Mariposa County Fire Department members taking part in the “Fill the Boot” campaign last weekend are pictured, from left, Deven Dearing and Harve Dearing.Last weekend’s activities proved Mariposa County Fire Department (MCFD) is much more than just a fire department. Not only do its members respond to emergency calls for assistance, they fund raise for worthy causes, staff first aid centers for community events and train endlessly to sharpen skills—all without expecting compensation.

During what turned out to be one of the most beautiful weekends of the year, 20 members spent the entire weekend learning new emergency medical skills, ten current and future officers spent the weekend honing incident command skills, ten staffed the first aid center at the Civil War Reenactment and 22 members and their families raised funds for a cancer cure through support of Relay for Life.

Look for further details in this week's Mariposa Gazette.