FD 13 considering becoming career department

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

More than a familiar adage, it’s now the approach local Fire District 13 could well approach to solve manpower issues going forward.

The district has in recent months faced the loss of personnel to what Chief Wood Weiss calls “career departments” able to pay full salaries and benefits. In response, Fire District 13 is providing fuel stipends for commuting shift staff and is considering use of two-person rather than three-person crews.

That’s not all.

The district will budget for two new paid positions next year, part of plans to launch a community paramedicine program.

“We need to start moving toward becoming a career department,” Weiss told fire district commissioners during their monthly meeting at the Snee-oosh Road station last Thursday. “We really need to address our manpower problems.”

Commission chair Bruce Shellhamer, participating remotely, agreed, saying, “That’s the natural, logical next step.”

For now, the pros and cons of scheduling two-person shifts will be studied.

Weiss has sought input on the matter from the Everson Fire Department in Whatcom County near the Canadian border.

“They’re ahead of us on putting on full-time personnel,” Weiss said. “They do two-person, not three-person shifts.”

Weiss did acknowledge a downside in the one-third reduction.

“If they have a transport to make,” he noted of two-person crews, “we would have to make sure La Conner (fire department) can cover us.”

That’s no minor consideration. The fire district has transported more patients to local hospitals this year than last. The district logged 19 transports last month alone, according to medical officer Drew Ferrell.

Still, Weiss insisted it isn’t an insurmountable challenge.

“It’s not a huge, huge issue,” he insisted. “At times it could stress us, but that can happen anyway. There will be times when we’re stressed but that’s the nature of this business.”

In the meantime, said Weiss, “we’ll hold onto the three-person shifts as long as we can.”

In other developments:

* Assistant Chief Jamie Jurdi said the district had deployed firefighters to the ongoing 10,000-acre wildfire near Skykomish. “It isn’t really all that accessible,” Jurdi said. “That’s where the smoke in our air is coming from. It’s expected to burn until mid-November.”

* Capt. Ted Taylor said the national Great ShakeOut earthquake preparation event is scheduled tomorrow (Oct. 20) at 10:20 a.m., with area tsunami sirens sounding as part of the drill.

* Commissioner John Doyle thanked Taylor and “Good Morning, District 13” program coordinator Gary Ladd for their work with area CERTs (Community Emergency Response Teams) and ham radio operators to prepare for potential disaster scenarios. “You guys are the heart and soul of the CERT program,” Doyle said.