Lodi Fire Foundation swears in its first board
Foundation will raise funds for Lodi Fire’s unmet needs such as equipment, training
Although it was formed in late 2019 and has had just three meetings since, the Lodi Fire Foundation board was officially formed and sworn in during a special meeting Thursday afternoon at the LOEL Center.
Much like the Lodi Police Foundation, the Fire Foundation will work to raise funds to provide the unmet needs of the Lodi Fire Department’s firefighters.
Those needs include enhanced cancer screenings, training, establishing water rescue operations, building a firefighter memorial, and purchasing specialized equipment that will allow the fire department to protect Lodi
and the surrounding region’s residents, property and environment, Chief Gene Stoddart said.
Funds for cancer screening
“Research has shown that firefighters are at a much higher level of contracting different kinds of cancers,” Stoddart said. “There are agencies that can come to the department and administer tests to our firefighters, and we currently do minor screenings. But the city’s budget can’t afford the extra costs required to continue providing that service.”
According to a study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
firefighters face a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses, and a 14% increase in cancer-relate deaths, compared to the country’s general population.
That is because firefighters are exposed to contaminants that can soil their personal protective equipment, which in turn can soil everything with which it comes into contact, the NIOSH said.
Specialized equipment
As a result of contaminated PPE, the NIOSH said a firefighter’s turnouts — the yellow jacket, pants and boots they wear to an incident — are being cleaned more frequently. However, it is unknown if current or even new cleaning procedures can adequately remove contaminants from PPE, the NIOSH said.
Because of this, Stoddart would like to acquire new turnouts for the department.
“Our special equipment is sent out to a cleaner right now,” he said. “But if an incident happens late Friday, the place we send our gear to is only open on the weekdays. Over the years we’ve experienced an 8% to 10% call volume increase. As fires and calls increase there is little to no time to wash the turnouts. So this would allow us to clean our current ones and have fresh ones when an emergency arises.”
Water rescue operations
Part of the 10% increase in incidents are calls to Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River, Stoddart said.
“We’re in a partnership with (the City of Lodi) parks and recreation department, and they have a boat that doesn’t quite meet the needs we require to adequately rescue someone in danger. We need to keep it in service, and we do need some funding assistance to keep it running so we can properly serve the community.”
Firefighter memorial
Stoddart said he would like to erect a memorial in front of Station 1 to recognize the Lodi firefighters who have lost their lives to illness while protecting the community.
He has some plans drawn up for the memorial, which he hope will be a bronze statue accompanied by a flagpole. The names of those have died of illness — there are currently two — will be displayed somewhere on the memorial, he said.
“The fire department has never had a foundation,” board president Tracy Williams said. “Chief Stoddart and I were talking about it one day, and we thought long and hard about how we could make it as successful as the police department foundation. This will help the fire department acquire muchneeded equipment and hopefully relieve expenditures on its budget.”
Williams currently serves as chairwoman of the police foundation, but said she plans to step away from that board to help the fire department’s panel begin its mission.
Lodi Police Chief Sierra Brucia said the foundation that helps his department has been a great asset over the more than 20 years it had been raising funds.
“It’s been hugely beneficial to us,” he said. “With cuts to the city budget being tighter over the years, and seeing even tighter restrictions on purchases, the foundation has been able to provide us with the resources we need to equip our officers.”
Some of the equipment that foundation funds have allowed the department to obtain include its $230,000 Ballistics Armored Tactical Transport in 2015 and its nearly $72,000 bomb squad robot the following year.
The police foundation raises funds through its annual golf tournament at Woodbridge Golf and Country Club, the annual Police Chief ’s Gala, and the annual Lodi Heroes Behind the Badge run at Jessie’s Grove Winery.
“The entire board has been wonderful to work with,” Brucia said. “They fill the gap that exists in budgets and funding. It’s a huge resource that ultimately provides what we need to better serve the Lodi community.”
The Lodi Fire Foundation will meet on the first Thursday of each month at Station 1, located at 210 W. Elm St.
Founding members include Williams; vice president Theresa Bettenhausen, a retired Lodi Unified School District food services employee; secretary Mike Pasqualicchio from the Stockton Fire Department; treasurer Heather Rettig from Adventist Health Lodi Memorial; and board members Mikey Hothi from the Office of Assemblymen Jim Cooper; Jonathon Smith, a retired Stockton firefighter; Mark Wallace from F&M Bank; and Laurel Gibson from Danz Jewelers.
Stoddart said the fire department was extremely grateful to the community members who helped form the foundation, which will be a great addition to the funds generated by Measure L.
“Firefighters aren’t ones to reach out and ask for something from the community, unless it’s extremely dire,” he said. “These guys are humble, quiet, and don’t do this for recognition. I see this as a way — on top of Measure L — of helping us offer another route to protect our community.”