Letter to Editor | I support Brian Ehrmantraut for Fire Commissioner

||| FROM DAVID TURNOY |||

I am writing to endorse Brian Ehrmantraut for Fire Commissioner. As Brian well knows from personal experience, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue is essential to the health and safety of our community. He says that he owes his own life to them rescuing him when he sank a boat off the North Shore.

Brian believes that we all need OIFR to function smoothly. This requires good governance, financial stability, community trust in its leadership and staff, and continued focus on volunteer retention, recruitment, and training.  The failure of the recent levy campaign, along with the ongoing and historical criticism of the current leadership, has compelled Brian to offer his demonstrated skills, experience, and  knowledge to improve Orcas Fire, working together with the community and the other
Commissioners.

Before coming to the island, Brian was an engineer in Silicon Valley, where he created technology startups, taking them from garage-level operations to successful public companies and onto the Fortune 500. His experience spans organizations of 4 people to 2500 people, and he has worked in roles from the production line to the executive level. His academic training is as a
statistician and engineer.

As many of you know, Brian has spent his time on the island heavily engaged in community service. He has been your Planning Commissioner, Port Commissioner, and Housing Bank Commissioner. Brian has served on the Eastsound Planning and Review Commission. Brian was a Trustee of the OPAL Community Land Trust and served as its Treasurer. He was on the Board of the Orcas Family Health Center and on the Board of Children’s House, where he was also the Treasurer. Brian helped start the Salmonberry School along with other island families. He was on the Eastsound Water Board for many years and served as its President. Brian has also worked as a Board member at Lopez Island Vineyards for about 20 years, which is one of our county’s successful agricultural operations.

Brian and I have served together on the Orcas Highlands Association Board for at least the last seven years. I have found Brian to be very knowledgeable on so many subjects relevant to running our association. He always asks insightful questions and offers calm, well-reasoned advice.

And, directly relevant to running for the Board of Fire Commissioners, Brian has been a structural firefighter, technical rescue team member, and marine rescue/transport team member for the last ten years. In addition, he has served as an officer of the Orcas Island Volunteer Firefighter/EMT Association.

Brian has proven skills in leadership, finance, and developing healthy workplace cultures, in private-sector, public-sector, and non-profit organizations. He has prudently managed budgets large to small, is experienced with governmental processes/ regulations, and he is a strong advocate of WA State’s Public Records/Open Public Meetings Acts. Brian also has extensive
experience in hiring and retention of extraordinary people.

Brian doesn’t have an axe to grind. He excels at bringing people together and simply wants OIFR to be a superb organization we can all enthusiastically support and trust.

Brian believes the biggest issues facing the department today are:

1. Rebuilding community trust in OIFR’s leadership through Good Governance and
   Transparency,
2. Developing and achieving a plan for Financial Stability that the community will support
3. Volunteer retention, recruitment, and training

Brian has told me that he would much prefer to simply fight fires and perform the other tasks of a firefighter. But he sees the need for positive change, and if elected, he intends to roll up his sleeves and get the job done.