Jul 2008
Letter to the editor from J Scheib
24/07/08 16:00 Filed in: Letters to the
Editor
To the
Editor,
The Islands’ Sounder
Orcas Island, Washington
Madam Editor,
I would respectfully submit that, in regard to the Orcas Island Fire Department, you are not doing your job. You damn us with faint praise in your editorials, then fail to do the fact checking required to present your readers with a balanced view of what is actually going on. As a citizen, taxpayer and 70-year-old serving volunteer on the Fire Department, I find that your editorials and coverage of the Board of Fire Commissioners meetings amount to a fifth column assault on the only emergency medical and fire suppression organization close enough to be of any use to our citizens.
You might not understand the unintended consequences of the destruction of morale and capacity which must result from a continuation of your editorial stance. As volunteers, we decide, individually, if we have a “duty to act” when our fellow residents of Orcas Island are injured, ill, or the bright face of danger visits them. So far, we suck it up, show up, and do the job, often at two in the morning on cold, wet nasty nights. The average age of our volunteers is forty-eight years.
You have refused to publish the minutes of the Fire commissioners meetings, but you have felt free to use portions out of context. You have failed to publish letters to the editor, which differ with your editorial position, but have used portions to slant your own editorials.
At the board meetings, we have been forced to listen to ugly outbursts from people who presume to lecture our elected commissioners on the fundamentals of management. Ironically, all of the commissioners are experienced businessmen, well known in the Orcas community for their professional acumen and ethics.
This is painful to watch. Worse, we cannot look to the editor of our newspaper to report this vituperative behavior. The unreasoned anger of the citizens who idealize
the past and sunny slopes of long ago does not recognize that the Orcas Island Fire Department must build and train in the present to be ready to respond to the increasing demands of the future. The Fire Department Bond Issue was passed by the public several years ago to pay for that preparedness. Madame Editor, you are well aware of this, but say nothing to support it in the newspaper. While the process of implementing the goals and objectives of the Long Range Planning Committee, which took eight months to produce, is aborning beautifully and efficiently, you are demanding busily that all must be complete with a snap of the fingers. This is the action of a petulant child demanding instant gratification.
You attempt to create a false dichotomy between our commissioners and the volunteers, denigrating the commissioners and praising the volunteers. I would like to point out to you that our commissioners often come from the ranks of the volunteers, and return to the ranks after their term in office is completed. We are all the Fire Department!
You fault us for meritorious conduct. This will result in good honest folks concluding that public service on the Fire Department is a fool’s errand. Who, exactly will benefit from that? We fully understand that the media is the fourth branch of the government and answers to no one. As such, because you live here too, you might consider shifting your editorial stance to that of a balanced and well informed reporter whose goal is to inform our bright and well read public, rather than advocating for a handful of the professionally unhappy. If this position offends your sense of journalistic ethics, perhaps you should seek other employment.
You buy ink by the barrel, but ink does not put out fires or provide emergency medical care for a growing island population at least an hour away from outside help.
Respectfully Submitted,
James R. Scheib
Fire Fighter/EMT
Orcas Island Fire Department
The Islands’ Sounder
Orcas Island, Washington
Madam Editor,
I would respectfully submit that, in regard to the Orcas Island Fire Department, you are not doing your job. You damn us with faint praise in your editorials, then fail to do the fact checking required to present your readers with a balanced view of what is actually going on. As a citizen, taxpayer and 70-year-old serving volunteer on the Fire Department, I find that your editorials and coverage of the Board of Fire Commissioners meetings amount to a fifth column assault on the only emergency medical and fire suppression organization close enough to be of any use to our citizens.
You might not understand the unintended consequences of the destruction of morale and capacity which must result from a continuation of your editorial stance. As volunteers, we decide, individually, if we have a “duty to act” when our fellow residents of Orcas Island are injured, ill, or the bright face of danger visits them. So far, we suck it up, show up, and do the job, often at two in the morning on cold, wet nasty nights. The average age of our volunteers is forty-eight years.
You have refused to publish the minutes of the Fire commissioners meetings, but you have felt free to use portions out of context. You have failed to publish letters to the editor, which differ with your editorial position, but have used portions to slant your own editorials.
At the board meetings, we have been forced to listen to ugly outbursts from people who presume to lecture our elected commissioners on the fundamentals of management. Ironically, all of the commissioners are experienced businessmen, well known in the Orcas community for their professional acumen and ethics.
