||| FROM ART LANGE |||
I would like to express my strong support for re-election of Commissioner Wes Heinmiller.
This election is, unfortunately, occurring within a context of a serious controversy within Orcas Island Fire and Rescue. Based on previous volunteer consulting I have done with the department in past years, I suspect the union’s recent vote of “no confidence” in Chief Williams is motivated less by union members’ concerns about their treatment by the Chief and more by their concerns about aspects of their salary and overtime, their personal ambitions within the department, and leadership’s efforts to hold some of them accountable.
My understanding is that the Fire District Commissioners have conducted independent investigations of any formal grievance filed against the Chief, and the independent investigators have found these complaints to be baseless. It is a known fact that Patrick Shepler, Wes Heinmiller’s opponent in the election, was actively involved in the efforts to discredit the Chief before he retired from the department.
Shepler served as a paramedic within the Department for many years and has certainly become known in the community as a result. Having been a paramedic, however, doesn’t necessarily qualify a candidate to act as an unbiased Fire District Commissioner.
As voters, we need to learn more about what is actually going on within the department in order to understand who we want to represent us on this board.
Voters must reach a conclusion about whether we support what Chief Williams is attempting to achieve or what his critics are attempting to achieve. Who we elect as our commissioners will go a long way toward determining whether the department’s leadership will operate for the good of our entire community and not just for the benefit of the department’s internal critics.
I believe Wes Heinmiller is the best candidate to ensure that Orcas Island Fire and Rescue continues to serve our community in the exceptional manner it has for decades.
Wes is the Best Choice !
Oh, Art, I couldn’t agree with you more.
“As voters, we need to learn more about what is actually going on in the department in order to understand who we want to represent us on the board.”
I assume you would apply the same scrutiny to the Hospital Commissioners and some of their most recent decisions which the community is still waiting to learn about.
Please elaborate on the “known fact” that Mr. Shepler was “actively involved in the efforts to discredit the chief”. What is your definition of “discredit”? Is it bringing facts to light?
That is the second accusation thrown out at union members by supporters of Mr. Heinmiller. The other was that the union “threatened prospective hires”.
When challenged to present facts no response from THAT accuser was forthcoming.
Until specifics are outlined these are baseless charges. The “threatening hires” comment was slanderous.
Both of these men have served the community with integrity.
How about cleaning up the rhetoric and focusing on what is actually “known”.
What I “know “ is that many of the employees who feel the chief is not fit for duty are lifelong members of the community who I know personally to be of the highest moral character and dedicated to this community.
I am an ordinary citizen who does NOT have inside knowledge about the now-apparent roiling discontent in the Fire Department, much less about its long-term causes or details or who did what.
While I agree that “Voters must reach a conclusion about whether we support what Chief Williams is attempting to achieve or what his critics are attempting to achieve.,“ this article does not shed much light on what, specifically, anybody is attempting to achieve or how different attempts differ.
Care to enlighten me & others? Anybody? Without mud-slinging, especially the kind of vague innuendo that does not help voters “learn more about what is actually going on within the department in order to understand who we want to represent us on this board”?
Thanks.
The choice seems obvious to me… The people who work and volunteer at our Fire/EMS department want Shepler in. They went so far as to have a vote of no-confidence for the chief, no small step. Notice how they are not all speaking up about it? They are very reservedly and politely not trying to smear the chief publicly, hoping the population of the island has the conscientious awareness to see this. Shepler is an amazing man, and his appointment will help towards rehabilitating our awesome Fire/Ems Department.
I don’t know Wes Heinmiller, so I have no opinion of him, good or bad. However; THIS that you said, Mr. Lange: ” I suspect the union’s recent vote of “no confidence” in Chief Williams is motivated less by union members’ concerns about their treatment by the Chief and more by their concerns about aspects of their salary and overtime, their personal ambitions within the department, and leadership’s efforts to hold some of them accountable.” That is a serious and disturbing accusation. If you really had wanted to sway voters to vote for Mr. Heinmiller, wouldn’t it have been more fruitful to laud all his good qualities and deeds as commissioner?
I second what Thea Patten said. I would be very interested in knowing what Chief Williams hopes to accomplish, as well as from the actual union members and volunteers whose morale is so badly affected that many volunteers – who risk their lives and health serving US – are quitting.
Long standing excellent reputation as chief of the EMTs, and respect by both the citizens and firefighters/EMTs, seem to be fine qualifications on which to run as Fire District Commissioner.