Costa Mesa Fire Department Open House October 9, 2010

The Costa Mesa Fire Department goes by this slogan: “Excellence, Effort, and Expertise.” The residents of Costa Mesa are thankful for the services they provide to keep the community safe. In honor of Fire Prevention Week 2010 (October 3-9, 2010) all of the Costa Mesa Fire Stations will be holding open houses on Saturday, October 9, 2010 from 10am-2pm.

Photo by renjith krishnan

Do you and your family have a safety escape plan? On the Costa Mesa Fire Department website you can download some useful information and review it with a firefighter at the event.

The Costa Mesa Fire Department assists with more than just fires. On their website you can find out more about earthquake safety, bicycle safety, child passenger safety, CPR and much more.

There is still time to sign up for the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) classes that are happening October 1-3, 2010 and the Citizens Fire Academy, which is starting in October 2010.

Information:

Costa Mesa Fire Station Open House

October 9, 2010 from 10am-2pm

Locations: 2803 Royal Palm Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

800 Baker St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

1865 Park Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627

2300 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

2450 Vanguard Way, Costa Mesa, 92626

3350 Sakioka Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

As a local real estate company we appreciate the efforts of the Costa Mesa Fire Department to help residents maintain their homes and keep their families safe.

Do you have a fire safety plan?

About Torelli Realty: Torelli Realty is proud to represent Costa Mesa real estate. We’ve been meeting the needs of Costa Mesa home buyers & sellers since 1984. Torelli Realty deals with Costa Mesa homes, Costa Mesa apartments, Costa Mesa rentals, Costa Mesa property management, and offers home improvement and home staging tips to help your home’s value throughout Costa Mesa and in Mesa Verde. We also have an expert on staff, Holly Schwartz, who came to us as a producer from Home and Garden Television (HGTV) and extensively studied the most effective home staging techniques, as well as home values and markets locally and nationally. Torelli Realty is also an expert in Costa Mesa short sales and Orange County short sales. Feel free to contact Torelli Realty for a consultation and for all your real estate needs. 

WEBSITE
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Earthquake Tips

Yesterday we felt an earthquake in Southern California and many residents of Costa Mesa felt it.  Since we care about you, your family, and your home we thought this would be a good time to provide some helpful earthquake tips. After all, you can never be too safe.  Please forward this on to your friends and family members.  We got these from Geology.com.

BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE:

-Review the safe places to be during an earthquake, like under a strong desk and along interior walls.  Also know the bad places to be, which are near windows, large mirrors, under objects that could fall, and next to heavy furniture that could fall over.

-Prepare an earthquake emergency kit.  Some important items to have in it are batteries, a battery operated radio, flashlights, lots of bottled water and canned food to last about 2 weeks, medical supplies/first aid kit.

-Stage your home right.  For instance don’t put heavy objects in shelves that could fall down and hurt someone.  Also, try not to hang heavy pictures or mirrors above beds.

-Brace major appliances and furniture.

-Learn where to turn off your water, gas, and electricity

-Keep flammable liquids far from ignition sources

WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE STRIKES:

-Get in a safe position.  Stay inside if you are all ready there.  Getting under a large sturdy desk or near an interior wall is smart.  You don’t want to be near furniture that could fall on you or any other objects that could topple over.  Outside, it’s best to be away from trees, power lines, and buildings.  And if you are driving pull over to the side of the road safely.  You want to avoid bridges, underpasses, big signs, and power lines.

-If you are cooking, turn off the stove and find a safe spot.

AFTER THE SHAKING STOPS:

-Check for injuries on yourself and others.

-Check for damage.  If your building does not seem safe you should leave it until a professional checks it out.

-If you smell gas, get everyone out of the house or building.  If there is time, open the doors and windows.  If it is safe, turn off the gas at the meter.  Let your gas company and fire department know.  Make sure not to use electrical appliances since it could ignite the gas.

-If the power goes out, you should unplug major appliances until the power comes back on.  This will help protect your appliances when the power comes back on.

Living in Costa Mesa and anywhere in Southern California leaves us at risk for earthquakes.  Awareness about earthquake safety is key.  If you have any other tips we’d love to include them.