This is painful to watch. Worse, we cannot look to the editor of our newspaper to report this vituperative behavior. The unreasoned anger of the citizens who idealize
the past and sunny slopes of long ago does not recognize that the Orcas Island Fire Department must build and train in the present to be ready to respond to the increasing demands of the future. The Fire Department Bond Issue was passed by the public several years ago to pay for that preparedness. Madame Editor, you are well aware of this, but say nothing to support it in the newspaper. While the process of implementing the goals and objectives of the Long Range Planning Committee, which took eight months to produce, is aborning beautifully and efficiently, you are demanding busily that all must be complete with a snap of the fingers. This is the action of a petulant child demanding instant gratification.
You attempt to create a false dichotomy between our commissioners and the volunteers, denigrating the commissioners and praising the volunteers. I would like to point out to you that our commissioners often come from the ranks of the volunteers, and return to the ranks after their term in office is completed. We are all the Fire Department!
You fault us for meritorious conduct. This will result in good honest folks concluding that public service on the Fire Department is a fool’s errand. Who, exactly will benefit from that? We fully understand that the media is the fourth branch of the government and answers to no one. As such, because you live here too, you might consider shifting your editorial stance to that of a balanced and well informed reporter whose goal is to inform our bright and well read public, rather than advocating for a handful of the professionally unhappy. If this position offends your sense of journalistic ethics, perhaps you should seek other employment.
You buy ink by the barrel, but ink does not put out fires or provide emergency medical care for a growing island population at least an hour away from outside help.
Respectfully Submitted,
James R. Scheib
Fire Fighter/EMT
Orcas Island Fire Department
Waldron Fire Wise Training
19/07/08 16:00 Filed in: Fire Wise
July 19th, 2008 - Waldron Fire Wise Training
The Waldron Community continues to work towards a safer and more FireWise community. They are in their 5th year of proactive work with Mother Nature to clear away dead and down debris which create a real fire hazard in the dry summer months. They suffered a near disaster in 2003 when a flare gun set off a fast moving brush fire. Since that day, Waldron Island has worked together with the Orcas Island Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources and their community to reduce their risk because - they ARE their own fire department! Calling 911 will get help from Orcas or other agencies moving in their direction. But that will be manpower for the most part. And it could be up to hours away! They have organized community clean ups, home owner awareness programs and even taken a few firefighting tips from the local experts. The last event was coordinated with Orcas Fire's Max Jones as a basic introduction to Wildland Fire Interface, when wildfire meets homes... They have designed and built three firefighting "trailers" that are simple to use and light to haul with most any vehicle with a trailer hitch.
They plan to continue this community effort as long as it takes to "keep folks informed and safe". Good job Waldron Island!
In 2003, Waldron was working with old fire engines that were complicated and required costly maintenance.
The newly designed Fire Trailer! 250 gallons of water that can be pulled nearly anywhere a vehicle can go.
Simple design and 200 feet of 1" hose makes it easy and quick to deploy.
Community members train on pump use.
These people care about their community! Good Job Waldron.
The Waldron Community continues to work towards a safer and more FireWise community. They are in their 5th year of proactive work with Mother Nature to clear away dead and down debris which create a real fire hazard in the dry summer months. They suffered a near disaster in 2003 when a flare gun set off a fast moving brush fire. Since that day, Waldron Island has worked together with the Orcas Island Fire Department, the Department of Natural Resources and their community to reduce their risk because - they ARE their own fire department! Calling 911 will get help from Orcas or other agencies moving in their direction. But that will be manpower for the most part. And it could be up to hours away! They have organized community clean ups, home owner awareness programs and even taken a few firefighting tips from the local experts. The last event was coordinated with Orcas Fire's Max Jones as a basic introduction to Wildland Fire Interface, when wildfire meets homes... They have designed and built three firefighting "trailers" that are simple to use and light to haul with most any vehicle with a trailer hitch.
They plan to continue this community effort as long as it takes to "keep folks informed and safe". Good job Waldron Island!
In 2003, Waldron was working with old fire engines that were complicated and required costly maintenance.
The newly designed Fire Trailer! 250 gallons of water that can be pulled nearly anywhere a vehicle can go.
Simple design and 200 feet of 1" hose makes it easy and quick to deploy.
Community members train on pump use.
These people care about their community! Good Job Waldron.
YMCA Fire Camp Students
18/07/08 16:00 Filed in: YMCA Fire
Camp
July 18th, 2008 - YMCA Fire Camp Students
YMCA Fire Camp Students took a field trip to the Orcas Island Fire Department to learn about Wildland Firefighting. It was part of an outstanding new Fire Wise program teaching young people ways they can to prevent wildfire from burning homes. Front Row: Connor Dean, Dimitri Pence, Bryce Hohn, Arianna Dean and Ariahan Tidrignton. Back Row: Rich Harvey, Kelsey Whitaker, Alex Grantham, Cassidy Donaldson, Violet Kissel, Bailey Johnson and Maxx Jones.
