Letter to Kentfield & Greenbrae Residents

November 2, 2017

Kentfield and Greenbrae Residents:

We have all been witness to the devastation experienced over the past two weeks in Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino, and Lake Counties from a series of devastating wildfires.  Many of us have been touched by these fires in a personal way.  The men and women of the Kentfield Fire Protection District wish to express our deepest condolences to all of the people affected by the North Bay fires. Our hearts are with you all. 

Cities and towns in Marin are not immune from wildfire.  Our commitment to wildfire preparedness and to ensuring the protection of cities and fire districts within Marin County has never been stronger.  Our members are dedicated to ensuring our community is safe and well protected from any threat, particularly the threat of a wildfire.  We must continue to work together to ensure we are all making our community’s safety our highest, shared priority.  Our success is dependent upon our partnership with you.  We are committed to this goal. 

Residents have been asking us about what you can do to enhance your wildfire preparedness and how to keep informed of emergencies in the community. Neighborhoods can help save lives and property from wildfire by becoming Firewise.  There are several important things you can do right now. 

Protect your home by ensuring that you have defensible space surrounding your house. Cut dry native grasses and clear fire prone brush back 100’ from your home.  Use ignition resistant building materials whenever possible.  Replace fire prone plants and landscaping with fire resistant plants and landscaping.  Creating defensible space around your home greatly enhances your home’s protection from the burning embers often associated with a wildfire and provides a safe area for our firefighters to stand and defend your home. 

Protect your neighborhood by coming together as a neighborhood with a shared commitment to becoming a certified Firewise Community.  The Firewise Community program consists of five easy steps for a neighborhood to take that will result in your neighborhood becoming significantly better protected from the threat of a wildfire.  Visit http://www.firewise.org to learn more firewise tips for your home, business, and neighborhood.

Register to receive evacuation and emergency community notifications and messages on your phones by subscribing to AlertMarin and Nixle.  Your local emergency services utilize these systems to send you time sensitive information about emergencies that may be affecting where you live and work.   Register for Alert Marin at http://www.alertmarin.org and register for Nixle at http://www.nixle.com.

The men and women of the Kentfield Fire Protection District stand ready to serve and protect you around the clock.  We are working hard to ensure your safety and the safety of our community through our continued commitment to prevention, emergency response, and disaster preparedness.  Your safety is always our highest priority.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the recent devastating fires.  Our pledge to you is to continue to serve and protect our community with the highest degree of professionalism and with a sharp focus on prevention and risk reduction.  I invite you to partner with us to make your home, your neighborhood, and our community safer from the threat of a wildfire.  Please give us a call if you wish to work with us in making your home and neighborhood firewise. 

Sincerely,

Mark Pomi                                                                                                                                                                                                Fire Chief                                                                                                                                                                                              Kentfield Fire Protection District