Memorial Day – Freedom isn’t free. This weekend Monarch joins all America in celebrating Memorial Day, a national day recognizing the sacrifice of all members of the U.S. military who gave their lives to defend our great nation. Begun as Decoration Day, a day to place flowers upon the graves of Civil War fallen soldiers, Memorial Day now commemorates fallen American military personnel from all conflicts. In the midst of our barbeques and family get togethers we should all take a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Of course, we want to encourage safe practices while we barbeque and swim this weekend and into the summer. Never leave fires unattended. Never put lighter fluid on hot charcoal or an open flame. Make sure you know the location of your household fire extinguisher and verify it is still charged as you begin the season. Don’t leave children unattended in swimming pools. Use child flotation devices with caution as most are only designed to be used as a toy and not as a secure way to keep a child afloat.

The directors, staff and firefighters at Monarch wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day!

Jane Cunningham was sworn in as the newest member of the Monarch Fire Board April 17th. After the ceremony Jane took her seat along with current board members and participated in the election of the new board officers. Robin Harris was elected president, Jane Cunningham was elected secretary and Steve Swyers will be the new treasurer. The Monarch Fire Board, the men and women at Monarch and all the residents and businesses in the Monarch District would like to welcome Jane Cunningham to her new position on the Monarch Fire Board. Congratulations.

Jane Cunningham will officially join the Monarch Fire Board at the 8:15 p.m. meeting on April 17th. There will be a ceremony during which Jane will take the oath of office at the beginning of the meeting. After the ceremony she will participate as a director for the remainder of the meeting. The Monarch Fire Board, the men and women at Monarch and all the residents and businesses in the Monarch District would like to welcome Jane Cunningham to her new position as a director on the Monarch Fire Board. Congratulations, we look forward to seeing you as part of the Monarch family.

B-Shift Monarch crews on 2220 rescued Gretchen, a black lab, from an icy pond January 5, 2013 in the 400 block of Pine Bend Drive. It took a mere 7 minutes from time of arrival for Firefighters to get Gretchen to shore! Kudos to the responding crews! “The really important thing in what happened today is that neither Lilly nor anyone else tried to go out on the ice to rescue the dog,” responding firefighters said. “It was an emergency situation already with the dog unable to get out, but it could have become a major tragedy if anyone else had gone through the ice.” Good job!

Happy Holidays!!!

Santa Claus and your Monarch Firefighters will be visiting
Neighborhood’s Tuesday December 18^th thru Thursday, Dec 20th between 5-8pm.
Check the attached schedule for the exact location.
Santa and his Elves will be on his sleigh,
following the fire trucks along the way.
With music, candy cane treats and lights,
He will sit for pictures all through the night.
To find his various stops on the way,
look for the “Santa stop”signs that lead to his sleigh.
Listen for the sirens, and you’ll know he is near.
He’ll be drawn by a fire truck instead of his deer!
 
These are approximate times only. Times may vary depending on number of
participants at each Santa Stop. No need to worry because you’ll know he’s near
when you hear the siren.

**If inclement weather is present during the time of the event, i.e. measurable snow
fall, rain, or extreme cold weather, the event will then be held at (December 18th, Monarch Station 5 – 155 Long Rd.) (December 19th, Monarch Station 1 – 15700 Baxter Rd.) (December 20th, Monarch Headquarters - 13725 Olive Blvd). Please arrive at your original scheduled time to visit Santa. If weather is an issue we will post the change on Facebook and on our website at www.monarchfpd.org.**

SANTA’S ROUTE ON DECEMBER 18

5:00 pm – First stop at Chesterfield Estates subdivision
Location: Riverdale Dr. / Riverdale Circle ( best to pull into the circle)
Nearest Subdivisions: Chesterfield Estates, Eagle Crest Estates, Fox Hill Farms

5:30 pm – Second stop at The Bluffs Of Wildhorse
Location: Hillcrest Ridge Dr./ Bluff View Ridge Dr.
Nearest Subdivisions: Spring Hill Bluffs, The Bluffs of Wildhorse, Somerset,
Country Place, and Wildhorse Meadows

6:15 pm – Third stop at Wildhorse Subdivision / Highlands
Location: At first pool on Wildhorse Pkwy
Nearest Subdivisions: Wildhorse Subdivision / Highlands

7:00 pm – Fourth stop at Greystone
Location: Greystone Manor Pkwy in cul de sac
Nearest Subdivisions: Greystone and Miramonte

7:40 pm – Fifth stop at Pine Creek Subdivision
Location: Wilderness Cliff Ct./ Keystone Trail Dr.
Nearest Subdivisions: Wilderness Trails, Pine Creek, Wilderness @ Wildhorse,
Steeple Hill, Chesterfield Oaks.

