Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department News

Winter 2004

Our Second Fire Chief---Alonzo "Jokey" Spencer, 1979-1988

Jokey was born and raised in Sonoita. He worked with Sam Fraizer both at "Sonoita Services" (the gas station/garage and lunchroom that Sam Fraizer owned)*, and was a member of Sam's crew with the fire services. During his tenure as Chief he had: Sam's old surplus 1941 fire truck; 2 very old 2 1/2 ton Army surplus vehicles (the old duce and a halves); 1 quarter-ton surplus jeep with a 300 gallon water tank with a small self powered pump; an old Army 6x6 surplus truck; a first response rescue van; a big orange tanker truck; and a 1986 Ford truck.

Because all this equipment was very old, constant upgrades were needed. The equipment was housed outside behind the Sonoita Services Garage, where the weather took its toll. In 1985 there was enough money to upgrade the pumps of the big trucks from small (10 gpm) pumps to larger (350 gpm) pumps. One truck was plumbed to handle 1 1/2 inch hoses. This fire service, which covered 320 square miles is best described as the "Hand to Mouth" existence.

With basic fire protection services in place, Chief Spencer and others felt it was time to initiate an Emergency Medical Services branch of the department. At his own expense, Jokey took the training and became the first full time EMT. During his tenure he served as Santa Cruz County Emergency Services Coordinator; Eastern Sector Communications Officer for Santa Cruz County Emergency Services; and Chairman of the Santa Cruz County Emergency Medical Services Sub-Regional Coordinating Council's Communications and Operations Task Force. The department at this time had the best equipped mobile communications vehicle in the County with the exception of the Sheriff's office. Now they not only had fire control, search and rescue, but EMT service.

In October of 1984, Articles of Incorporation with the State of Arizona were filed to create the Sonoita Elgin Emergency Services, Inc.(SEESI). Non-Profit /Tax Exempt Status with the Federal Government was also obtained. Best News OF ALL!!! A parcel of land was donated by Mrs. Bettie Ann Beck to build a Fire Station.** Ground breaking was February 1989 with Mrs. Beck, Sam Fraizer, and Chief Spencer turning the first shovels of dirt. What a Happy Day!! The whole community got together to help build the building, including local contractors, workmen, volunteers, the Border Patrol, and an Air National Guard unit out of Chicago.

When donating the land, Mrs. Beck designated that the station will be used not only to house the fire and emergency response vehicles, but as a base for communications, in-house training and schooling, and training for the public in emergency response and care. It will also be used for other community services.

This community owes a very large debt of gratitude to Chief Spencer for the great progress he made for this area. The many programs he started have enabled us to be where we are today. THANKS CHIEF JOKEY SPENCER!!!***

 

 

 

SEESI'S 7th ANNUAL TIN CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT

On Saturday October 9, SEESI'S 7th Annual Tin Cup Golf Tournament was held at Kino Springs Country Club in Nogales. Co-chairmen for the event were J.D. Braswell, Milo Blecha and Jerry Bianchi. Forty three golfers were entered and played a "Scramble" format. Following the golf, lunch was provided at the restaurant at Kino Springs, and the winners were presented with trophies. Also, many raffle prizes were given away, and rounds of golf from numerous courses were auctioned off. Winners were: 1st Place Team - Gerry Schmidtke, J. Dunlap, Gabe Schmidtke, and J. Bileti; 2nd Place Team - Marcus Harstorn, J. Smith, David Clark, and J. Crowley. Individual winners were: Longest Drive - David Clark; Longest Putt - J. Bileti, and Closest to the Pin - Jim Davis. CONGRATULATIOMS TO ALL THE WINNERS! The chairmen would like to thank everyone who provided gift certificates and prizes for the raffle. A special thanks goes to all of those who sponsored holes, and many thanks to the crew at Kino Springs who helped us make this a successful event.

 

CONTRIBUTING TO THE FIREHOUSE

Two locals walked in with a generous donation of $10. This may seem like a trivial amount, but it took many long hard hours of work to earn. Sommer Koweek, of Canelo, and Taylor Burleson, of Sonoita, are two third grade students at Elgin Elementary who helped their families grow, harvest, and sell pears the end of August. Wanting to contribute to their community, the girls independently donated to the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department. They collectively decided the funds should be utilized to purchase “boo-boo” bears (soft, cuddly bears) which are provided to a child during an emergency situation where they may be scared.

Smokey wanted his picture taken with the girls in appreciation of their donation. Smokey came to the firehouse in August as well. He will be updating the community with fire danger levels throughout the year in his display in front of the firehouse. Coronado National Forest Service - Nogales Ranger District graciously provided funding to assist in purchasing him and his display.

The Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department wishes to thank Sommer, Taylor, the Nogales Ranger District, and all the other residents in the community who help support the activities of our department. We couldn’t be here without you.

 

SEESI LADIES

SEESI’s semi-annual Rummage Sale was held on October 2, 2004. It was a great success, raising $3,898.25 for the fire department. Many thanks to all the great volunteers and donors!!!!!!!!! The first 2005 semi-annual rummage sale is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 nd, at the fair grounds from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The last SEESI Luncheon of 2004 was held on November 13 th at the fire station. The 2005 SEESI luncheon dates (2nd Saturday of each month) are: January 8 th, February 12 th, and March 12 th, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to participate in this fund raiser.

