Orcas Island was no different from any other town USA. Fire was everybody’s constant and very real threat. In 1948, the Orcas community created the taxing district needed for a Fire Department. They raised funds to buy the first fire engine, a 1926 Howard Cooper Pumper and organized volunteers, but fires continued to rage.
In 1949 the Orcas Store, the island’s largest retail store caught fire and burned to the waterline. Then in 1951 the Westsound Store burned and emphasized the dire need for equipment in each district. In 1963, there were six fire trucks – this included a few used engines with the balance 1-ton pick up trucks equipped with water tanks or water trailers.
In 1966, volunteer responded to 12 fire calls and the first NEW engine, a F-850 Ford Pumper was purchased. Turnout gear was purchased with district and donation funds. And for the first time, an “ambulance service” was discussed.
The first paid chief, Wes Janke was hired part-time for $500 a month in October 1970 and by 1972, 54 members responded to 34 fire and 62 aid calls. Seven stations with assigned volunteers and apparatus covered the island’s growing population. EMS was official introduced to the district in the mid-seventies. And by 1979 aid calls had jumped to 123.
The 1980’s saw great improvements for both community and volunteer safety with better training, new equipment and advanced communications. It was also a time of growing pains with 3 different fire chiefs at the helm.
In 1990, the original 376-2341 emergency number was replaced with 911. Fire insurance rates were lowered thanks to the valiant efforts of the volunteers and the local dispatching service was moved to a central all county system in Friday Harbor.
Responses rose to 294 by 1995 and 2 more fire chiefs had come and gone. Gary Bennett was hired from within the ranks and the dust settled for a time. The newest comprehensive plan was well under way with the purchase of a badly needed aid unit and fire engine.
1999 saw the passage of a 15-year levy, which insured a future for both the district and its volunteers. And aid calls had soared to a record 328, more than 3 times the fire responses.
We find ourselves at our 60th year with a newly constructed headquarter station, upgraded apparatus and incentive programs for members who now volunteer nearly twice the training time required only 10 years ago. Demands have continued to grow with our population and for the first time, emergency responses have topped 600 in a year. New projects like the volunteer Fire-Medic training program and a high-angle rescue team now compliment 3 full time Fire-Paramedics and cross-training requirements.