Our Hometown: Chula Vista & Bonita December 2022

Rotary Club of Chula Vista Above & Beyond Award

On November 18th the Rotary Club of Chula Vista recognized it’s second Above & Beyond Award recipient, this time in the healthcare field. Ruel Abrajano was celebrated by both his family, Dan Dredla Vice President, Patient Support Services at Sharp Healthcare, and Gabriella Malagón-Maldonado, PhD, DNP, RN, NEABC for his outstanding care and service to Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and its patients.

Ruel Abrajano is a registered nurse at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (SCVMC) and has been a SCVMC employee for the last 20 years. He is an Advanced Clinician in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and part of the Rapid Response Team. Ruel exemplifies professional practice by providing critical care expertise to the acute and progressive care unit nurses, providing education on the assessment and management of patient deterioration and preventative interventions in cardiopulmonary arrest outside of the ICU. As a result of his efforts, Ruel contributed to reducing the number of unplanned patient transfers to the ICU by 35% and overall decrease in ICU mortality rates by 15%. Ruel is also an ICU relief charge nurse, resource nurse, and preceptor to new nurses enhancing their knowledge and skills with open-heart patients during the critical immediate post-operative period. Ruel is also a champion of the newly implemented ICU RN-initiated continuous renal replacement therapy or CRRT, a type of dialysis. Ruel was recently awarded SCVMC’s Great Catch Award for his knowledge, skills, and abilities in recognizing a patient’s neurological abnormalities resulting in a timely diagnosis and treatment of stroke. Because of Ruel’s involvement with ensuring CRRT and stroke optimal outcomes, SCVMC was recently nationally recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for the Stroke Silver Plus, Target Stroke, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Ruel Abrajano was awarded a beautiful plaque and a $50 gift card compliments of Pizzo’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar.

BRAD MICHAEL ARI HASTI MARIA

(Pictured from left to right: Gabriella Malagón-Maldonado, Ruel Abrajano & Dan Dredla)

Today David Hoffman is the third generation and has kept the same promise to their clients with the motto, “your peace of mind is our business”. With only a handful of third generation companies left in Chula Vista, you must be doing something right to stay in business that long. Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services takes the guess work out of the insurance process by providing formal insurance reviews and advising clients as to which policies are the best fit. We provide all lines of insurance to families and businesses with A rated national carriers. Afterall, there is no such thing as a one size fits all insurance policy.

“David Hoffman personally takes care of our business insurance. His knowledge and experience really give us peace of mind, plus he’s always available to answer our questions. He’s a true partner”, stated Kevin Marshall.

David Hoffman is also a Past President of The Rotary Club of Chula Vista and an Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 5340.

For more information about Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services go to: www.hhinsurance.com or call 619-420-1861

Chula Vista Receives Two Notable Finance Awards

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has recognized the City of Chula Vista for its annual budget and for financial reporting. The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting was granted for the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.

The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet high reporting standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management staff.

Linking people with technology.

San Diego’s Trusted Resource for Offi ce Technology. Multi-Function Systems

Chula Vista also received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Annual Budget for the fiscal year beginning July 01, 2022. This award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. Chula Vista has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award 19 times. “We are very pleased to receive this recognition on the City’s finances,” said Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas. “I am proud of our commitment to balancing our budget and maintaining a strong financial foundation.” “This award acknowledges our sound fiscal and accounting practices,” stated Finance Director Sarah Schoen. “The City of Chula Vista continues to approve a balanced General Fund annual budget where total expected revenues are equal to total planned spending.” To learn more about the City’s budget, visit www.chulavistaca.gov/budget.

SPONSORED BY:

David Hoffman (Left), President of Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services and Kevin Marshall (right), President of Copy Link

Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services was founded in Chula Vista in 1959 by Jerry Hoffman with one thing in mind: to bring clients peace of mind by offering affordable insurance solutions with the highest customer service attainable.

“The City of Chula Vista continues to approve a balanced General Fund annual budget where total expected revenues are equal to total planned spending.”

FAT TONY

A Standout Member of Our Community Who is Making a Difference

By Mia Bertelsen

Fat Tony Castro is very busy this holiday season planning the biggest event for his charity called Making San Diego Smile. This December 12th will be his fourth year doing a shopping spree for at-risk and homeless kids. Sponsors donate money and the children are invited to a local Walmart to go Christmas shopping.

