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Novato Fire Foundation
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Programs Novato Fire Foundation Scholarship Novato Firefighter Steven Rucker perished in a wildland fire in Southern California in 2003. To honor his memory and sacrifice, the Novato Fire Foundation is awarding two annual scholarships of $500.00 to outstanding seniors of Novato and San Marin High Schools. For more details on eligibility and award criteria, please follow the links below. Congratulations to Sean Cottrell of San Marin High School, winner of the 2009 Novato Fire Foundation Scholarship.
The Fire Squirts Camp This collaborate community project provides “at risk” children between the ages of 10 years and 14 years an experience of a life-time….an opportunity to spend one week with local firefighters. During the week, these children will learn valuable life-saving skills such as C.P.R. and how to use a fire extinguisher. More importantly, it allows them to be part of the community their circumstances prevent them from belonging to, and to experience first hand what it means to be part of a team. The experience exposes them to a world of endless possibilities and provides them with an incentive to become productive members of society, as well as the opportunity to develop life-long friendships with positive role models in their community. Fire Squirts Brochure Fire Squirts Video for Broadband The Public Access Defibrillator Program This program places Automatic External Defibrillators in business and gathering places in the Novato Community. In December 2003 a concerned citizen, Lea Eastland, left $77,500 in her estate to be distributed to the Novato Fire District for use in its emergency medical program. This money was transferred to the newly formed Novato Fire Foundation and earmarked for the purchase of AEDs for the public areas in the community. This became the start of the From the HEART program which currently exists today. Since May of 2004, over twenty five of these units have been purchased and distributed in both Fire District staff vehicles and businesses in Novato.
The primary goal of From the HEART is to reduce the time it takes to apply external defibrillation to a victim suffering SCA in a public location. The Foundation intends to supply the community of Novato with enough AED units (approximately 100 units) to reduce the “drop to shock” time to four minutes . Since it is not possible to absolutely identify when and where a SCA event will take place, disbursing these units among likely target areas becomes an important aspect of the program. The idea of having a public access defibrillation program is not new and many fine examples exist in other municipalities. What sets From the HEART apart from other programs is that there are no associated costs to the user in terms of equipment or training. Both are donated by the Novato Fire Foundation in order to reach all target areas regardless of their ability or willingness to pay. This gift to our community is truly from the heart. |
