johnson, and Sherri Erwin. Everyone is welcome to attend board meetings. They are held the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the fire hall in Dora.

 Cell phone signal booster

Thanks to a grant provided by Jordan Cove, the fire department has installed equipment that boosts cell phone signals. The best place to be to use this service is standing near the front door of the fire hall. It works for most cell phone carriers, with the exception of AT&T. This service is free to the public 24 hours a day.

National Night Out; Fire Department Open House

We observed National Night Out and a fire department open house on August 7. Hot dogs and more were served to all attendees, including folks from Myrtle Point Ambulance Service and Coos Forest Patrol, as well as County Commissioner John Sweet.

Hope to see you next year!

 A place to meet

Spaces at Dora Center are perfect for large family gatherings, or an activity that is too big for a living room. The kitchen, featuring multiple ovens and sinks, is also available. For information, contact Steve Laird, building manager, at 541-572-2058.