Preparations for the SEESI Ladies’ annual Christmas cookie sale have begun. Cookie & candy trays are available in two sizes. Small trays weigh 2 lbs. and cost $13.00, large trays weigh 4 lbs. and cost $ 26.00. Candy trays are available by request if we have left-over candy. The deadline for orders is Friday, December 10 th. Orders can be placed with Carol Hager (455-5348). Please consider contributing some cookies and candies for this event. All contributions must be dropped off at the fire station between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 17th. The trays are assembled that day, and are available for pick-up on Saturday, December 18 th between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

 

FIRE STATION BEAUTIFICATION

The beautification of the fire station will commence on Saturday, Nov. 13th. Several of the rocks in front of the building will be repositioned, and those with less character will be removed. The driveway along the south wall leading to the kitchen will be graded, leveled and spread with A.B.

In the Spring, low maintenance and drought resistant plants will be planted against the west and south walls. The Board is looking forward to giving the fire station a new look.

 

LET YOUR LANDSCAPE DEFEND YOUR PROPERTY

• Trim grass on a regular basis up to 100 feet surrounding your home
• Create a defensible space by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet around your home
• Beyond 30 feet remove dead wood debris and low tree branches
• Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from your home and other structures
• Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside the home, at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences .

 

FOLLOW LOCAL BURNING LAWS

Do not burn trash or other debris without proper knowledge of local burning laws. Permits can be picked up at the fire station or by calling 455-5854.

 

UPDATE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES

For the last twenty years, The Southwest Trauma Conference has been held in Tucson. The combined effort of many organizations has developed a nationally recognized two-day conference which has various sessions on trauma for both pre-hospital and hospital personnel. Each year several Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department personnel attend. When they return, they share their learning experience with the department. We all have benefited from having this conference located close by.

Fire School was held for four days in Mesa, AZ. A variety of fire-oriented classes are provided. This year we had personnel attend the Rural Ops and Strategies class, Basic Fire fighter class, and the Safety officer class. Those who attended also share their experience with the rest of the department when they return.

In November a thirty hour Medical Spanish class is being held for personnel. This training will help our personnel communicate better with Spanish speaking patients.

Another 24 hour HazMat class is being scheduled for January, 2005, to finish training the rest of the department personnel on HazMat. The class in August was a big hit for all who attended, and they recommended that the rest of us obtain this training.

Blood pressure checks are available at the fire station 9-2 daily.

SELECTED FIRE DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY STATISTICS

Activity	Aug-Oct 2004	Jan-Oct 2004	Jan-Oct 2003
Page Outs	63	187	177
Brush Fires	7	19	33
Patient Contacts	75	222	194

 

CHRISTMAS IS COMING OH NO!!! --- OH YES!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, get out your Christmas decorations and your strings of lights and check them over – SOON!!!! If your light strings are worn or frayed, please either see if they can be repaired or buy new ones. Don't wait until the last minute and then throw a worn string of lights on your tree. BAD thing - BAD fire. A faulty or worn string of lights on a dry tree could cause your Merry Christmas to be ruined. As the old saying goes, "Better to be safe than sorry!" Please take precautions.

 

SAVE THOSE TUMS™ BOTTLE CAPS!

Tums™ is holding a contest for volunteer fire department communities to collect Tums™ bottle caps. For each cap collected, the department gets one chance at a raffle with a grand prize of $20,000, and a second prize of $15,000. The department that collects the most caps automatically wins a $15,000 prize. With your help the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department could win $15,000 to $35,000 in grant money, that will be used to purchase medical equipment.

Drop-off boxes for the lids will be located throughout the community, including the fire station. Posters with other drop-off locations can be found at the Post Office, Stockman’s Bank, and Sonoita Hardware. The deadline for donations is February, 2005.

 

BECOME A SONOITA-ELGIN FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER—HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Sonoita-Elgin Volunteer Fire Department is looking for men and women to help protect our area. We routinely respond to brush fires, structure fires, medical emergencies, and vehicular accidents. Permanent resident or snowbird, full-time employed or retired, the Sonoita Elgin Fire Department can use as many hours as you would like to volunteer.

Positions available include:

• Wildland firefighter
• Dispatcher
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
• Structure firefighter
• Incident support personnel

Previous experience is not required. All volunteers will be given the appropriate training for the position(s) they wish to fill. If you are interested in joining a dynamic volunteer organization, please call 455-5854, or come to the fire station (located just north of the crossroads on Hwy. 83) on Tuesday evenings.

News Credits: Editing and layout: Alison Bunting and Bonnie Chambers; Sommer and Taylor photo: Kathe Barry.

 

* Where the library and county buildings are now.

** All this land was originally a homestead belonging to Larimor. It was sold in 1944 to L. W. Douglas (Mary Peace Douglas' Father-in-law), and sold in the early 1970s to Burton Beck.

***Because Jokey is deceased, this history was taken from the minutes of Board Meetings, Annual Meetings, and the Newsletters. All were recorded by the secretary/treasurer of that time.