Guest Opinion | Thank you for your service and welcome aboard

||| FROM JIM BIDDICK |||

I want to start by saying thank you to Leith, Allan and Nick for your service to the fire department and to the Orcas Community. To Brian, Randy and Kate, I want to congratulate you on your election win and I look forward to working with you to resolve the financial issues of the department and to start healing the Orcas community.

I stayed away from being involved with the Fire Department issues, because it always seemed to me that Orcas had a way to resolve issues in a constructive way. In the few short months I have been on the Commission, I can truly say that I have never seen an issue divide a community as much as the department levy and perceived issues about the culture of the department. As to the culture issue, the Chief has been doing an excellent job of bringing the department along in the short time she has held the
position. The morale within the department was on the rise and until now, but because of the defeat of the levy, it is starting to back slide. OIFR is in a unique leadership position in that there is less than a 1% chance that you’ll find a firefighter/paramedic person that possesses the ability to lead an organization. We now have two people in Don and Holly that can fill that role and let’s hope they can recover some of the ground that has been lost.

At 81 years old, as good as our volunteers are and as much as I respect them, selflessly, when the big surprise happens, I want the person working on me that has the most experience resuscitating patients. Remember I said selflessly. As to the levy. I have been treasurer of the Orcas Lions Club for more than 18 years. I’ve been treasurer of our Road Association for 16 years. I have been providing free tax preparation to low and moderate income tax-payers for more than 50 years, 20 of which have been on Orcas. I’ve worked on many budgets in my volunteer positions and in my corporate career. I was not prepared for the experience I have had with levies and a fire department budget process. When I came on board the budget was pretty much down the road based on what the consultant had said. It was a solid 10 year plan that took care of operations, maintenance and had a set-aside fund for equipment refurbishment and replacement. It was a good solid plan that ensured the future of the department.

The new Commission is now going to be faced with what do we do to ensure that we provide the high level of service that the community wants, ensures that we have a steady stream of income to support the department for more than just one year at a time and provides what is necessary to attract new volunteers to fill the ranks.

The new Commission has a steep hill to climb. If you think taxes are high now, tighten the cinch on your saddles because we are going to be up against at three new levy lifts from other organizations this next year. When we came to the island we all knew it was expensive to move here. You can hardly afford to go out once a month for a hamburger, let alone the establishments that cater to the lifeblood of the island. But somehow, we have found ways to adapt. If we want to continue to live out our years on Orcas we are going to always have to find ways to adjust.

One of the hardest things I have had to learn is that as a Commissioner, because of all the regulations, you are not in a position to micromanage the department. Your role is 99% financial oversight with the occasional ask by the Department for participation on some issue that might come up. Just as there is a chain of command within the department, the commission is a resource to the Chief. The community can make suggestions, which the commission listens to, but the final decision of what to do remains up to the commission’s objectivity, regardless of how much the public wants.

The Commission must listen to their audience, spouse, significant other, friends, family and co-workers, but the final decision is on the Commission and you sometimes have to have a hard shell when you have to make a critical decision.

With that, again, thank you Leith for your attention to detail, Allan for your service to the department and the community, and to Nick for your insight, organization and ability to help me understand the issues. To Randy, Brian and Kate welcome aboard and I look forward to working with you on the financial issues.

As I said, the three key issues on my agenda are

1. A financial plan that goes out at least five years, provides for a changing environment and brings stability to the department.
2. Provides the community a high level of service that is required to support an older population. Our current aging population is at 59% for those older than 50 and a senior rate 60+ of 45% which is double the WA rate, and
3. Honors the volunteers both through programs to attract new people and a level of benefits that allows them to stay involved. Ask any of the island non-profit, volunteerism is down amongst the younger generations. Our current OIFR volunteer age is 50+ and I thank them profusely for their service and being there when needed.

In conclusion, I’ve asked for no comments to this letter because it is time to move on and leave the issues of the past in the past and cooperatively work together for the good of Orcas.