Sherwood Firewise Communities (SFC) serves the communities of the Brooktrails Community Township, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Gates, Sylvandale, Sherwood Valley Rancheria, Sherwood Ranch, and all other properties adjacent to or off of Sherwood Road in Willits, California.
URGENT
 Hello Neighbors! The Mendocino County FIreSafe Council and our Fire Department urgently need our help! Please read the information below from the MCFSC about this critical issue.And then make your voices heard by submitting your comments to the BOS before Tuesday, April 8th. (links provided at the bottom of this email) Or better yet, come in person to the BOS meeting on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. to speak up and show your support! Thank You!  MCFSC and your local Fire Department have a critical request for your support! Please read the details below, take action, and make your voice heard before Tuesday’s April 8th Board of Supervisors meeting. Also pass this along to your contacts and urge them to attend or comment.In 2017 the Board of Supervisors (BOS) promised our Fire Departments a small fixed portion of funds that come from a statewide sales tax, Proposition 172, which is dedicated to public safety agencies. The County has not lived up to that agreement and the amount delivered to our Fire Departments has been declining, without explanation or discussion. We need to be able to rely on the BOS to be responsible for what it promises, particularly when it come to keeping our fire and EMS services alive. PLEASE SPEAK UP. Here are the facts: Prop 172 is a statewide sales tax passed in 1992 to help restore public safety funding. In 2016, due to the hard-fought efforts of local Fire District Boards and others, the BOS finally and formally recognized that Fire Agencies are “public safety” agencies eligible for Prop 172 allocations from the County. In December 2017 the BOS and Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts agreed what the allocation of Prop 172 would be. The formula is 5.46% of the total Prop 172 revenue + a fixed $87,521. In looking at the allocations of Prop 172 since 2017, the County has not followed this formula and Fire Agency allocations have been decreasing over time. The math shows that Fire Agencies have been shorted over $1M relative to the agreement with the BOS. Fire services are a key component of the public safety net that keeps us all whole. They are the day-in, day-out, all-night front line response we rely on for all manner of emergencies – medical calls, car crashes, smoke checks, trees blocking roads, house fires, public lift assists for when you’ve fallen and you can’t get up, the list goes on, not to mention getting in front of potentially catastrophic wildfires and saving communities. They are funded by a patchwork of small funding sources and supplemented by a huge amount of volunteer labor. Our County receives immense benefits and cost-savings from the volunteer model providing fire and EMS services. The limited support they get from, and have been promised by the County, needs to be reliable and predictable. That has not been the case relative to funding promised by the BOS from Proposition 172. Residents need to speak up and demand that the situation be corrected. The issue is on the April 8th BOS meeting as item 4d. We urge you to submit a comment, contact your supervisor and/or write the Board. Instructions below. For more details on the issue, please see the joint letter from the Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts and the Mendocino County Fire Chiefs Association and the public comment letters from Mendocino County Fire Safe Council Board President, the Piercy Fire Protection District and Fire Chief Steve Orsi. MCAFD & MCFCA Proposition 172 Issue LetterMendocino County Fire Safe Council Public CommentPiercy Fire Protection District Public CommentFort Bragg Fire, Chief Orsi Public Comment INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT There are multiple ways to make public comment, the easiest way is to email all five Supervisors at once at: bos@mendocinocounty.gov. You can also submit comments online via the eComment platform at https://mendocino.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Look for the eComment button next to the April 8th Agenda listing and select the correct agenda item (4d). The eComment platform will ask you to make a profile before you submit your comment. You can email your Supervisor directly at: District 1 – Madeline Cline, clinem@mendocinocounty.gov District 2 – Mo Mulheren, mulherenm@mendocinocounty.gov District 3 – John Haschak, haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov District 4 – Bernie Norvell, norvellb@mendocinocounty.gov District 5 – Ted Williams, williamst@mendocinocounty.gov Email the Board of Supervisors |
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For next SFC meeting date, click here OR here. For MORE important announcements, click here!
The purpose of Sherwood Firewise Communities is to create and support fire adaptive and resilient communities. This is a volunteer organization. We work with other Fire Safe Groups, Brooktrails Fire Department, the County of Mendocino, and other governmental organizations to maximize our ability to create a safer environment for our residents to withstand emergencies. Consider joining us if you are not already a member!
We invite you to view the different pages of this website. SFC has listed information on personal evacuation planning as well and communication alerts and other resources that may be important in an emergency situation. Being prepared creates a safer environment for all.
Current SFC Meetings and OTher Important Events
Click here to Visit Our Calendar to see the schedule of quarterly meetings, special events and the SFC You Tube Channel. Meetings are held at the Brooktrails Community Center.
Join SafetyNet for Local Incident Notices
Join SafetyNet for notice (by text, email or phone) of verified incidents that relate to the Sherwood Corridor. This system does not take the place of the Mendocino County MendoAlert System. However, it may provided additional information about local incidents that might affect the Sherwood Corridor. If feasible, know your immediate neighbors. Know if someone is disabled, frequently without transportation, or has pets, livestock or other needs. Click here for a SafetyNet registration form and to read more about SafetyNet.
Join the SFC Community
SFC is always in need of additional volunteers. We need people with experience in administration, data entry, website maintenance, publicity, grant writing, accounting, and project management. Email SFC at info@sherwoodfirewise.org with contact information to join SFC.
Helpful Links, Lists & Resources
Mendocino County Emergency Alerts
It is recommended that you register for both of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s emergency alert systems to receive evaluations notices and orders. Sign up for Nixle by cell phone by texting 95490 to 888777. Sign up for MendoAlert (notice by phone, text or email)
Order a CAL FIRE Approved Address Sign
COMING SOON…This will be very helpful for first responders finding your exact location in case of an emergency, especially if it is smokey or dark.
Neighbors working together to create a safer community
Have questions or comments for SFC? Contact us at info@sherwoodfirewise.org