YMCA Fire Camp Students took a field trip to the Orcas Island Fire Department to learn about Wildland Firefighting. It was part of an outstanding new Fire Wise program teaching young people ways they can to prevent wildfire from burning homes. Front Row: Connor Dean, Dimitri Pence, Bryce Hohn, Arianna Dean and Ariahan Tidrignton. Back Row: Rich Harvey, Kelsey Whitaker, Alex Grantham, Cassidy Donaldson, Violet Kissel, Bailey Johnson and Maxx Jones.
Wildland Fires in Eastern Washington
10/07/08 16:00 Filed in: Wildland
Fires
Orcas Island Fire Department has joined with San Juan
and several local fire districts to respond to fires
now burning out of control in eastern Washington.
Firefighters from all over the State are sending what
help they can to help in the effort. One fire, east
of Wenatchee, is now considered a threat to the
Bonneville Power lines. Firefighters Tad Lean and
David Howitt from San Juan Island plus Chad Kimple
and Perry Pruett are manning brush engines from both
islands. Noel Monin from San Juan Fire District 3 is
the Strike Team Leader.
Brush 21 with Northwest Strike Team at a fire last year on the Handford Reservation.
Brush 21 with Northwest Strike Team at a fire last year on the Handford Reservation.
Celebrating the 4th on the 5th of July 2008!
05/07/08 16:00 Filed in: Parades
Celebrating the 4th on the 5th July,
2008!
1880: Fire Pup meets future member
Special Guest helps with fund raiser
Washington State Governor Gregiore flips pancakes for the Association
Members hope to restore old engine
Lots of tradition! (Dalmations are an essential part of Fire Department history.)
1880: Fire Pup meets future member
Special Guest helps with fund raiser
Washington State Governor Gregiore flips pancakes for the Association
Members hope to restore old engine
Lots of tradition! (Dalmations are an essential part of Fire Department history.)
Residential Fire on Orcas
04/07/08 20:15 Filed in: Structure
Fires
On July 4th
at 8:15PM, just hours before the fireworks display in
Eastsound, the Orcas Island Fire Department was
called to the area of Orcas Road and Dolphin Bay Road
.
The first 911 call actually came from across Eastsound, from the Vusario area, as a “large column of smoke”.
The first Orcas Fire units arrived at 700 Swann Rd. to find a large log cabin home engulfed in flames with trees burning 75 feet into the air on the right side of the home. Engine 21 from Eastsound made what Lt. Patrick Shepler described as, “an aggressive exterior, defensive attack, to dampen down the fire, extinguish the trees and protect the area from a wildland fire.”
The home was owned by Burke Thomas, who was not home at the time of the fire.
The fire took ten Orcas Fire units and 27 firefighters to bring it under control.
“The home was a total loss from the arrival of the first units, but the application of over a thousand gallons of water in the first few minutes, combined with a steady water source via our water tenders ensured the safety of other nearby homes”, Shepler said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.
The home was fully involved when the fire department arrived on scene. Water was immediately directed onto the flames but simply vaporized due to the extreme heat.
Press Release
The first 911 call actually came from across Eastsound, from the Vusario area, as a “large column of smoke”.
The first Orcas Fire units arrived at 700 Swann Rd. to find a large log cabin home engulfed in flames with trees burning 75 feet into the air on the right side of the home. Engine 21 from Eastsound made what Lt. Patrick Shepler described as, “an aggressive exterior, defensive attack, to dampen down the fire, extinguish the trees and protect the area from a wildland fire.”
The home was owned by Burke Thomas, who was not home at the time of the fire.
The fire took ten Orcas Fire units and 27 firefighters to bring it under control.
“The home was a total loss from the arrival of the first units, but the application of over a thousand gallons of water in the first few minutes, combined with a steady water source via our water tenders ensured the safety of other nearby homes”, Shepler said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.
The home was fully involved when the fire department arrived on scene. Water was immediately directed onto the flames but simply vaporized due to the extreme heat.
Press Release
Orcas Fire Guest at Friday Harbor 4th of July Parade
04/07/08 16:00 Filed in: Parades
Orcas Fire Guest at Friday Harbor 4th of July Parade
All Star Line Up includes Orcas Fire!
Orcas Fire Engine on loan to town
Classic Ford Engine retired for parades
Orcas Firefighters Jeff and Maxx Jones join the fun
All Star Line Up includes Orcas Fire!
Orcas Fire Engine on loan to town
Classic Ford Engine retired for parades
Orcas Firefighters Jeff and Maxx Jones join the fun