The idea for the event grew from when Tony participated in a Chargers’ charity called Shop with a Jock. “I used to be friends with a lot of Charger players so I adapted that idea and continued it on my own with my friends,” Tony said. “They aren’t jocks, they are fat lazy people that want to give back,” he said laughing. “We do this once a year where we take 100 kids shopping and give them a $100 gift card. Right now we only have close to $4,000 and we need $10,000.

“It’s a lot of work that my friend and I put in to organize this event. Everyone that shows up is so grateful for this experience and can’t wait to come back next year.” They are shopping at the Walmart on Broadway in Chula Vista (next to Costco). “I know the store manager there and they help us out tremendously,” he added. “They provide pizza and drinks for the kids. The kids don’t know that they are getting a $100 gift certificate. They just know that they were chosen to come and get a gift from Santa.”

He doesn’t let the parents participate inside the store to select the gifts. Some of the parents aren’t happy with this. They have many volunteers and even undercover police inside the store to make sure everyone is safe. He does this so that the kids are free to pick out what they want. Often times the parents will influence their children and this event is all about the kids. The people who donate are there to guide the kids around on the shopping trip. The people who

spend the time and get to know these kids end up buying even more items that include the whole family. The children are selected by the homeless liaison for the South Bay School District.

One story that stands out to Tony is with four sisters who just had their mom incarcerated two weeks prior to the event. “Their 80 year old grandmother took them in so they wouldn’t go into foster care,” he said. “The grandmother had nothing for them.” One of Tony’s friends really wanted to help these sisters. They ended up spending $900 to help the entire family. “And then a week later I put them in contact, and they took them Christmas shopping again at Plaza Bonita.”

Tony’s nickname of Fat Tony came from when his son was born premature at 3 pounds 8 ounces. “He couldn’t go home until he was 5 pounds,” he said. “I was at the incubator with my friend and I was calling him my little fat boy so I could take him home. My friend looked at me and said ‘dude, don’t call your son fat boy, he is fighting for his life. If you are going to call him fat boy, we are going to call you Fat Tony’. And ever since then, I have had that name.” Many people know Fat Tony from a Facebook group called Eastlake Food to Go. His strong desire to help others has helped make this Facebook Group a success.

Tony’s message to our community is, “think about when you are cold at home and you have the ability to just walk in your closet and go to your drawers and have choices. Some of us are so blessed to have choices and be able to make that choice. Why not give a little bit of effort and give back to those who don’t have it?”

This is indeed a timely message for us all to give back in our own way during this holiday season. If you would like to help make this event a success, visit the website of makingsandiegosmile.org.

“It’s a lot of work that my friend and I put in to organize this event. Everyone that shows up is so grateful for this experience and can’t wait to come back next year.”

The Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) has extended the renewal agreement of the Compact for Success Program with San Diego State University (SDSU). District Superintendent Dr. Moises Aguirre, SDSU

President Adela de la Torre, State Assemblymember David Alvarez and Southwestern College officials recently met for a ceremonial and celebratory signing of the Compact memorandum of understanding.

Through this exclusive agreement, now through 2030, the partnerships’ goal is to increase the number of Sweetwater District students who enroll and graduate from SDSU.

The Compact established in 2000, guarantees admission to four-year SUHSD students while developing student engagement and promoting higher graduation rates. SUHSD and SDSU collaborate to provide outreach and education to students and families in the district through various mentoring, workshops, assemblies, and campus visits.

“The Sweetwater District is honored to celebrate the renewal of the Compact for Success with San Diego State University,” said Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Moises G. Aguirre. “ For over 20 years this agreement has been a pathway for thousands of students in Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, and South San Diego to access higher education through SDSU. Sweetwater looks forward to continue this collaboration through the year 2030 and beyond, so that our students can continue to strive to achieve their educational goals at SDSU.”

Since 2006, 7,574 students have gained admission to SDSU via the Compact – a large majority first generation high school graduates from underrepresented minority groups, and more than half becoming the first in their families to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

“We are committed to Chula Vista and the South Bay,” said SDSU President Adela de la

Torre. “The local border region represents a critical inflection point for our transborder university, bringing together student access with economic development and binational collaboration.”

