Our Pinebrook neighbor, Chief Paul Hewitt of the Park City Fire Dept. was kind enough to give us a quick Q&A session about fire issues that concern all of Pinebrook.
Q: How many members of the PCFD currently live in Pinebrook?
A: Six
Q: Is the station on Kilby Road staffed 24/7? How many staff and trucks?
A: Station 35 on Kilby Road is staffed 24/7. This does not mean there are people in the station 24/7 – training, calls, and regular business like inspections take the crews out of quarters sometimes. They, or another crew, are typically in the area and ready to respond when alerted by 9-1-1 dispatch.
Q: What are response times to Pinebrook?
A: This largely depends on the address, weather conditions, and other factors. As an average from the time of a 9-11 call a five minute average response would be close to accurate. All dispatchers are medically trained to offer support until we arrive. The sooner the call comes in, the better. This sounds obvious but history shows that many times citizens try to fix the “problem” themselves delaying fire personnel arrival. (Editors note: Call as soon as any fire problem presents itself. Better safe than sorry.)
Q: We’re in the heart of wildfire season. What are some of the most important steps Pinebrook residents can take to improve their fire readiness?
A: Pinebrook is wildfire country, and it is essential that homeowners take the necessary precautions to protect their homes. This information can be found in a number of places. A FEMA website, ready.gov, is a great resource for information. As are the following sites:
www.firewise.org
forestry.usu.edu
summitwildfires.com
planning.utah.gov
utahfireinfo.gov
www.pcfd.org
The information found on these websites will help to guide you in your efforts of creating a safer property and community, as well. It is essential and of urgency that Pinebrook homeowners take the necessary precautions to protect their homes and develop defensible space.
Q: Pinebrook is essentially a box canyon surrounded by wooded open space. What evacuation plans exist if a fire threatens Pinebrook Road?
A: Park City Fire District and the Pinebrook HOA worked together to locate and install emergency evacuation/exits signs to assist Pinebrook residents with evacuation in the event of an emergency. Should an emergency evacuation take place, law enforcement and fire personnel will quickly work together to guide residents to alternate routes. The most important part of evacuation is leaving when you are asked to do so. Don’t second guess an evacuation order.
Q; Anything else?
A: Have a “Go Pack”. That is have a box ready with the stuff that might slow you getting out the door quickly in case of an evacuation order. That means different stuff to different people. If you have possessions that are very important you may want to consider having these items at the ready.
Thanks Paul. Hopefully we all stay fire free.
According to our Pinebrook neighbor Michael Knight (who took the bear photo): “This guy /gal was in our backyard at 7059 Pinebrook this morning around 7:15 AM… A good 6′ tall (he stood up at one point), between 250-300 pounds… Between 1-2 years old… We called Summit County Animal Control…”
