Letter to Editor | Regarding the Recent Media Post from Local 3911

— from San Juan County Firefighter and Paramedic Association, IAFF Local 3911, via Chad Kimple —

The following message is a follow-up statement from our previous media release last week (January 30, 2017). The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 3911 (also known as San Juan County Firefighter and Paramedic Association) is comprised of the emergency response paid staff of Lopez and Orcas Island. Our “Local” consists of eleven members which includes both Firefighter Paramedic Officers and Firefighter EMT Officers.  IAFF Local 3911 are fellow community members who serve with pride and dignity for all visitors and residents of Lopez and Orcas Island.

The distinction to be made is: when an opinion is released to the media from IAFF Local 3911 it does not necessarily represent the opinions of the entire fire department as an organization or the volunteers of the organization, just the members of IAFF Local 3911.

The exceptional level of public safety that is provided cannot be accomplished without the highly trained and skilled volunteers of Lopez and Orcas Island combined with the paid members of IAFF Local 3911. Together we make a great team.

Orcas Island has a ballot measure out to ask for your vote to approve or deny the increase of the Board of Fire Commissioners on Orcas Island from three to five. The opinion of IAFF Local 3911 is: there is great benefit in a 5-member BOFC Board, we encourage you to vote YES.

IAFF Local 3911 would like to recognize the work that past and current Fire Commissioners have accomplished over the years. This measure should not be made to decrease their value.  We want to emphasize that we are appreciative of the progress achieved by our Board of Fire Commissioners (BOFC).  We have grown immensely through 2016, and we recognize that our BOFC has been dutiful through our transitions.

We only exist through the support of our community. Thank you.