Esther Rodriguez, Chula Vista High School Alumni Class of 2008, and SDSU Class of 2013, is now the Transfer Outreach and Student Success Coordinator for SDSU. When asked what the Compact Program means to her, Rodriguez shared, “The Compact for Success Program ultimately made college accessible to me. As a first-generation graduate, being

a part of the Compact introduced me to a university environment, where I was able to see people that look like me and came from same community as me be successful and earn their degree. I’m excited

that more students will have the opportunity to take advantage of this great opportunity.”

For more information on the Compact for Success Program visit https://ccr.sweetwaterschools.org/

“I’m excited that more students will have the opportunity to take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Back Row: Zaneta Encarnacion Chief of Staff SWC, Assemblymember David Alvarez District 80, SUHSD Board Member Nicholas Segura Front Row: SDSU President Adela de la Torre, SUHSD Superintendent Dr. Moisés Aguirre.

Winner’s of the 2022 South Bay Pumpkin Smash-Game of Throws

On Saturday morning November 5th at Eastlake Middle School the 6th Annual South Bay Pumpkin Smash – Game of Throws hosted 21 teams from across the South Bay region. This was the largest turnout in the event’s history. As in the past, the opening ceremony was conducted by the Chula Vista Fire Department as they dropped a 100+ pound pumpkin from the end of a fire latter reaching a height of over 100 feet.

Next, event coordinator and “King” Michael Monaco loaded pumpkins for the traditional dignitary throws in his massive custom-built trebuchet. First throw was given to San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas who set a distance few could match. Next throw was Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas. Other dignitaries and guests included Chula Vista Councilmember John McCann, CVESD Superintendent Eduardo Reyes, SUHSD Director of College and Career Readiness Jeff Kover, Candidate for Chula Vista City Council Seat 1 Carolina Chavez, and Joe Rodriguez from Dixieline. Immediately after the dignitary throws, we went right into competition. This year, we had teams representing three divisions. Division 1 are students from grades 9th-12th, Division 2 students from grades 7th & 8th grades, and Division 3 students from grades 3rd-6th. Within each Division there were two classes. Class A were teams who built their own device. Class B were teams who were unable to build a devise yet were provided one to use by the event organizer. We also had Open Division for non-educational groups that may include community and family teams. There were no Division 4 teams this year.

Everyone had a wonderful time and the competition between teams were close. The winners of the 2022 South Bay Pumpkin Smash-Game of Throws are:

Division 1: (Class A)

1st SWEnext Club (Eastlake High School)

2nd Veterans Park Recreation Center 3rd N/A (Only two teams were in this division)

Division 2: (Class A)

1st Montgomery Middle School Team 1 (Mr. Valencia)

2nd Imperial Beach Charter 3rd Montgomery Middle School team 2 (Mr. Valencia)

Division 2: (Class B)

1st Hilltop Middle School 2nd Chula Vista Middle School 3rd Mar Vista Middle School

Division 3: (Class A)

1st Mendoza Elementary School Team 1

2nd Boys & Girls Club 3rd Imperial Beach Charter

Winners of the Distance competition (Only one per Division)

Division 1 (Class A) SWEnext Club Division 2 (Class A) Montevalle Recreation Center Division 2 (Class B) Hilltop Middle School Division 3 (Class A) Sunnyslope Elementary Team 1

In addition to the pumpkin throwing contest, participants and their families were treated to a Fall Festival with activities like crafts, games, and food for the entire family. Thank you to the following vendors for their support; Chula Vista Police Department, Chula Vista Public Library, City of Chula

Vista Food Waste Program, South Bay Sustainable Communities, and ChickFil-A.

\The South Bay Pumpkin SmashGame of Throws would not be possible without the generous support of San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas, Baldwin & Sons-Otay Ranch, Sweetwater Union High School District STEAM Programs, Republic Services, Rotary

Club of Chula Vista-Eastlake, Chula Vista Police Activities League (CVPAL), Chula Vista Fire Department, Structural Engineers Association of San Diego, Dixieline Lumber, Mike & Mario Diaz, and Neisha & Bernard Hernandez.

South Bay Pumpkin Smash-Gam of Throws 2023 is scheduled for Saturday November 4th. Location to be announce later.

