Anda Remembered, Incident Reports and Notable Alarms, Levy information, Ayers hired, and Goals
— from Kevin K. O’Brien, Fire Chief/CEO, Orcas Island Fire & Rescue —
January 1, 2014 through February 28, 2014
Orcas Island Fire and Rescue mourns the passing of OIFR Captain Rick Anda. Rick began his outstanding service as a volunteer firefighter on Orcas in 1999. He was a very active in all aspects of District operations including EMS, structural and wildland firefighting. As a wildland firefighter, he participated on an assortment of off-island deployments and fought many large scale wildland fires.
In 2008, Rick became the OIFR District Financial Officer, where he brought his excellent experience and professionalism to the administrative leadership of the District. Through his excellent business expertise, Rick helped the district improve financial practices and overall operations.
Rick was very active in the Orcas community. He was named Patriot of the Year in the Doe Bay Community in 2008. He also served as treasurer and president of the Orcas Lions Club.
Rick was a respected leader with Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, always ready to answer the alarm and a mentor to many. Rick will be dearly missed.
Calls for Service
This year (Jan. 1- Feb. 28) there have been 150 calls: 46 were Fire/Other and 104 were Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Last year, there were 128 total calls between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, for a total call volume increase of 17 percent.
Notable Alarms
Vehicle Accident
On 1/4/14, OIFR responders assisted an adult female with injuries following a vehicle accident on Orcas Road near Judd Cove. The patient was treated and transported in stable condition to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Bellingham.
Traumatic Vehicle Accident
On 1/5/14, OIFR responders were dispatched to a home in the Doe Bay neighborhood to assist an adult male who sustained multiple traumatic injuries following a vehicle accident. The man was given comprehensive EMS treatment and transported to Harborview Medical Center, Seattle in serious condition by Airlift Northwest.
Missing Person
On 1/14 at approximately 12:30 a.m., OIFR personnel and San Juan County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a home on Pea Pod Lane in the Sea Acres neighborhood to help with the search for a man who was reported missing since approximately 7:30 p.m. on 1/13/14. The early morning search included 22 OIFR personnel and six apparatus, a US Coast Guard helicopter, the San Juan County Sheriff’s vessel, and a ground search by emergency personnel. Two dog-tracking teams arrived on the island to assist in the operations as well. At approximately 9:00 a.m. on 1/14/14, the San Juan County Sheriff’s department was notified that the man was accounted for and in stable medical condition.
Traumatic Injury
On 1/17, OIFR responded to the Buck Mountain neighborhood for the report of a woman who was unconscious after she fell down a set of stairs. She received emergency treatment at the scene and was to be transferred via Airlift Northwest to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham for further evaluation. Due to inclement weather, Airlift Northwest was unable to transport and San Juan Medevac was busy on another transport. After other alternative transportation methods were exhausted including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, San Juan Medevac was able to accept the patient transfer to St Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham.
Suicide Attempt
On 1/28, OIFR responded to an Eastsound location for a possible suicide attempt. The patient was initially unresponsive with lacerations to both arms. After emergency care was provided at the scene, attempts to transport off island were made without success. Airlift NW, Island Air, Coast Guard, and SJC sheriff boat were all unable to respond due to inclement weather. Eventually, a private boat owned by an OIFR firefighter with a paramedic and two EMTs on board was able to transport patient to Peace Island Medical Center in Friday Harbor. The EMS call lasted approximately seven hours.
Structure Fire
On 2/10 at 7:00 p.m., OIFR personnel were dispatched to the Deer Harbor Marina for the report of a structure fire. Arriving responders found the marina building closest to the main road heavily involved in fire. Two 120 gallon propane tanks stored near the building were emitting large “torch like” flames which challenged firefighting efforts. 40 responders from OIFR and San Juan Island with 13 units including the fire boat “Confidence” from San Juan Island Fire District 3 worked until 1:30 a.m. to control the blaze. Damage was limited and a good portion of the building was saved. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental caused by an electrical problem in the mechanical room. There were no injuries to civilians or responders.
