Pleasant View Estates

Minutes - Pleasant View Social Club (11 October 2008)

Nov 02, 2008

The Pleasant View Social Club (PVSC) held its Annual Fall Meeting at Fire Station 2, 15000 Sun Hills Drive on October 11, 2008. Approximately 30 people attended. The following topics were discussed:

?• The Wescott Fire Protection District Captain Jeffrey S. Edwards presented an update on fire prevention in our area. He stated that Pleasant View is a high fire danger area. The biggest worries regarding Pleasant View are excessive ladder fuels and the lack of defensible space around homes. He stated that homes should be cleared of ladder fuels for a distance of 30 feet from the structure. Ladder fuels include wood piles, pine needles, trees, etc. Pleasant View is included in the Red Zone designation which is not good. The main recommendation was that residents need to cleanup their areas. He also offered several other recommendations including getting servicing chimneys, opening fireplace flues, disposing of ashes properly, and storing wood at least 10-15 feet from the house. He also said that fire trucks, which average 13?’ 8?” in height, are unable to access several residences with long driveways due to overhanging tree branches and corners that are too sharp to negotiate. During a wildfire, if fire equipment and personnel can?’t get in, they will simply go to the next house. He also discussed emergency evacuation. A copy of the Emergency Evacuation Checklist is included at the end of the minutes. He also discussed the use of fire wise plants and invited all interested in them to Station 1 at 15415 Gleneagle Drive where a demonstration garden of fire wise plants is available for viewing. He also mentioned that the district had received a grant to develop a Community Wildfire Prevention Plan, which would be completed in Spring 2009. This may also provide funds to assist homeowners in their efforts to become more compliant with wildfire prevention recommendations. He indicated that the Fire Department is willing to conduct both courtesy home fire inspections/assessments and wild fire assessments at no cost. These can be requested by calling station 1 phone number at 488-8680 and asking for the station captain. Chief Edwards also indicated that the Wescott Fire Protection District is in initial consolidation discussions with the Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District. He also briefly discussed the use of reverse 911 and offered that any questions regarding its service, adding cell phones to it, or checking its operations should be directed to the El Paso County Dispatch Center at 390-5555. The Westcott Fire Protection District has a web site at www.wescott.fire.org.
?• The El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa presented a variety of information pertinent to Pleasant View. He began by continuing the discussion of reverse 911. He stated that cell phones can be added/registered to the reverse 911 by going to the web site: www.elpasoteller911.org and its link to cell phone reverse 911. In addition, he said to call phone number 785-1900 to check if your individual home phone and/or cell phone are currently included in the reverse 911 program. The decision to use reverse 911 is only made after serious deliberation. He also described his various responsibilities including wild land fires in El Paso County. In this role, he reiterated the need for a defensible fire space of 30-60 feet around all structures. With this space, firefighters are often able to steer a fire around the structure. He also discussed the need for approval of the 1?¢ sales tax proposition. He is currently drastically understaffed. Current response time in our area is ~22 minutes. Without the sales tax increase, he will have to eliminate 14-22 positions as the El Paso County budget is actually decreasing due to decreasing tax revenue. The tax increase will not only allow him to add more deputies and decrease response times, but also to solve more cases. He did state that although his office is very busy, residents should report their concerns as they may help in solving cases. Most calls in our area are traffic related. He discussed crime prevention and protecting one?’s home by creating a good view corridor, locking/securing all doors to include garage doors which are the most common entry point for burglars, not leaving mail in the mail box to include not using the red flag on the mail boxes, and the importance of a good neighborhood watch program. His last topic was the reporting of traffic complaints to his office at phone number 520-7192.

The PVSC annual election was conducted at the conclusion of the presentations with Michelle Waggener re-elected as President, Kurt/Rita Hufford as Vice President, Walter Reiss as Treasurer, Jim Weilbrenner as Secretary, and Sam Hartman as Director At Large.

The meeting concluded with a chili lunch at 12:00PM.




Keep all items in a waterproof container in an accessible location. Make sure that these supplies will last you at least 72 hours. This is the estimated amount of time you will need to care for yourself and family in the event of a disaster or major emergency. Replace batteries, water and food every six months. Also keep clothes up to date to make sure they will be useable if needed.

□ Water ?– One Gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation. Need at LEAST a 3 day supply.
□ Ready-to-eat foods, canned juices, comfort/stress foods. Need at LEAST a 3 day supply.
□ Battery powered radio and extra batteries.
□ Flashlights for each person and extra batteries.
□ First aid kit.
□ Non-prescription drugs such as a pain reliever, anti-diarrhea medication, antacid, laxative, and anti-histamine.
□ Prescription medications, contact lenses and supplies and denture needs.
□ Whistle to signal for help
□ Infant formula and diapers.
□ Water and pet food
□ Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
□ Dust Masks or cotton tee-shirt to filter air.
□ Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place.
□ Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
□ Can opener for food.
□ Aluminum foil
□ Jacket, coat, hat and gloves for each person.
□ A complete change of clothing including long pants, long sleeve shirt and sturdy shoes stored in a waterproof container.
□ Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person.
□ Rain gear
□ Mess kits, paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
□ Cash or traveler?’s checks
□ Paper towels
□ Toilet paper
□ Tent
□ Compass
□ Matches in waterproof container.
□ Signal flare
□ Paper and Pencil
□ Personal hygiene items
□ Soap
□ Disinfectant and household chlorine bleach.
□ Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof portable container.
□ Emergency contacts list.
□ Books, games, puzzles and portable music device.

Have your child make their own special kit in a backpack. Make sure they include:
□ Change of clothes
□ Blanket
□ Books
□ Favorite Toy
□ Flashlight and extra batteries
□ Paper, pencils and crayons
□ Copy of identification
□ Emergency contact list