Building A Stronger Community

By Hasti Sharif

St udent empowerment is being demonstrated at Olympian High School through the new Women’s Empowerment Club. The club founder Isabella Delgadillo, explains how she was inspired to start this club to create a stronger connection between the female community at the school and that is exactly what she is doing with the three other leaders Ilse Duarte, Mia Gonzalez, and Sofia Jaramillo.

In each of the bathrooms at Olympian High School there are now women menstrual product baskets being provided, thanks to the clubs efforts. When students that menstruate were asked about these baskets they explained how appreciative they were. Going more in depth, a student explained how she has a greater variety to choose from, leaving her with what is most comfortable. Not only is the Women’s Empowerment Club providing this service for the students at Olympian High, but they will also be hosting a “Her Drive.” This is a drive that will provide menstrual products to women who may not be able to afford products for themselves or for their family. Therefore, the club not only supports students at Olympian, but also women in the community.

However, that is not all the club leaders want to achieve. With the overturning of Roe v Wade, students at Olympian High

School feel that the new Women’s Empowerment Club is a great way to advocate for women. As Isabella Delgadillo emphasizes “education is empowerment,” she and the other leaders host a club meeting on Thursday to educate their peers on women’s history as well as current issues women face. Through the historical lessons, students learn about women activists and how significant they are to our progress. These historical figures then become inspiration to our new generation of young students. By gaining this knowledge it allows the students to understand current events not just domestically but also internationally. Their plan is to shed light on Masha Amini’s death by putting educational posters across campus as well as sharing protesting opportunities for students to attend.

The Women’s Empowerment Club is empowering young adults by providing education as well as offering free resources that may not be available to all. Students at Olympian now have a voice to concern their issues due to the development of this club.

The club is always open to have students message them on their Instagram page about concerns they feel should be addressed. With what they have done in such little time, it is exciting to see what the club holds in their future plans. The bright leaders are being empowered by creating this club as well as empowering others in our hometown, of Chula Vista.

* Terms and conditions: Offer valid from Dec 27, 2022 to Jan 13, 2023.

Valid only for monthly drafting memberships. Excludes skate park and annual membership types. Limit one per household. Promotional offer not redeemable for cash, non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon or discount. YMCA reserves the right to withdraw or amend this offer at its own discretion.

withdraw or amend this offer at its own discretion.

Chula Vista Elementary School District Opens 50th School

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, students and Chula Vista Elementary School District representatives grabbed shovels to pose in front of a makeshift dirt mound as part of the district’s groundbreaking celebration. The event marked the start of the district’s 50th school.

“The Chula Vista Elementary

School District has served the Chula Vista community for 130 years and counting,” said Dr. Eduardo Reyes, Superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District. “This new school underscores our commitment and dedication to our community for the years to come.”

The new elementary school will be located at 1789 Santa Carolina Ave in Chula Vista and consists of an 85,000-square-foot administration and classroom building and a separate 5,600-square-foot food service building. The new school will have 26 classrooms, six kindergarten classrooms, an innovation center, virtual reality lab, a multipurpose room with a stage, solar panels, and 65,000 square feet of artificial turf field and track. The cost of the construction is estimated at $66 million. Construction is anticipated to be completed in June 2024.

Funding for the project is made available through Community Facilities District Mello Roos Funds and other capital funds.

“I am honored to be a part of the district’s newest school,” said Lucy Ugarte, Board of Education

President for Chula Vista Elementary School District. “The district is committed to building upon the 21st century, high-quality education for all our students, and I am proud to be a part of its continued growth.”

About the Chula Vista Elementary School District

The Chula Vista Elementary School District is the state’s largest traditional kindergarten through grade six district. It serves a vibrant, diverse community with a blend of residential areas, recreational facilities, open space, and light industry. The district was established

Chula Vista Fire Department: A Century of Service

The Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) holds a rich tradition of service and protection since its establishment on May 2, 1921. Just over 100 years ago, 17 volunteers gathered at A.H. Skinner’s Hardware Store at 316 Third Avenue to stand up the City’s first organized fire department. They developed bylaws and all signed a contract stating, “I hereby agree to uphold these bylaws and carry out my duties as a member of the Chula Vista Fire Department”.

Much has changed since 1921, but some traditions have maintained a strong resiliency. To join the CVFD today, each Department member signs a similar oath.

As a Chula Vista Fire Department Member, my fundamental responsibility as a protector of society is the safeguarding and preservation of human life and property against the elements of fire, disaster, injury, or illness.

