NEWS ABOUT SAN JUAN COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 3
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Town fire dept dropped from county run cards
By Sharon Kivisto
posted 12/05/01
The town of Friday Harbor discontinued joint training of firefighters with county Fire District 3. The county in turn dropped the town's fire dept. from the run cards sheriff's dispatchers use to page out county fires. And both departments do not want to share equipment.
The Town Council approved a part-time training officer for the town's fire department during the 2002 budget process. The two departments which are both located on San Juan Island had agreed to joint training by the county's training officer. The training was supposed to take place quarterly.
With the dropping of the automatic aid by the town, Town Fire Chief Bob Low said, "Hillview Terrace residents will no longer have the closest fire station responding." He noted District 3 recently increased the tax the county residents pay. He doesn't think the property owners will be getting their money's worth.
"I don't think it will reduce the level of service to anyone," McLaughlin said. According to him the county's response is faster than the town's.
Low said McLaughlin sent a "nasty letter" telling him the county's water vacuum equipment would no longer be loaned out to the town. The Town's firefighters used the equipment to clean up flooded Cannery Landing condos damaged when a water heater in an upstairs unit overflowed. "We've been told repeatedly their equipment is for use in town only," said McLaughlin. "If that's the policy. We'll have to stick to the same policy."
New boundaries for automatic aid
posted 06/25/01
The two fire departments which serve San Juan Island have agreed to new boundaries and reimbursement rates for mutual and automatic aid. Friday Harbor Town Councilmembers signed the resolution which reduces the size of the area the town's fire personnel respond to automatically.
The previous agreement called for the town to respond to half of San Juan Island Town Administrator King Fitch told the council. The new agreement calls for automatic response to the Pear/Turn Point and the Hillview Terrace areas. Under the old agreement town fire personnel would respond to both structure fires and car accidents in the automatic aid area. The new agreement eliminates automatic response to car accidents.
Automatic aid is not compensated for financially. Mutual aid -- when one department calls for help from the other is reimbursed. San Juan County Fire District No. 3 Chief Bill McLaughlin said town fire personnel will not be asked to fight wildland fires because they are not trained in that type of firefighting.
