Chipper Program
The Branciforte Fire Department is a member of the county wide chipping program, which provides free chipping services to residents who maintain rural roads and fuel loading on their property. The State law requires that all homeowners maintain a 100 foot defensible space perimeter around their residence. This means removing dead and flammable vegetation, pruning low hanging tree branches and keeping plants spaced apart so they do not act as a continuous fuel source leading right to your house.
The chipper program is also used to promote the maintenance of rural roads and driveways. Access to many homes in the district has become difficult for our large apparatus due to overhanging branches and heavy brush encroaching on the roadway. In order to keep our district fire safe, please maintain the vegetation surrounding your house and help keep the roads accessible. If you have brush that you have accumulated from maintaining road access or clearing defensible space call and schedule a time for us to come chip it.

C.E.R.T. "Community Emergency Response Team"
Have you always wanted to do some thing that is a positive asset to your community? CERT may be just the thing for you.
CERT is a national organization of volunteers that train locally in your neighborhood, throughout the year, in preparation for a major natural disaster or incident. CERT is all about being prepared!
In the event of a major incident, your emergency responders may be overwhelmed by emergencies and unable to respond as quickly as usual. CERT personnel may be able to provide services until professionals get there.
This year Branciforte Fire District is helped you get prepared by hosting a training to get you started. The training went over topics such as securing a building’s utilities, minor medical aid, light search and rescue of buildings and property, putting out minor fires with a fire extinguisher, assessing building stability from a distance, or just be an emotional comfort for a neighbor in their time of need.
CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference.

For more information please contact Adam Matlock at (831)423-8856, or go on line to www.santacruzcountycert.org. We look forward to helping you get prepared!