8:15 pm – Sixth stop at West Hampton Woods Subdivision
Location: Suzanne Ridge Dr./ West Hampton View Lane
Nearest Subdivisions: West Hampton Woods, Garden Valley

SANTA’S ROUTE ON DECEMBER 19

5:00 pm – First stop at Ascension School
Location: Ascension School
Nearest Subdivisions: Chesterfield Farms, Estates at Baxter Pointe

6:00 pm – Second stop at Meadow Brook Farms
Location: Country Ridge Dr / Parasol Dr
Nearest Subdivisions: Meadow Brook Farms, Clarkson Woods

6:30 pm – Third stop at Cedarmill Bath and Tennis
Location: 1896 Cedarmill Dr
Nearest Subdivisions: Baxter Lakes, Baxter Lakes Addition, Claymont
Lake Estates, Claymont Manor

7:00 pm – Fourth Stop at Villages at Baxter Ridge
Location: Villages at Baxter Ridge Pool
Nearest Subdivisions: Villages at Baxter Ridge

7:30 pm – Fifth Stop at Highcroft Elementary School
Location: Highcroft Elementary School
Nearest Subdivisions: Estates of Baxter Ln, Baxter Oaks, Schoettler
Estates, Westridge Estates, Bridal Creek Estates, Highland Forest,
Westfield Farm

SANTA’S ROUTE ON DECEMBER 20

5:00 pm – First Stop at Manors at Bellerieve
Location: @ Intersection of D’artagnan Ct/ Bellerieve Manor Dr.
Nearest Subdivisions: Manors at Bellerieve, Bellerieve Farm Estates

5:30 pm – Second Stop at Bellerieve Estates
Location: @ Intersection of Montauban Dr/ Nimes Dr
Nearest Subdivisions: Fernwood Estates, Somerton, Bellerieve Estates,
Maison Manor

6:00 pm – Third Stop at Incarnate Word Church & School
Location: 13416 Olive Blvd

6:30 pm – Fourth Stop at Old Farms Pool
Location: Old Farm Estates 1715 Bookbinder Dr.
Nearest Subdivisions: Old Farm Estates

7:00 pm – Fifth Stop at Seven Pines Swim Club
Location: Seven Pines Subdivision 2115 Seven Pines Dr
Nearest Subdivisions: Seven Pines Subdivision, Polo Run

8:00 pm – Sixth Stop at River Bend Elementary
Location: River Bend Elementary
Nearest Subdivisions: River Bend Subdivision, River Valley Estates

On August 20th 2012 Monarch Fire Protection District Units were dispatched to the area of Carriage House Ct for a House fire. A 4 year old child started a fire in the kitchen trash can. The Monarch Battalion Chief arrived on the scene first and found nothing showing. He confirmed all of the occupants were out of the building. He entered the residence with a dry chemical extinguisher and found a trash can that was built into the kitchen cabinets was completely involved with fire. The fire was quickly extinguished by Monarch crews, and no hidden fire was detected. Investigation revealed that a 4 year old boy started a stick on fire, and then he put the stick in the trash can. His 13 y/o sister, who was babysitting, found the fire. She exited the building with her brother and then called 911. Monarch Fire Marshall Roger Herin stated “this incident was tragedy avoided, and is very preventable.” Continue reading →

Almost everyone enjoys a nice fire in their fireplace, but this friendly fire can turn into a deadly enemy if certain precautions are not taken. First, every fireplace needs a screen in front of it, to keep sparks inside. Second, burn only dry, seasoned hardwoods. If a live tree is cut down, the wood should be stacked outdoors for at least one year. This will dry the wood and help diminish the amount of creosote buildup. Third, before the first fire of the season, the chimney needs inspection and probably cleaning. It may need to be done more than once each season, especially when using an efficient wood burning stove. In most cases this is best left to the professional chimney sweep. He will clean the chimney, if needed, and inspect for cracks or other problems. Continue reading →

The Monarch Fire Protection District would like to welcome Pastor Ed Sempstrott as it’s new Chaplain.

Pastor Sempstrott has a long history with the fire service, starting with being the son of a Danville Fire Department Lieutenant. Additionally, he has had extensive experience dealing with crisis and trauma situations with fire and police personnel. Continue reading →

Residents of the Monarch Fire Protection District will be able to use the district’s headquarters building in Chesterfield as an emergency shelter.

At a Board of Directors meeting last week, board member Michelle Sleet suggested — and the board approved — the concept of providing emergency shelter to district residents in the event of a power outage, such as the ones last summer and this winter. Continue reading →

The Jewish Community Center, Marilyn Fox Building, has once again answered the public service alarm.

The Monarch Fire Protection District would like to offer our appreciation for the dedication to public service the JCC has demonstrated. The Jewish Community Center has allowed the fire district the use of their facility for the purpose of testing prospective employees. The JCC has also allowed the use of their facility to injured employees during their recovery process. Rob and Julie have been professional, gracious and generous when assiting with the needs of the fire district. Continue reading →