NINETY-THIRD EDITION
No One Left Behind Fall Tribute 2019
Last weekend, many gathered in support of the 2019 No One Left Behind Fall Tribute at Half Moon Bay. This event raises thousands of dollars that support our dedicated firefighters and their families who face injury, illness or other tragic events. 

The CAL FIRE Local 2881 Honor Guard Pipes & Drums presented the colors during the opening ceremony and there was a beautiful display of pictures honoring our fallen brothers and sisters. 

Firefighter Sara Thomas' sister and mother attended the reception. Her sister, Lupe, spoke about Sara and how the foundation has supported Sara's two daughters and family after losing Sara to job-related cancer. Fire Apparatus Engineer Mike Seaton and his family were also in attendance. He talked about the support he received from the foundation and how it helped his family after they lost their home in the devastating Camp Fire last year. No One Left Behind and the CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation do so much to support our brothers and sisters and their families. 

There was a great showing by our fire family, although some missed out due to fire activity throughout the State. The event could not have been possible without the dedicated volunteers and amazing sponsors. Thank you Mike Morlan, Kevin O'Meara and everyone who supported the Fall Tribute this year. 
Governor announces appointments to Wildfire Advisory Board
REDDING, Calif — Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointees to the California Wildfire Advisory Board Wednesday. The goal of the board is to gather independent advisors to provide guidance on wildfire safety measures, including plans written by utilities, so the CPUC can more effectively regulate the safety of investor-owned utilities.

Several of the members have previous connections to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) or other public entities and one member is an engineer with PG&E.
None of the members named Wednesday are from the Northstate.

Climate change threatens firefighters and farmworkers. And that’s only the beginning.
As climate change heats up, certain types of workers are already feeling its harmful effects. Here's how occupational and environmental health specialists are working to protect them and educate future physicians.

As an emergency medicine resident at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Zachary Wettstein, MD, has seen the effects of wildfires firsthand. On days when it’s really smoky, he says, “I’m not surprised that I’m seeing more people with shortness of breath.” Densely smoky days certainly are growing as wildfire season worsens, experts say, spurred in part by such environmental changes as earlier snowmelts that can cause drier, hotter conditions.

A few years ago, Wettstein and his colleagues suspected that raging fires — and the smoke and fine particulate matter they spawn — also were causing increased cardiovascular problems. “Whenever we have a bad wildfire season like we did last summer here, it definitely seemed like we were seeing an uptick in the number of strokes,” he says. So he decided to study the issue. Sure enough:  Wildfires brought increased emergency department visits  not only for stroke, but also for ischemic heart disease and pulmonary embolism.

Wildfires are just one way climate change threatens to unleash health problems,  particularly for workers  who face long hours working outdoors. For example, ozone depletion can spark asthma, rising temperatures can cause dehydration and related conditions, and insecticides can infect farmworkers as changing conditions fuel the spread of new pests. In addition, extreme weather events pose serious risks to rescue teams, mold remediators, and others.

CAL FIRE Captain's widow focuses on suicide awareness after husband's death
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- It has been nearly two years since Denelle Mitchell’s husband took his own life.

CAL FIRE Captain Ryan Mitchell died by suicide on November 5, 2017, at the Interstate 8 Pine Valley bridge. Denelle Mitchell did not want to talk about the day it happened, but the emotions she dealt with in the days and months after his death are hard to forget.

“One of the first feelings I felt was ashamed or embarrassed at the type of way that he died,” Denelle Mitchell said. “It comes and goes in waves of being mad or sad.”

Her husband was dedicated to his job — a job that was his passion.
“He loved the acts of fighting fires. He loved the community… the brotherhood and sisterhood that they had,” Denelle said.

But there were difficult days. “What comes with that is a lot of hard work, a lot of hours away from your home and your family and your friends.”

What wasn’t obvious to many were struggles behind the scenes.

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It's important for us to have it in case you are impacted or may be impacted by a wildfire or other emergency. Use the link below, call or email us to update it today!

(916) 609-8711 / dkelsch@L2881.org
Have you ever thought about seeking treatment for  post-traumatic stress ,  depression  or  alcohol  use? Maybe a well-intentioned crewmember or spouse has said, “You really need to get help.”

But what does it actually mean to  get help ? For someone in distress, navigating the world of behavioral healthcare can be challenging. You know there are resources out there, but you may be confused or overwhelmed by the numerous options.

Let’s break down some of the most common forms of help:

Support Groups
Although they are the least intensive and most affordable option (often free), support groups offer an invaluable resource for those in recovery, often with no commitment or obligation to attend.
A support group is typically peer-facilitated by individuals who are in recovery themselves versus a licensed healthcare provider. Support groups operate on the premise that uniting individuals around a common, shared struggle can facilitate healing through empathetic support and promote behavior change through peer accountability. Some examples of support groups include  Alcoholics Anonymous ,  Al-Anon ,  SMART Recovery  or  Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) .

Counseling/Psychotherapy
Counseling or psychotherapy is provided by a master’s or doctorate-level licensed mental healthcare provider (psychotherapist) and can be in an individual or group format. While treatment approaches and methods vary widely, the psychotherapist’s aim is to work with you to establish treatment goals, gain insight into dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behavior, and develop coping skills to more effectively manage symptoms and problems. An average course of counseling could be once weekly for eight to 12 weeks, though sometimes individuals benefit from ongoing care.
 
Medication Management
Offered alone or in conjunction with counseling, the goal of medication management is to treat symptoms of a mental health problem with psychotropic medication. After starting a medication regimen prescribed by a psychiatrist, physician’s assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP), you attend brief follow-up appointments to evaluate medication efficacy in treating problematic symptoms. In contrast to counseling, the practitioner’s primary focus is to treat and alleviate symptoms through medication, not talk therapy. The timeframe to remain on psychotropic medication is highly individualized.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP)
Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) — sometimes referred to as an intensive outpatient program — typically consists of nine hours of treatment per week, spread over three days. IOP can have a mental health, substance abuse or (combined) dual-diagnosis  treatment  focus. IOP is designed for individuals who need a more intensive level of support than the once-weekly outpatient counseling or medication monitoring options. IOP can occur during the day or evening and typically combines group psychotherapy and psychoeducational sessions, provided by master’s degree-level clinicians. The length of treatment can vary widely based on an individual’s clinical needs, but an average timeframe for IOP is four to six weeks.

Safety, EMS, and R&D
From Staff Chief Curtis Brown
50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes
Browse these great recipes for your Thanksgiving, whether you're home or on duty.
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UPCOMING EVENTS


EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 3-5

54TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
JANUARY 9-12


CAL FIRE BENEVOLENT
 FOUNDATION

Provides funds for immediate life sustaining assistance to firefighters and their families who have suffered debilitating injury or loss of life.

For more information or to donate, visit the website .

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CAL FIRE MUSEUM

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CAL FIRE Local 2881 likes to stay connected with our membership. We want to make sure every member has an updated mailing address.

Below is a list of both Active and Retired members that have bad addresses as of Sept 30 . If your name is on the list or you have recently moved, please contact Danielle at (916) 277-9885 or  dkelsch@L2881.org  to update your address.