Page 7 Foothills Sentry MARCH 2025 Tournament Fees Foursome: $1,500 (golf for 4, golf cart, range balls, food & drinks + 4 tickets to the post golf reception) Twosome: $750 (golf for 2, golf cart, range balls, food & drinks + 2 tickets to the post golf reception) Register: sccollegefoundation.org/golftournament Scan to Register dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2219 1537 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 DAN SLATER Annual Easter Sonrise service planned The annual Cowboy Easter Sonrise Service conducted by Pastor Larry Day will be held Sunday, April 20 at 7 a.m. The community is invited to attend the service at the Mara Brandman Arena, 6422 E. Santiago Canyon Road. Call Pastor Day at (714) 552-2483, or Laura Thomas at (714) 264-4242, for additional information. OUSD teams with search firm to find permanent superintendent The Orange Unified School District Board hired Leadership Associates to conduct a search for a permanent district superintendent. Interim Superintendent Mike Christensen’s contract is up in June. The board plans to hire a superintendent in May, with a July 1 start date. While Leadership Associates will oversee the search and vetting process, it will do so based on input from district stakeholders. A survey requesting community input has been posted on the OUSD website. The firm will also hold public meetings on the topic via Zoom and in person. During a board discussion on the search, Jan. 23, trustees identified the qualities they are seeking in a superintendent. They include an understanding of the community, an ability to inspire others, good business sense, leading with empathy and accountability, supporting equality and inclusion, ability to navigate the political landscape and experience with the issues and challenges facing districts today. It was also noted that district staff and teachers are still experiencing repercussions from the actions of the previous board of trustees, and that there had been a mass exodus, with talented personnel leaving OUSD. Therefore, team building and attracting talent to benefit student outcomes are essential qualifications for the next district superintendent. OUSD has used the services of Leadership Associates in the past, and trustees are confident that the search will be successful. The company boasts state and national connections, partnerships with education-focused organizations, a focus on diversity and a willingness to “talk to everyone.” The contract is not to exceed $36,500. The firm expects to present candidates to the board in late March, with interviews commencing in April. Orange Fire Department Safety Specialist Robert DeSimone inspects some 330 properties annually for combustible conditions. Orange Fire Department’s prevention efforts stop fires before they start By Carrie Graham When most people think of a firefighter’s day-to-day routine, they likely imagine putting out burning buildings, arriving to 911 calls or rescuing cats from trees. But another key component of the Orange Fire Department is its proactive efforts. Fire Safety Specialist Robert DeSimone is one of the department’s staff members dedicated to a number of preventative programs aimed at identifying and removing fire risks before they become fires. DeSimone is one of seven Safety Specialists, two Hazardous Materials Inspectors, and two Plans Inspectors. An additional 15 volunteers are largely responsible for inspecting the city’s roughly 950 apartment complexes, as well as providing floating assistance to the seven inspectors. In DeSimone’s case, that is currently vegetation management, or weed abatement, a major concern in areas like East Orange where larger parcels of land can be easily overtaken by dry, flammable brush. CAL Fire considers it a Very High Fire Hazard Risk Zone, meaning it's at substantial risk for wildfires. Three-pronged attack “I usually look at vacant parcels or slopes on the back of a home so it’s a lot of HOA communities and some private properties. But we aren’t looking in people’s backyards or anything, it's more the slopes behind their yards,” says DeSimone. DeSimone is responsible for three inspection programs. The first is the complaint-based weed abatement program, which currently has about 200 enrolled parcels. If a parcel receives multiple complaints for things like trash, dead vegetation and dry brush, that are substantiated by the inspector, the property owner will be sent notice and enrolled in the program. The property is then inspected once every fire season. If a property passes for two continuous years, it is removed from the program. The second enforcement program DeSimone handles is fuel modification. The “fuel mod” is similar to the weed abatement program, but more strict as it applies only to parcels located in very high risk zones. It sets guidelines for new homes built, including things like property design and what can be planted. Prohibited plants Many trees, including cypress, fir, bamboo, several species of sagebrush and almost every species of palm, as well as a number of other plant types are prohibited from being added to new properties, with exception of those who seek a special permit. These inspections are dependent on new home construction in the impacted areas and currently include about 130 parcels. Any infractions are documented during the buying process inspection, and homeowners are typically given six months to a year to comply. Third is the AB 38 program, which deals with defensible space on properties. Defensible space is essentially the open area on a large parcel of land that can be used as a barrier between property and fire. These inspections are random and can vary in number but DeSimone says he receives an average of about 35 annually. “When you have 100 feet or more of open vegetation, it’s called defensible space, where firefighters can go to fight back the fires,” he explains. “We had a community with about 150 to 170 feet of defensible space; a fire ran right through there but didn't touch any of the houses. That was nice for me to see as an inspector, because it shows what we’re doing works.” Though properties are given repeated opportunities to address issues themselves, the fire department has the ability to impose fines, liens on property and, in extreme situations, can remove the offending items itself. “Dead vegetation is fuel for the fire, and the home ignition zone is zero to five feet around the house,” DeSimone says. “People tend to have a lot of combustible stuff or dead plants around in that zone. They’ll put their trash cans under the eaves and if something inside catches fire, the heat will collect under the eaves and that’s how a fire starts.” In addition to inspecting wildfire risks in the hills of Orange, DeSimone is also responsible for around 100 annual institutional inspections of facilities like the jail, psychiatric hospitals and elderly care facilities.
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