El Cajon Fire Safety & Career Expo Another Huge Success - Thank you!

Thank you to all those who attended our El Cajon Fire Safety & Career Expo! Another record crowd learned a lot about safety - from fire prevention to disaster prepardeness. They saw a great noon ceremony as we introduced our new Search & Rescue Canine Team - and heard the amazing singing talents of Francis Florendo, who sang the National Anthem and God Bless The U.S.A. - along with Country Singer "Sharmian" who sang her hit song "Hurricane" as a dedication to our new Search & Rescue crew just back from rescue efforts back east due to hurricane "Ike" - and we thank popular soap star "Eric Martsolf" and his family for making a special guest appearance at our El Cajon event!

It was all in celebration of Fire Prevention Week and its 2008 theme "It's Fire Prevention Week - Prevent Home Fires" - to learn more about fire & burn prevention - click here: Fire Prevention Week

Draw a home escape plan here!

First - a big Thank You to our community sponsors:
Gary Trice - Classic Rocking DJ - our official sound person for our event
East San Diego County Kiwanis
Mission Federal Credit Union
East County Gazette Newspaper
El Cajon Harley Davidson
Farmers Insurance
Home Depot
Viejas
Bottle Shop Deli
Hometown Buffet of El Cajon
Soup Plantation
Pat & Oscars
Ralphs - 2nd Street, El Cajon
Cafe 67
Smart & Final
Granite Hills High School
Waste Mangement
Fireman's Fund - provided our red fire helmets for the kids!

What did you miss at our Safety & Career Fair held on October 4th?

At Our Fire Expo we met:

• Our new Search & Rescue Dogs - "Hattie and Icon!" Along with their handlers Fire Captain Steve Swaney and Fire Engineer Marco Maldonado

And, as a special tribute to our new search & rescue canine team, who just returned from their first rescue mission following hurrincae "Ike" - we heard from Country Music Star Sharmian who sang her new hit song "Hurricane" to honor our new search and rescue team.

We also thank popular soap star Eric Martsolf for joining us! Eric just finished an 6-year starring role as Ethan Winthrop on the hit soap opera Passions - and he just signed to reprise the character of Brady Black on another hit soap Days Of Our Lives!

Thank you as well to all the following groups that attened....

• The East San Diego County Kiwanis were back with their FREE Safety helmet give-away! They gave a way 412 safety helemts - thank you!!! They also sold hot dogs, chips and water.
• Home Depot of El Cajon was back with their Kid's Safety Workshop, along with their FREE cotton candy & popcorn.
• The Burn Institute presented three Fire Safe Kid's safety presentations at the Ronald Reagan Community Center -
Burn Institute website
• Farmer's Insurance Group provided Child I.D.'s!
• The San Diego Bloodbank Bloodmobile was back taking blood donations! Two lucky donors won a 4-pack of tickets to SEA WORLD! line.
• "K-C" the Border Patrol's safety robot was back! And new this year we had "Coasty" the talking rescue boat the U.S. Coast Guard!

We met Miss El Cajon, Miss Teen El Cajon, Mother Goose, Miss Mother Goose Queen & her court and Smokey Bear!

Among the Safety & Information groups displayed...

Outside:
ATV Safety Group
Apex Fire Restoration
CAL FIRE
Childrens Hospital 10 Mobile
California Highway Patrol & their RSVP's
Cuyamaca College Group - provided fire extinguisher training
El Cajon Amateur Radio Club with amateur radio information
El Cajon Fire Safety Inflatable House
Emergency Animal Rescue - Emergency Animal Rescue Website
El Cajon Police Mounted Patrol
El Cajon Police SWAT Team
External Fire Protection Group
Lemon Grove Fire Safety Trailer
Rapid Tatts - Face Painting & balloons!
Waste Management - Recycle Information

Inside:
Alzheimers Group
American Red Cross
Babies R' Us
Burn Institute - Fire Prevention
Communitites Against Substance Abuse
County Office of Emergency Service - OES
East County CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
East County Gazette
El Cajon Library
El Cajon Public Works - Storm Water
El Cajon Recreation Department
Farmer's Insurance - Child I.D.'s!
MADD - Mother's Against Driving Drunk
Mission Federal Credit Union
Office of Emergency Services - Disaster Preparedness
Rady's Children's Hospital
Safe Ridin Kidz - Safety Car Seat Information
San Diego Gas & Electric - Safety Info
Sharp On Survival - Think First
Silent Witness Program
T.I.P. - Trauma Intervention Program
U.S. Coast Guard Auxilary - boating information
Yellow Ribbon - Suicide Prevention

For Seniors -
AARP
Aging & Independent Services
Response Link - Alert System
Sharp Senior Services - with Blood Pressure Checks

In Our Career Section:
El Cajon Fire Reserve Firefighter program & information on what it takes to be a firefighter!
Also, representatives from -
Cuyamaca College
Grossmont College
Palomar College
Southwestern College
University of Phoenix
U.S. Army

*Make plans to visit us next year in October!

For more information, or if you'd like to be a part of our next safety event - or be a supporting sponsor please contact Monica Zech at (619) 441-1737.
Be safe & Thank you!