SAN JUAN COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 3

Firefighters complete structural training

posted 11/30/04
Eleven new firefighters have joined the ranks of the San Juan Island Fire Department's structural firefighting force. Silas Anthony, Grant Calverley, Rory Coyne, Rebekah Deitz, Alex Gislason, Michael Henderson, Brent Johnson, Patrick Merlino, Todd Rogers, Brien Sesby and Ian Thomsen completed 150 hours of training and participated in the internationally recognized International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) Firefighter 1 certification exam.

In addition to firefighting theory, the Labor Day till Thanksgiving class included basic fireground skills, first aid, CPR and Automated External Defibrillator training, hazardous materials operations and live fire training. Firefighters Merlino and Rogers are new members of the department, the other members of the class certified as Wildland Firefighters during the 32 hour class offered in June. Rory Coyne, Alex Gislason and Michael Henderson are also participants in the department's Cadet Program for members 16 to 18 years old.

Certification testing was made available through the state Fire Marshal's office and delivered by officers and firefighters from several northwest Washington departments; they were assisted by seven previously certified members of the San Juan Island Fire Department. Breakfast and lunch were provided by the department's Logistics crew. The next opportunity to join the department will be in June when the entry level Wildland Firefighter class will be offered.

More trained as wildland firefighters

posted 06/29/04
Twenty three participants successfully completed the San Juan Island Fire Department's annual Wildland Firefighter School. The thirty-two hour class included classroom presentation as well as hands on use of tools and safety equipment. The class culminated with a seven acre prescribed fire.

New members of the department include Silas Anthony, Grant Calverly, Jeff Casebolt, Rebecca Deitz, Wanda Gagnon, Brent Johnson, Jill Patterson, Brien Sesby, and Ian Thomsen.

Currently certified structural firefighters that are now also trained as wildland firefighters are Jan and Hector Cyre, James Kellogg, Doug Maya, and Andrew Teasdale.

Participants in the Department's Cadet program are James Cooper, Rory Coyne, Alex Gislason, and Michael Henderson. Firefighters from Johns, Orcas and Shaw Islands, as well as Skagit County also completed the class.

Although these firefighters, and the other members of San Juan Island Fire are ready to respond, residents are asked to do their part to prevent wildland fires during the current dry weather.

Fire prevention tips:

Clean all the needles, leaves and debris from gutters, roofs and around the base of your home. Often, homes are lost when embers from a fire find these "receptive fuel beds."

Rake out any leaves or debris from under decks.

Move firewood piles away from your home.

Trim back limbs and shrubs that butt up against your home.

Leave garden hoses connected around your home.

Cut back dead grass, shrubs or plantings that are within 30 feet of your home.

Firefighters train for wildland fires

posted 06/24/03
Firefighters from Island, Skagit and San Juan Counties participated in the San Juan Island Fire Department's annual Wildland Fire School. The students are now nationally certified wildland firefighters.

Nearly half of the fires that the department responds to each year are considered wildland or wildland urban interface incidents. The department has proactively trained over 90% of its members in wildland firefighting and equipped them with state of the art wildland urban interface engines and equipment.

Although this year's wildland training has been completed, a structural Firefighter 1 class will be offered in the fall. Call 360.378.5334 for your application.

Early start to wildland fire season

Photo by Ron Garner

posted 06/07/03 The wildland fire season got underway Tuesday afternoon when the smoldering remains of an unattended 4-foot burn pile rekindled and spread through 1.2 acres of grass. More than twenty volunteers responded to the first wildland fire of the season.

One of San Juan Island fire district specially designed wildland urban interface engines performed the initial attack and was supported by a second engine drafting water from a dry hydrant, which the property owner had installed in their pond. This ready access to a water source made the firefighters’ job much easier.

The County Fire Chiefs’ Association will implement countywide burn restrictions on July 1, 2003. After that date only recreational fires two feet in diameter in approved burn rings will be allowed. Outdoor burning restrictions may change prior to that date depending on the weather and fire conditions. Please watch the fire danger signs located around the islands, or call your fire department for information.

The San Juan Island Fire Department will be conducting its annual Wildland Firefighter School during the first two weekends of June.

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