About Torelli Realty: Torelli Realty is proud to represent Costa Mesa real estate. We’ve been meeting the needs of Costa Mesa home buyers & sellers since 1984. Torelli Realty deals with Costa Mesa homes, Costa Mesa apartments, Costa Mesa rentals, Costa Mesa property management, and offers home improvement and home staging tips to help your home’s value throughout Costa Mesa and in Mesa Verde. We also have an expert on staff, Holly Schwartz, who came to us as a producer from Home and Garden Television (HGTV) and extensively studied the most effective home staging techniques, as well as home values and markets locally and nationally. Torelli Realty is also an expert in Costa Mesa short sales and Orange County short sales. Feel free to contact Torelli Realty for a consultation and for all your real estate needs.

WEBSITE
SHORT SALE WEBSITE
TWITTER  – FACEBOOK - COMPANY BLOG

Spotlight on a Local Hero – Costa Mesa Deputy Fire Chief Kirk Dominic

Costa Mesa’s deputy fire chief Kirk Dominic is a wonderful role model for our community and The Daily Pilot featured him in a recent article about his good deeds.  Not only does he serve our town through his work with the fire department, he also recently returned from helping in Haiti.  From January 24-31, Dominic provided medical assistance with the group Hope Force International, which is a non-profit organization that offers assistance in disaster-stricken areas.

Deputy Fire Chief Kirk Dominic

Dominic felt compelled to lend a hand after the earthquake struck Haiti in January.  He selflessly treated the injured and helped his group aid hundreds of people in the few days they were there.  Now that Dominic is back home here in Costa Mesa he is working to train others so that more volunteers can assist in Haiti.

Costa Mesa’s fire department and police department have a strong presence in our community and we are thankful for their commitment to the residents of Costa Mesa.  More than that, our city has great individuals like Dominic who are willing to put the needs of others up front.  Values like these deserve recognition – thank you Kirk Dominic!

Costa Mesa Has Spirit… A Post-Holiday Wrap-up

The holiday spirit is always a great force in Costa Mesa and 2009 was no exception. In a year that was especially hard for people financially and emotionally, it’s such a joy to see our community banding together to spread holiday cheer. Here are a few post-holiday endnotes:

Costa Mesa Firefighters giving gifts to kids

-Our company successfully collected items for the Spark of Love toy drive and the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association Operation Santa Letter Program. Spark of Love is a toy campaign that collects toys for disadvantaged children in the community. The Operation Santa Letter Program, as reported by the OC Register, gave away toys and basic necessities on Christmas Eve to a women’s shelter and needy children and local residents who are staying in a local motel. The program was started by firefighter paramedic Todd Palombo eight years ago and involves children writing letters to Santa.

$40K in 40 Days Gift Table

-The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen campaign called 40K in 40 Days provided over 1,200 holiday dinners at the Costa Mesa soup kitchen on December 23. Each person was given a backpack filled with over 25 items including clothing, toiletries and essentials. Plus, over 3,000 toys were distributed & Santa Claus paid the children a visit! (The campaign is still accepting donations. Those willing to donate can do so here.)

-The OC Register wrote about a group called “Senior Smiles, Moms and Tots,” which caters to lonely seniors. Mothers and their young children met with local seniors to spread some holiday sunshine. The group was started by Costa Mesa resident Jennifer Fairchild.

Yes, the holiday spirit lives on in Costa Mesa and that makes our community a special place all year long.

Donation Given to Costa Mesa’s CERT

On December 17 the OC Register reported on a story about the Costa Mesa Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT for short. CERT is a fantastic program that our city offers to prepare citizens for emergency situations.  Last week Newport Rib Co. held a fundraiser, which raised donations for CERT that will pay for much needed supplies and training.

CERT

It’s great to see people giving back to such a worthy cause and thanks to the generosity of the Newport Rib Co. and those who participated in the fundraiser the CERT program will be better equipped to serve Costa Mesa.

CERT is a special group of individuals who put a lot of time and training into learning how to respond to disasters like earthquakes, floods, fires and more.  The program, which is in conjunction with the Costa Mesa Fire Department, teaches people the best tactics for surviving during these trials.  Costa Mesa residents are so lucky to have a unit like this in place and we appreciate their efforts.  CERT is a fantastic resource that sets Costa Mesa apart and aids in keeping our town safe.  Thank you CERT and thank you Newport Rib Co. for keeping Costa Mesa’s safety a priority.