**For Immediate Release**

Re: Junk the Junipers 2019

From: Lt. Tim Weaver- Rapid City Fire Department

Office: (605)-394-4180

Cell: (605)-390-4114

tim.weaver@rcgov.org

Date: 04/30/2019

Junk the Junipers Set to Begin in May

The Rapid City Fire Departments annual “Junk the Junipers Program” is happening in May as part of Wildfire Awareness Month.  Homeowners are encouraged Lt. Tim Weaver at tim.weaver@rcgov.org to sign up for this great program as well as several others aimed at Wildfire risk mitigation. The Rapid City Veteran Wildfire Mitigation Crew will be helping with the “Junk the Junipers” program which helps reduce hazardous fuels and assists homeowners in getting highly flammable junipers and cedars removed from around their homes for free.  Neighborhoods eligible for this event include:

-Carriage Hills/Wildwood

-Pinedale Heights/Kingswood

-Chapel Valley/Chapel Lane

-Skyline Drive/Woodridge

Springbrook Acres/Sheridan Lake Road

-Red Rocks/Countryside

This event is important because of the role that it plays in reducing fire risk in our communities. The Rapid City Fire Department assists homeowners through the Survivable Space Initiative with several grant programs to assist with fuel reduction and education. The educational component of this initiative focuses on what homeowners and communities can do to become Fire Adapted Communities.  Lieutenant Tim Weaver, Wildfire mitigation program coordinator for the Rapid City Fire Department commented; “A significant wildland fire in Rapid City is not a matter of if.  It is a matter of when. This event helps homeowners create fire resilient landscapes that can lessen the effects of how fire will impact their neighborhoods”.  Weaver went on to explain that homeowners and neighborhoods living in our Primary Wildland Hazard zone need to be adapted to fire, and learn how to coexist with fire in a landscape that wants to burn.

For more information, comment or clarification regarding this release, please contact Lt. Tim Weaver of the Rapid City Fire Department Fire and Life Safety Division at the information provided above.

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RCFD Media Release

**For Immediate Release**

Re: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2019

From: Lt. Jim Bussell- Rapid City Fire Department

Office: (605)-394-4180

Jim.bussell@rcgov.org

Date: 04/15/2019

               

Rapid City, S.D. - The RCFD will be joining other local Public Safety Agencies in celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week April 14-20, 2019. The Rapid City Fire Department wishes to congratulate our Public Safety Telecommunicators and give them our profound thanks for the work that they do.

Fire and EMS personnel have unique, first-hand knowledge of the importance of the role that our 911 Dispatchers play in the business of saving lives and protecting our community. Most people in our community know little of the vital role that 9-1-1 Dispatchers play in ensuring the safety of Fire and EMS personnel. In addition, these professional men and women are the first-line in providing adequate and appropriate emergency response.

Dispatchers are critical first First Responders. They must keep track of multiple units, companies, and even entire departments during critical incidents. Sometimes this requires tracking multiple incidents spanning multiple communities and multiple counties. Their hard work and dedication is most certainly noticed and appreciated by our entire organization.

Our success in the initial stages of an incident depends largely on the information that they provide. It cannot be overstated that our Public Safety Telecommunicators are key contributors to ensuring that our Fire and EMS providers can work and function safely.  It is an honor to work with such an outstanding, professional group of individuals that help to form our Public Safety network.

On behalf of each member of the Rapid City Fire Department, thank you to each and every member of the Pennington County 9-1-1 for their hard work and dedication.

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