Missing Person
On 2/28 at 7:29 p.m., OIFR personnel were dispatched by the San Juan County Sheriff to the Bartel Road neighborhood after receiving a report of a missing man. OIFR responders conducted a search in multiple different areas along Bartel Rd and Terrill Beach Road. The man was found lying in a ditch full of water along Terrill Beach Road at approximately 8:30 p.m. He was treated for hypothermia and airlifted to St Joseph’s Hospital, Bellingham in serious condition via Airlift Northwest.
Levy Information/Recruiting Events
Leading up to the Levy Lid-Lift Election on April 22, and an ongoing recruitment drive for volunteer firefighters in Doe Bay, Orcas, and Deer Harbor; Orcas Island Fire and Rescue is in the process of hosting a series of events geared to inform the community of our overall operations, funding, and the details of the Levy Lid-Lift. At each event we will offer a “Five Minute Hands Only CPR Class.” If you are unable to attend the events and have questions, please give us a call at (360) 376-2331 or email info@orcasfire.org.
Volunteer/Human Resources/Public Information Coordinator
After initiating a regional search, OIFR is pleased to announce that Patricia Ayers has been hired as our Volunteer/Human Resource/Public Information Coordinator. Pat has been a volunteer with OIFR since 2010 and has served as a temporary administrative assistant from the fall of 2012 through 2013. Pat has extensive experience in the human resource and health care administration fields. Pat and her husband Dr. Greg Ayers live in the Raccoon Point neighborhood. “Congratulations and welcome aboard, Pat!”
Fire Chief’s Goals and Priorities for 2014
- Execute the mission of OIFR through direction of the Board of Commissioners
- Improve and maintain fiscal accountability for all OIFR operations
- Provide positive leadership for OIFR and our community
- Improve reliability and performance for OIFR
- Execute the OIFR strategic plan
- Provide sound management and oversight for all operations, equipment, facilities, projects and programs for OIFR
- Maintain a high level of service delivery
- Improve operations through identifying efficiencies
- Update all policy, procedures and guidelines
- Improve all communications (Radio, Interdepartmental, Community)
- Expand public programs
- Foster open and clear communications with the Orcas Island Community and our surrounding partners
Resuscitation Academy
On January 29, 2014, there were 20 members of OIFR who attended a Resuscitation Academy in Bellingham which was sponsored by Seattle Medic One and NW Region EMS and Trauma Care Council. This all-day conference focused on pre-hospital high-performance CPR. The life-saving methods learned at the conference were brought back to OIFR and shared with other responders at two consecutive drill nights.
CPR and First Aid Training at OIFR
- Public CPR and AED training is held on the first Monday of each month.
- First Aid, CPR, and AED training on the third Saturday of each month.
Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
Orcas Island Fire and Rescue will be participating in Orcas Island’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, Monday, March 17, 11:30 a.m. in Eastsound. Chief O’Brien is honored to serve as the Grand Marshal.
(360) 376-2331 ~ Office www.orcasfire.org
Rick Anda was a great man and did a lot for
the Fire Dept. We were so lucky to have him
in the position of our financial officer and
volunteer, he served us well.
At the meeting last night, the Board approved a new rate for the current off island CPA of $100. hr for about 20hrs a month with the assistance of our current staff. I feel that this is an excessive amount for a tax district and that the accounting should go back to the County the way it used to be. The computer work
will be done by a local Tony Ghazel in the
future for $75. hr The commissioners went
into executive session at the end of the meeting.
I have to finally weigh in……..I find these comments quite insulting on so many levels. We are all (volunteers and staff) very upset and in mourning for our longtime friend and colleague. At least separate the complaint from the condolences. Very upsetting indeed and to me it feels, harsh, insincere, and hurts my heart.
Kari: I agree with you. I too feel it’s time to weigh in…
This has been a busy two months indeed. If it weren’t for the exceptional work that the staff and volunteers of OIFR do, at least three people outlined in the notable alarms section, would have lost their lives. There is no price tag for this kind of service. If outsourcing some of the workload frees up staff to respond to life saving calls, I am thankful they do this.
I am from a community where a call to EMS would cost the patient thousands of dollars – minimum. To know that a volunteer would go so far as to use his own boat and that the volunteers took seven hours of their own time for just one call demonstrates, to me, the loyalty and commitment to community that they all have.
You may someday need this loyalty and commitment for yourself or a loved one. It is time to stop nit picking and looking for problems where there are none.
I agree with Kari and Marla. ’nuff said.