— by Margie Doyle —
Last fall rumors were swirling about a vehicle accident earlier in the year involving members of the Orcas Island Fire Department. Because it involved a publicly supported taxing district, and because so many of the rumors were damaging to the reputation of the Fire Department collectively, and individually, the editors at Orcas Issues encouraged Fire Chief Kevin O’Brien to address the rumors. When he did so at a public meeting, we published his statement.
Further investigation to the vehicle accident by the Sheriff’s office continued last October when the investigation was reopened in response to a Public Information Request from Orcas Issues.
In late January, the following report was released by the Undersheriff:
Last month, Fire Department Mechanic Jack DeLisle pled guilty to the charge of negligent driving in the incident, which occurred in a private vehicle while DeLisle was off-duty.
There is a lot of questions still lingering
over this incident.
Jack leaves the Chief’s house and ends up in the ditch, he gets assistance from a fire dept volunteer who had also been at the party, they towed the vehicle to the fire department after retrieving a chain and two hours later another member of the department calls dispatch to inquire about who is on duty and when asked about what this is all about says “a motor vehicle accident and nobody is hurt ” Dispatch says is this a suspected DUI ? No answer
Have the Sargent call me ! Are you at the
station ? Yes
Another good question ? Where was Jack ?
There is a lot more to this story ?
Obviously a LOT more to this story– according to the investigation done by Under Sheriff Bruce Distler a volunteer phoned Assistant Chief Preysz who was asleep at Chief O’Brien’s home sometime after 2 am after the mess had been cleaned up.
If nothing was wrong why would he wake up Preysz? Why didn’t Delisle report it to the sheriff?
Why didn’t Delisle even have the courtesy to tell the owner of the vehicle (Paramedic Kiniski-who was awake and on duty at the station when they went to get the chain and again when they dropped the wrecked vehicle off behind the station) that he totaled his truck?
Why was it necessary for Preysz to come to the station at 0300 to be the one to tell Kiniski that his truck was wrecked?
Why was it Preysz trying to contact the on duty officer privately instead of reporting the accident per fire department protocols?
Why wasn’t Delisle checked out medically and made to sign a release? This was a significant impact! The truck was totaled and airbags deployed. We were all put at great risk by these shenanigans….
Most importantly, how is it that the chief was allowed to say the accident was “minor”?
I would like to hear the original 911 call to dispatch.