I will never allow personal feelings or danger to myself to deter me from carrying out my duties. I will to the best of my powers, recognize and uphold my responsibility and will respond to this responsibility at all hours of the day or night while on duty when those who I am sworn to protect need my help.

I dedicate myself to this before the Department, City, and Public, who have placed their faith in me and my chosen profession.

These words are intended to clearly show how the dedicated Chula Vista Fire Department members follow through on accomplishing our mission to protect life, the environment, and property each and every day. However, actions speak louder than words… Your Fire Department responds to more than 29,000 fires, rescues, and medical aids each year. They have saved more than $7,000,000 in property and contents from fire. Transported 19,000 patients to hospital Emergency Departments. Conducted 7,776 public safety inspections and 1,734 building plan reviews. All of this is accomplished through 10 fire stations, staffed with 71 personnel, riding on 12 fire apparatus, 2 squads, 10 ambulances, and 3 command vehicles that are supported by 35 Administrative, Prevention, and Training staff.

DEDICATI O N

MEASURES

In 2016 and 2018, the citizens of Chula Vista voted to raise the sales tax to improve City infrastructure with Measure P and increase public safety staffing with Measure A. Both of these measures have made significant impacts on the ability for the Fire Department to provide service to the community.

Prior to the passing of Measure P, our fire apparatus was failing. This aging fleet was kept in service well beyond industry standards and therefore it’s useful life. In 2015, an assessment was done on five of our 13 fire engines to determine how many days they went out of service for mandatory repairs for every day they were in service. The outcome was staggering, with an average of 3 days in service demanded 1 day at the shop. This was overwhelming for the City’s Public Works mechanics and made it difficult for the Fire Department to ensure the proper fire apparatus were at each fire station protecting the community. This also led to increasing costs to maintain the fleet. Of these five engines, nearly all of them required $20,000-$30,000 per year in 2013 and 2014 for maintenance costs.

Since 2016, the City has been able to replace 8 fire apparatus and 3 more are on order from the manufacturer. With newer equipment comes reliability, improved safety features, and technologically advanced capabilities. These new rigs spend less time in the shop and more time responding to emergencies. They have cleaner burning engines, seatbelt sensors, and are ergonomically designed to reduce injuries.

When Measure A was passed in 2018, it was with the intent to address public safety staffing needs. The Fire Department is an all-hazard and all-risk emergency response force for the community when they have a problem they are unable to fix on their own. In the last 30 years, the Chula Vista Fire Department has doubled in size of fire stations; however, the number of 911 calls has more than quadrupled. Over time as this separation occurred between the number of fire stations and firefighters compared to the daily volume of calls for service, the performance began to decline. Acute medical calls demand the arrival of highly trained personnel with advanced life support equipment in a handful of minutes to stop and/or reverse the progression of ailments. To minimize loss of life and property damage from fire, the right number of firefighters must arrive within 6 to 8 minutes. With the size of Chula Vista clocking in at 52 square miles and a population of 287,000 people, it can be difficult to make these response times without the proper staffing.

Measure A has allowed the City to increase staffing on all fire apparatus from 3 firefighters to 4. This action has accomplished several things, it allows fire personnel to perform critical duties simultaneously instead of linearly. This in turn reduces the time it takes them to deploy hose lines to extinguish a fire, search a building fire for victims, and permits multiple life-saving tasks to be performed at one time for a medical emergency. These benefits improve outcomes for the community from fire and medical emergencies. But there are a few more very important

impacts of four-person staffing. Having a fourth person provides a safer working environment for our firefighters by ensuring they work in teams of two when they are accomplishing multiple tasks, which is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandate. It distributes the workload across one more person and provides a better surge capacity for staffing needs with more firefighters on the department. This reduces the need for personnel to work additional shifts and minimizes fatigue.

And finally, four firefighters on each fire apparatus reduces the time spent on a call for service. This time reduction equates to more availability and this in turn allows the same crew to actually run more calls. A study was done in 2017 over a 2-month period comparing our E51 with three firefighters (May-June 2017) to E51 with four firefighters (July-August 2017).

