CURRENT NEWS . . .

A correction to the Christmas event at the Oracle Community Center LIGHT PARADE:
The event will be on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9th, from 4-6pm, to allow time for a light parade afterwards! (Anyone interested in participating in the light parade, be at the Oracle Courthouse by 5:30pm.)
FUELING THE FUTURE . . . by Edie Crall
For the last four years, Saddlebrooke and Saddlebrooke Ranch have worked together providing much needed food to students at Mountain Vista School (MVS) in Oracle, over the winter break. We are thrilled that the Rotary Club of Saddlebrooke is joining the effort again!
Many students who rely upon school breakfasts and lunches, which are not available during the 15 days of Winter Break, may experience food insecurity. For the last four years, FUELING THE FUTURE has provided non-perishable AND fresh food to over 70 families.
Additionally, over the last few years, volunteers from the CERT and Firewise programs at Oracle Fire District have volunteered their time to help with the set-up and distribution of this food. This year, Oracle Fire District is pleased to announce they will provide an additional collection site, outside of the two Saddlebrooke locations, for the convenience of Oracle residents and those who work in Oracle.
Starting on Friday, November 24th through December 15:
NON-PERISHABLE FOOD or CHECKS made out to ORACLE COMMUNITY CENTER (who is collaborating with the Saddlebrooke Rotary Club to create tax-deductible donation opportunities)
may be dropped off at: Oracle Fire Station at 1475 W. American Ave. MON-FRI from 8 am to 5pm. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF OUTSIDE OF THESE DAYS AND TIMES!
Suggested non-perishable donations include: peanut butter, jelly, cereal, pasta and pasta sauce, mac & cheese, dry rice, soups, applesauce, juice boxes and/or bottles, crackers and chips, dessert mixes, boxed potatoes, canned fruit, vegetables, beans, fish, meats, etc. Thank you for your support!
Any questions, please contact Edie at: ediecrall@me.com or call 520-404-1005.

ANOTHER GREAT DONATION OPPORTUNITY . . .
Another great donation opportunity is to Oracle Community Center, which provides many events for Oracle, including the
Free Christmas Event with Santa on Saturday, December 9th from 4-6 pm.
Additionally, the volunteers at the OCC are assembling gift baskets for some of the elderly people in need within our community and are accepting financial donations for purchases of items to be gifted in the baskets.
For more information, please call Laura Stiltner at 928-242-2555. Wishing you all safe and very enjoyable holidays!

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The Oracle Brush Dump is OPEN for regular business hours as of Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 at 8am. Regular business hours are Tuesdays-Saturdays 8:00am-4:45pm and closed on Sundays, Mondays and Holidays.
• Please bring your resident card and exact change ($5 for a single truck or trailer, $10 for both, and $20 for a dump truck).
If you do not already have a resident card, please bring proof of residency within the Oracle Fire District, such as a driver's license or utility bill.
• As always, NO TRASH ALLOWED! This includes construction materials, even if it is wood. This is a Firewise program and designed to accept cuttings from trees, shrubs and grass. We cannot accept large tree stumps as they do not burn completely and need to be hauled away after burns. Also, NO CACTUS, AGAVES, AND YUCCAS. They also do not burn thoroughly. Thank you for your patience!

WM TRANSFER STATION NEWS – Latest Information regarding the WM Transfer Station in Oracle: Starting October 16, no trailers will be accepted. Truck loads only. They wil only accept household trash and it must be bagged and secured. New Hours starting October 16: Monday-Wednesday 9am-3pm only! The Transfer Station will be closed Thursday-Sunday and Holidays!

There are several options beside using the Oracle Brush Dump:
• One is the use of the Pinal County Waste Voucher Disposal Program* (more information below). The other is a link to many FREE Dump or Cleanup Events throughout Pinal County, two that will be in San Manuel.
• Other Waste Management facilities. This option, other than using one of your Pinal County provided free dump vouchers to take brush, etc. to the facility here in Oracle, is to take your brush to the Waste Management transfer station in Catalina. I believe they charge $20 for the first 1,000 lbs and, from what I have heard, and my personal experience with taking recycling – Free of Charge (they no longer check the license plates for the county).

USE OF COUNTY VOUCHERS:
Materials (like cactus, agaves, large tree stumps, construction lumber, etc) can be taken to our local Waste Management location using a Pinal County voucher.
Free vouchers are available through Pinal County: Eligible Cities: Aravaipa, Dudleyville, Kearny, Mammoth, Oracle, San Manuel, and Superior. Here is the Application Process:
1. Complete and return the Application. Contact 520-866-6419 for the application. https://pinalcountyaz.seamlessdocs.com
2. Submit a current utility bill stating your name and residential address. Acceptable Documents: Water, Power, Sewer & Trash Bill.
3. Submit a copy of a valid Arizona State Issued ID / Driver’s License.
4. Submit all documents to: pcroadmaintenance.sharedmailbox@pinal.gov
or contact 520-866-6419 to make arrangements to pick up or apply for vouchers. Three vouchers are issued to the primary residence once per year. Valid voucher dates are July-Oct, Nov-Feb & March-June. Any lost vouchers will not be replaced.

