CCFR – Page 3 – City and Borough of Juneau

CCFR: Safety reminders for the trails & backcountry

When enjoying the trails and backcountry, Capital City Fire/Rescue offers these smart tips to reduce your chances of meeting their rescue teams:

Dress for the weather, including shoes with ankle support.
Stay out of avalanche chutes, they are extremely active.
Let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back.
Finally, make sure you have a good charge on your cell phone to summon help if needed.

Rescue teams are available if you are injured, have a medical emergency, or are lost. Poor planning and getting over-tired are not good reasons to call for a rescue.

April 23rd, 2021|

Girl Scouts deliver yummy cookies to Capital City Fire/Rescue

Girl Scouts delivered a variety of the group’s famous cookies to Juneau firefighters at the city’s Airport Fire Station on Tuesday, March 3. Capital City Fire/Rescue staff and the scouts posed for a photo in front of the department’s ambulance featuring Northwest Coast formline.

Scouts Elizabeth and Maya from Juneau’s Girl Scout Troop 4074 delivered colorful packages of Thin Mints, Trefoils, Lemon-Ups, S’mores, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, and Tagalongs for the fire-fighters.

“We will distribute these packages to our five different fire stations in Juneau to ensure everyone gets cookies,” Assistant Fire Chief at CCFR Travis Mead said. “We are very pleased that the Girl Scouts brought us packages of some of the tasty cookies they offer.”

Scouts and firefighters both dedicate themselves to public service. In addition to their normal duties, Juneau’s first responders have been closely involved in COVID-19 safety efforts since March 2020. They organized airport testing for arriving passengers and created the city’s COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at the Hagevig Fire Training Center. They have assisted with emergency indoor shelter sites for at-risk adults during the pandemic. Mead said his staff of firefighters have attended the city’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Centennial Hall to monitor inoculation recipients for possible adverse reactions.

“I am glad we could deliver cookies to the firefighters because they help so many people,” said Elizabeth, age 10.

Elizabeth and Maya have been selling cookies to fund their troop’s activities for 5 years. Each has earned several merit badges in the course of their time with Troop 4074. Maya, age 11, likes scouting because she is able to spend time with her friends learning new skills. Currently, the troop is working on their Bronze Award. The girls are working with Family Promise to provide new pillow cases for the children in the families served, which will allow the scouts to work on their sewing skills. This is a project that will have a lasting impact in the community.

An anonymous donor connected the Scouts and firefighters for the cookie mission with the hope that others will be inspired to similarly support essential workers in their community.

Pictured in the photo from left are Assistant Fire Chief Travis Mead and firefighters Jason Tarver, Masoud Abdi, Kyle Dickens, Lance Lawthorne, Corey Luck, and David Edmunds with Girl Scouts Elizabeth and Maya from Troop 4074 in front.

(Photo by Jessica DeBartolo)

March 12th, 2021|

CCFR recognizes COVID-19 emergency workers and staff

Last June, the State of Alaska started requiring travelers entering the state to either arrive with a negative test result or take a COVID-19 test at the airport. Like many things related to the pandemic, the new requirement didn’t come with a lot of time to prepare. Still, Capital City Fire/Rescue rose to the challenge. The department hired and trained dozens of emergency workers, figured out the logistics, and, within days, was running a successful COVID-19 screening and testing operation at the airport.

After close to eight months – and 38,000 travelers later – CCFR’s time with airport testing recently came to an end. Capstone Clinic took over the state contract and, as of Feb. 1, is now running the testing operation at the Juneau airport.

CCFR Chief Rich Etheridge is grateful for the emergency workers who made the airport testing effort possible: “We would like to thank all of the community members that jumped in and filled these roles. They did an amazing job under stressful conditions. We are happy to report none of our emergency workers contracted COVID-19 during these operations. Masks and universal precautions do work.”

These emergency workers and CCFR staff who’ve been involved with the pandemic response were recently honored with a CCFR Challenge Coin.

“Challenge coins are a long standing military and fire service tradition. As part of our annual awards, CCFR recognized our emergency hires and staff for their professionalism and tremendous amount of work that has gone into the local COVID-19 response,” Etheridge said.

Thank you, CCFR, and all the emergency workers for your hard work during this ongoing pandemic.

CCFR continues to run the COVID-19 Screening Hotline and the Drive-Thru Testing facility at the Hagevig Fire Training Center. If you develop any new symptoms, even mild ones, stay home and call a healthcare provider or the COVID-19 Screening Hotline, 586-6000, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to arrange testing.

February 4th, 2021|

Airport Emergency Vehicle Access Route (EVAR) aka: Dike Trail NOW REOPEN

Airport Emergency Vehicle Access Route (EVAR) aka: Dike Trail – NOW REOPEN

December 24, 2020, 2:30 p.m. UPDATE

The CCFR apparatus has been removed and the EVAR/Airport Dike Trail is now reopened to the public. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding and wish everyone a safe and happy Holiday Season!

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Airport Emergency Vehicle Access Route (EVAR) aka: Dike Trail Temporarily Closed

December 24, 2020, 1:10 p.m.

The Airport Emergency Vehicle Access Route (EVAR) aka: the Airport Dike Trail, is temporarily closed to pedestrians and the public Thursday, December 24 until further notice.

Capital City Fire Rescue (CCFR) and Airport staff were conducting drills in the area during which an Aircraft Rescue apparatus became lodged in the soft earth just off the walking path. No injuries occurred during the drill. Airport and CCFR staff are currently working to remove the apparatus and assess any damage to the area. The EVAR/Dike Trail will remain closed until the apparatus has been removed and an assessment of the trail conditions can be made.

For more information, please contact the Airport Manager’s Office at 789-7821.

December 24th, 2020|

Santa Claus is coming to Juneau Dec. 18 & 19

Santa Claus is coming to town! Capital City Fire/Rescue, along with Alaska State Firefighters Association Juneau, Douglas Fire Association, and Juneau Firefighters Local 4303, look forward to bringing some holiday cheer to the Juneau community with the annual Santa Rides event in the Mendenhall Valley on Friday, December 18 and in Downtown Juneau and Douglas on Saturday, December 19. Of course, things will be a little different this year in order to operate a safe, festive event for all:

With the most vulnerable populations in mind, the organizers ask for the community’s help by following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the event, like maintaining 6 feet from those outside your bubble and wearing masks when social distancing is not possible.
For the safety of first responders and their families participating in Santa Rides, community members should refrain from hugging Santa or Mrs. Claus this year. Waves and smiles are encouraged.
The holiday spirit would not be complete without candy canes. All candy canes will be individually wrapped and distributed by volunteers in PPE.

On Friday, December 18, Santa will begin his Mendenhall Valley route at 6 p.m. at Glacier Valley Elementary School and end at Glacier Valley Church of God.

On Saturday, December 19, Santa will begin his Downtown & Douglas route at 6 p.m. at Mount Roberts Tramway and end at Douglas Fire Station. Note: Santa will visit Gruening Park (Lemon Creek) at 4 p.m. December 19 prior to Downtown and Douglas.

For more information on this’s event, including routes, go to asfajuneau.org/santa-rides. You can also go to the Facebook events: Santa Rides Mendenhall Valley and Santa Rides Downtown.

December 11th, 2020|