The three-person crew ran 25 fire calls and 613 EMS calls totaling 638 calls for service and the four-person crew ran 17 fires and 641 medicals totaling 658 calls for service. Because of the fourth firefighter on duty each day during the study, E51 was able to respond to 20 additional calls and was available for an additional 24 hours. This is a critical point to adding a fourth firefighter, as the City of Chula Vista grows in density calls for service will increase. With this increase, calls will occur at the same time as one another more often. If you are the second 911 caller is the same area, your fire engine might be coming from the next neighborhood and delay putting water on a fire or providing life-saving medical treatment.

THE NEW CVFD AMBULANCE TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Prior to April 9, 2021, the City of Chula Vista contracted out Ambulance Transport for nearly 40 years. The basics of the contract require an ambulance to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency within 12 minutes 90% of the time; this also is the mandated response metric of the San Diego County EMS Authority. However, in 2015 the Fire Department began to recognize ambulance response times begin to falter while costs to the community were skyrocketing. Due to the archaic contract structure, the contractor had the option of increasing their rate by 7 - 10% per year depending on operating costs. Over the past 5 years of the contract, the contractor applied the maximum amount per year. At the time the contract was terminated, the base rate for a typical ambulance transport was $3,881.00. Under the contracted ambulance service, not only were response times exceeding the county and contract thresholds, but a more concerning issue was that response times were unbalanced across the city. If you lived west of Interstate 805 and called 911 for a medical emergency then your ambulance would arrive within the time standard 91% of the time. However, if you lived east of the 805 your ambulance would arrive within the time standard only 76% of the time.

On April 9, 2021, the Chula Vista Fire Department assumed services of the 911 Ambulance Transport System for the City. We have corrected the imbalanced service delivery with each of the 10 fire station neighborhoods

all exceeding 90% or more. Providing better service was the true driver for assuming services back into the City, and I am proud to say that we have accomplished this as well, but there is one more significant factor to share. We also lowered the transport base rate by $1,000.00 and we are financially solvent. Transport revenues are covering expenses, and we are on the fast track to paying off our startup costs. This City service, provided by the Fire Department, is a publicly run program that is out-performing our old contractor by way of improved performance metrics and cheaper cost to the consumer.

FUTURE RECRUITMENT PATHWAY(S)

The Fire Service is an amazing profession that at its core is there to put others first. Service and protection to others, day in and day out. There is very little that is more satisfying than helping someone in need. This truly is the essence of working for the Fire Department. For decades, the ability to be hired by any Fire Department was like hitting the lottery. For each opening at any given organization, there would be hundreds of applicants and this made every process extremely competitive.

This has waned considerably in the recent past, and every Fire Department in California is struggling to fill vacant positions. This is mostly due to the increasing qualifications required to work at a fire station, and the most difficult of these qualifications being a Paramedic License. The Chula Vista Fire Department hires both Firefighter EMTs (Emergency Medical

Technicians) and Firefighter PM (Paramedic), but our greatest need is the latter. To become a PM, it can take as little as two years, but most likely three. The pathway to becoming a PM looks like this: you must take an EMT course and pass, then complete a National Registry test and become accredited by the county. This process can be as little as 3 months but commonly takes 6. You then must work as an EMT for one year to gain experience to meet most PM school’s requirements. Once accepted, PM school durations vary with the quickest option being 9 months and the longer course taking nearly 24 months. And then, similarly to EMT, you must take the National Registry and apply for accreditation at the county. Adding all of this up, the path to PM is approximately 3 years. This is a huge commitment but keeping the end in mind on becoming a joining the fire department in a dual role (FF/ PM)… it is worth all the effort twice over. This is the hurdle the Fire Service needs to learn to leap over. We are no longer that profession that everyone would do anything to become a part of. The goal of working in a fire station is a difficult one, and we need to learn how to engage with the youth of our community and show them that they can do this job, and here is how they can get there. The Chula Vista Fire Department is actively pursuing ways to accomplish this. We work with the Sweetwater School District and Southwestern College to collaborate on increasing enrollment in EMT and PM courses, as well as introducing young adults to the Fire and EMS profession.