BRUSH DUMP POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
POLICIES:
• Use of the brush dump is limited to vegetation removed from properties within Oracle Fire District.
• As always, only tree & shrub trimmings, grass cuttings, and leaves are accepted. Tree trunks over 10” in diameter, tree stumps, cactus, agaves, or yuccas are NOT accepted as they do not burn completely. NO trash, lumber or construction materials, pallets, etc.
• Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday. 8am- 5pm (last key check out at 4:45pm).
• We are now closed on Sundays and Mondays and all Holidays.
• The key will NOT be given to anyone without proof of residency or a permit.
• Non-compliance with any policies or procedures may result in permission to use the brush dump being revoked.
PROCEDURES:
• Proof of residency (Driver License, utility bill, or property tax document) that shows that you own property within Oracle Fire District or are renting is required to complete a resident form and to obtain permits.
• New resident forms will only be issued by the OFD administrative staff, front office of the fire station, Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm, and Friday mornings 8am-noon.
• If you cannot make it to OFD during these admin. hours, email either Tina at tacosta@oraclefire.org or Cherie at ccheney@oraclefire.org or call 520-896-2980 during admin. hours for alternative methods.
• Once an Oracle resident form is completed, they will be issued a Resident card with their name and number, which can be shown at the front office for the brush dump key.
• For an Oracle resident using a contractor to haul their brush, a sheet of 5 “permits"with your name and Resident ID # will be issued. The resident will be required to complete each permit with their name and phone number. When needed, the resident will fill in the contractor’s name and phone number on the permit and give one permit to them. More permits may be issued on a case-by-case basis.
• The resident will show their card, or the contractor will give the permit to the person at the front window of the OFD station, and will be required to pay the appropriate fee . . .
• $5 for one load – back of truck OR trailer /• $10 for two loads – back of truck AND trailer /• $20 for a dump truck. / Note: EXACT CHANGE IS REQUIRED.

DIRECT LINKS TO BURN PERMITS AND RESTRICTIONS –
We now have a new main link button (left) on this home page to these important sources regarding Burn Permits and Restrictions.
• Pinal County – BURN PERMITS and another for PERMITTED FIRES.
• Coronado National Forest – All info including Burn Permits.
• Dept. of Forestry & Fire Management (DFFM) –
A direct link to FIRE RESTRICTIONS.
• For state, federal, and tribal fire restrictions visit their NEW website at Arizona State Park: https://azstateparks.com

NEED HELP TO FIREWISE YOUR PROPERTY? – OFD is now accepting applications for a grant that may help you now or in the future. Click HERE to find out details. Click HERE for the application. If you just need a list of landscapers and contractors that are available here in Oracle, click HERE for more information. Note: they do not work for OFD.

WILDFIRE INFORMATION – There is ONE WEBSITE that has the best information on all major fires in the US. Make this a bookmark for Arizona and any other state you may want to check on. The home page takes you to the most current and largest fires. It has maps, details and updates. For all fires in one state, click at the top right, choose your state and click GO. Click HERE to go to that site or bookmark the link: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Facebook is also another good source for the latest information.

OFD IS RECRUITING! – Oracle Fire is recruiting for Part-Time and Reserve Firefighter/ EMTs. Paid 24-hr shifts. You must be at least 18. Click HERE to see our flyer with more details or email us at: rjennings@oraclefire.org / Click HERE for an APPLICATION.

PREPARING FOR WILDFIRE – Your future self may thank you for this: do these two things right now to prepare for wildfires. Not sure how? Click HERE.

GETTING ALERTS – If you have not yet turned in our ENS form to be added to the OFD emergency notification system, please fill out the form, complete and either email back to OFD (Tina), fax, or bring in. Don’t forget to sign up for the Pinal County Emergency Notification System as well.

THE ORACLE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM (ENS) –
You can't afford not to be on this list for emergency notifications. Click to go to the "ENS" form and be sure to get any additional numbers (besides your landline) in the system by filling it out and returning it to Oracle Fire District. Just drop it by the fire station.
HOME ALONE ENS SYSTEM – If you are in need of an earlier warning to evacuate due to your health or to relocate animals and livestock, you can be in a special group that gets ENS warnings ahead of the general public. Here's a LIST of evacuation information that may help you.

INTERESTED IN EVACUATION PREPARATION OR WILDFIRE STATUS? Here are some links and documents that will help you find the information you need:
• Ready, Set, Go - Information on One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire.
• How to Have a Firewise Home (606kB)
• Living with Wildfire (3.5MB)
• FEMA Evacuation Checklist (123kB)
• One Less Spark (Poster) (2MB)
• Newsletter - SUMMER
• EQUINE & LIVESTOCK EVAC PREP - Link to Video on youtube – Wildfire preparedness tips from a firefighter, veterinarian and ranch owner called "Saving the Ranch."

MORE INFORMATION – Would you like more useful info on wildfire? Click HERE for News & Information, Fire Weather, Maps, WIldland Fire Data in Google Earth, Arizona Fire Ecology, WIldland Fire, Firewise Resources, Smoke and Air Quality, Info for Before, During and After a Wildfire, How to Help and Fire Prevention & Education topics. There are several excellent artlces relative under each topic you can click to at the Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention website.

What is a Red Flag Warning? – According to the National Weather Service, a Red Flag Warning is issued when a "combination of low humidity, strong winds, dry ground cover, and warm temperatures are expected to bring critical fire weather conditions to the warned area." When we have these conditions, you may see our red flag flying in front of the fire station. Please be vigilant and cautious especially on these days.