— by Barbara Bedell, Orcas Fire and Rescue District Commissioner —
Chief O’Brien has given both the Commission and the public
excellent reasons to support both the budget and the proposed levy, ranging from a substantially increased call volume, an aging population, rising insurance and medical benefit prices, facility repairs, and increases in the cost of equipment to keep the volunteers safe. If we want to maintain the high level of service that most islanders have come to expect, if we want to continue the amount of training to support that level of service, if we want to keep our outstanding cardiac survival rate, if we want to provide adequate reporting and administrative needs for the volunteers, then we must spend money to do so. I would hate to see Orcas residents faced with a situation that happened in San Diego this past summer when a family brought its two-year old child who was choking to the fire station on its block. The station was closed that day for budget reasons, and it took 9½ minutes for a paramedic to arrive. The child did not survive.
I trust Chief O’Brien. I trust him to be concerned about the budget and the levy and their impact on property taxes. I also find the budget and the levy reasonable and not padded with extra, unnecessary expenditures. I agree with a comment made by a member of the public who stated at the last commissioners’ meeting that he is an “extreme fiscal conservative” who had “looked at the budget and found it hard to find what to cut without a significant reduction of quality of service.” We need to look at the present time but also the future as Chief O’Brien pointed out in his presentation. I would not want this Commission to leave the Department facing a $4,000,000 shortfall in ten years. I believe that would constitute fiscal irresponsibility.
I would like to see the levy pass the first time out. There are a substantial number of people on Orcas who are supportive, and we should give them the opportunity to do so. This Commission needs to be unified in regard to the levy, and I hope we can reach that point of consensus.
I find it hard to believe that the levy should be the same as the last one. The last one replaced all the equipment and built, I think, two fire halls. The department is top heavy and the plan to replace everything every 20 years is ill conceived.
Let me give you an analogy for those a little older. Remember when we were kids and a police car had what we called a gum ball machine on the roof? One yellow rotating light. No one missed the light. It was adequate for the task. Now due to the industry creating elaborate hi tech lighting {which belongs in a disco) we have these garish lights which are unsafe because they blind you when you approach them. We have these lights because sheriff’s departments have yours and my money to spend. Our fire department has the same disease. VOTE NO
Harvey, Nothing is the same as when we last past a levy. Call volume has increased 123% since the last levy. In addition, 26% of our calls now happen concurrently.I was not a huge proponent of the last levy. I liked our old fire hall in Eastsound (now Roses) and was reluctant to make a change. Luckily, the majority of voters had more foresight than I. There is simply no way we could accomplish all that we are now asked to do with the old structure. Looking forward, we can only assume call volume will continue to rise, as our population is aging and we are more likely planning to stay at home as long as possible. I appreciate that Chief O’Brien is planning for the future and asking for a levy that will support the growing community needs. Sa for the lights and sirens, we do not have much say over the type of equipment we are required to use as much of that is federally mandated, but as a volunteer, I greatly appreciate that the community supports the equipment required to keep the scene safe for both patients and OIFR personnel.
Is there information concerning the levy rate information available online? Is it true that it’s the same levy rate that was set to build the new firehouses and buy T. Hansen e new equipment, or is there a different rate?