SAFETY PROGRAMS

The Fire Department is also working diligently to help mitigate emergencies before they happen. By studying trends in the community, we have developed programs to be proactive and educate the public to avoid these safety issues. Through the work of Fire Captain Mike Filson, the City of Chula Vista has a long-standing and robust Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention program. Through is his efforts, youth drownings have been significantly reduced and years in between incidents. Another incredible part of this program is that it was put together in an open source format so that other Cities and Fire Departments and use all of our existing materials and customize them to their own branding. This allows the impacts of this great program to take effect in other areas for the greater good. Another amazing program is the Child Seat Installation and Inspection Program. Developed by Paramedic Ben Harris, the intent is to increase the effectiveness of child safety seats by ensuring they are installed correctly, and children are buckled up properly. This effort has assisted countless new and existing families. Offered twice a month, Ben sets up a booth in the parking lot of our major malls (Chula Vista Center and Otay Ranch Town Center) and for hours at a time makes himself available for free inspections and installations. Nearly 7 families per weekend on average have made their way to Ben for his personal attention and professional experience. This includes families that already have children and those expecting a child soon. On our radar and currently in development are two outreach programs: to educate the public on the opioid epidemic and how to prepare our youth for the dangers of this drug, and interacting with our schools and young ones with how to prepare for an active shooter through our “Stop the Bleed” program. Similar to how the Water Safety and Car Seat programs began, these new programs have been spearheaded by CVFD members who have experience in these fields and identified a need for our community.

Another incredible part of this program is that it was put together in an open source format so that other Cities and Fire Departments and use all of our existing materials and customize them to their own branding.

Fight Climate Change by Eating Your Leftovers This Holiday season

During the holidays, Americans will throw away more than 300 million pounds of food. In a landfill, that much waste will generate and release tons of methane into our atmosphere. It’s a busy time for trash collectors. Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, including things like plastic from old tech and gift wrap. During Thanksgiving week alone, Americans throw out roughly 200 million pounds of turkey meat, along with 30 million pounds of gravy and 14 million pounds of dinner rolls.

All told, that wasted food takes a serious toll on the planet. Equivalent to 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions in the US alone. Holiday parties are typically known for an abundance of food, but with that abundance comes a lot of food and plastic waste. A lot of resources are used to get food to our plates – water, fossil fuels and land to name a few. If you are receiving guests and preparing holiday meals, the following tips and facts can help you reduce your waste.

1. Plan your party meal: When preparing dinner for guests, meal planning is a must. It’s trying to find a balance based on the approximate number of guests you’re anticipating.

2. Understand food labels: Did you know that the “best before date” does not indicate food safety, but rather, peak quality of food.

3. Go buffet style: Let your guests choose how much food and what foods they want to eat – it increases the chances that everything on their plate will be eaten.

4. Potluck style: Potlucks are a great way to reduce the costs of hosting a dinner! Have people sign up in advance to bring specific dishes and make sure you note how many people will be attending so

they can prepare the right amount of food.

5. Get creative with leftovers: Ask your guests to bring reusable containers to your party/dinner so they can take leftovers home with them (be sure to ask them not to bring plastic food storage bags). If you still have additional leftovers after that, the internet is your friend when it comes to being creative with leftovers.

6. “Green-up” your event: Serve dinner using your regular plates, cutlery, cups, and reusable napkins in place of disposable items. Store leftovers in reusable containers, etc. – The web has great tips on how to leave a lower environmental footprint when planning holiday parties.

7. Put food waste in its place Food is to be eaten but if it goes bad please put it in your green cart and keep plastics of all type out.

Holiday parties do not have to be wasteful. Setting a good example for guests will help you usher a new year on the right step, one that has everyone consider our planet and help make a difference. Let’s have a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2023!

FEED THE GREEN

Holiday Recycling and Organic Waste Disposal Guide

Christmas Tree Recycling

1) Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland and plastic or metal stands.

2) Cut and section the tree so each portion is 4 feet or less.

3) Place INSIDE the correct container. Drivers will not service trees left outside or next to the container.

Ġ Flocked or plastic trees = black trash container

Ġ Natural trees = green organics container

Food and Yard Waste Program

Together, the Chula Vista community is helping to combat the climate crisis by diverting organic waste from landfills.

Single-family residents have begun placing food waste and food-soiled paper products, together with their yard waste, in their green carts. Multi-family and commercial customers will be contacted directly and phased in with site visits and outreach by Republic Services and City of Chula Vista staff throughout the 2022-2023 year to begin organics service.

For more information on the Food and Yard Waste Program or on holiday recycling and disposal, visit RepublicServices.com/ChulaVistaCA