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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | May 2019 | 15 Emergency preparedness committee Four Seasons CERT continues to need your help. Become a Street Captain or CERT Auxiliary. Step up. Be a part of the best CERT in the valley, come make a difference. For more information visit https://fscert.org/cert-volunteer. As a result of EPC's collective effort to shine the spotlight on this critically needed committee within our community, Hemet City Fire Department Emergency Services Coordinator, Katt Henderson informed those in attendance that Hemet Four Seasons is the city's model for emergency preparedness. Her 2019 Q2 CERT Training, (here at Four Seasons) on April 5, 6, and 7 had the highest attendance on record, with 15 of those attendees being Four Seasons residents! 2019 Q3 Training will be in August at a TBD Fire Station. Stay tuned through your Emergency Preparedness Committee for specific dates and times and how to register. Thanks to all of you that participated in our Four Seasons CERT events. Join CERT. Make a difference. The EPC strongly suggests that residents leave their "OK/Need Help" signs in the window with OK being default. This would save time trying to find them in an emergency. If you've lost the signs, get them at the Lodge front desk. Several lucky resident participants in the exercise and CERT information luncheon won the raffle items consisting of a fire extinguisher, Aqua POD emergency water supply, two fireproof safes and a first aid kit. With respect to smoke detectors: In residential fires, most deaths occur not from fire, but from smoke inhalation. There are two common types of fire sensors: ionization and photo-electric. The least expensive is ionization and most builders install those. Smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years. In the ionization type, the source of ions and the sensor lose their efficacy by then. The detectors in most Four Seasons' homes are probably over 10 years old. They are old and may not detect smoke sufficiently to warn in time. Ionization detectors are faster than photodetectors in a fast-flame fire such as a kitchen grease fire by 30 to 90 SECONDS; however, photodetectors are faster than ionization detectors by 15 to 50 MINUTES in smoldering fires, common in non-kitchen fires. You decide as you're the final arbiter of your home. Now that we are in the midst of spring, you may be planning improvements to your landscaping. Spring flowers and new growth are lovely at this time of the year. You may be planning for new shrubs and trees that can start growing and become somewhat established before the heat of summer. The Architectural Review Committee reviews changes in landscaping per our Standards and Regulations. The Architectural Standards and Regulations provide good insight into what is appropriate and approvable in Four Seasons, and what is not. If you do not have a copy, one is waiting for you at the front desk of the Lodge. Trees are a vital part of our community, adding not only beauty and shade, but adding to everyone's property values. Planting of new trees, and removal of existing trees, are among the changes to your landscaping that does require Architectural Review Committee approval. With the maturity of our community, some have found that trees originally planted by the developer have not been the best fit for smaller yards. In some cases, the Committee has approved tree removals. Many who have had trees removed have opted to replant smaller trees that compliment their homes, but are scaled appropriately for the area in which they grow. Typically, trees need to be planted no closer than five feet to property lines and structures, so that they will not cause future damage as they grow. Trees should also be pruned to avoid contact with your home. Unfortunately, vermin can use a tree or shrub in contact with your home to gain access to the roof or your attic. If you have questions about trees, please contact Maria Donti, the Architectural Support Staff at the Lodge. An approved planting list is also available. Architectural Review Committee

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