Cambrian letters to the editor, Feb. 4, 2016

Don’t let fire deadline lapse

Last summer, it was a surprise to learn that no fire chief had been appointed to succeed Chief Mark Miller, and that the time frame needed to find a chief had lapsed. For this reason, a temporary contract was signed to have Cal Fire manage the Cambria Fire Department.

Cal Fire has always backed up the Cambria Fire Department. Whether a decision is made to sign up with Cal Fire permanently or not, these highly trained, dedicated men and women will continue to do so.

These are some of the reasons to question the wisdom of signing a permanent contract with Cal Fire:

The contract would be strictly a labor contract. All other costs — phone, equipment, administrative support, office supplies — would still be paid for by CCSD.

Over and above the amount of any contract reached with Cal Fire, the state of California would charge us an additional fee of 10 percent.

Decisions affecting the fire personnel in Cambria would be made in Sacramento. Cambria would have no input in decisions as to wages, hours, benefits or overtime costs not specifically spelled out in our basic contract.

Cambria’s regular firefighters would become employees of the state of California and could be transferred anywhere in the state.

In addition, it appears to me that someone who belongs to our community and is part of a team that is used to working together has an edge, an extra impetus to use his or her considerable skill, and knowledge of our streets to keep us safe.

Let’s not let the deadline pass without thoughtfully considering the outcome.

Raising awareness of heart disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States today. Heart disease knows no boundaries age, sex, ethnicity or financial status. Women are at particular risk for a number of reasons, one being a lack of understanding of the risk factors involved and another, the differences in the presentation of the symptoms of a cardiac episode in women.

During February, The American Heart Association and Go Red For Women target women to help raise their awareness in the fight against heart disease and learning to “love your heart” to live a longer, healthier life.

Learn your numbers (weight, blood pressure, percentage of body fat, body measurements), evaluate your diet and exercise regime. Stop by your local fitness facility or healthcare provider during February to learn your numbers. Taking preventive steps today can significantly reduce the chances of getting heart disease tomorrow, next year or 10 years from now.

On Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, join millions of women and men on National Wear Red Day and wear red to help raise awareness about women and heart disease; to help the important women in your life — your mother, your daughter, your sister, but especially yourself!

Join the Movement. Learn your numbers. Go Red and find your own personal way to fight heart disease.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Cambrian letters to the editor, Feb. 4, 2016."