— by Susan McBain, Orcas Issues reporter —
At the December 17 regular meeting of the Orcas Board of Fire Commissioners (BOFC)—which may have broken the record for brevity, 30 minutes—Rick Christmas was sworn in as the newest commissioner. Christmas replaces Barbara Bedell, who resigned in the fall for health reasons. Commissioners Jim Helminski, Amanda Montague, and Wes Heinmiller (by phone) were also present, along with Chief Scott Williams and acting secretary Pat Ayers.
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue’s (OIFR’s) overall finances continued to look good through November at 85% of the 2019 budget, with 92% of the year past. The number of emergency calls to the department continued to grow, reaching 120 more than at the same time in 2017. Labor/management negotiations for the next contract have started an dshould be complete early in 2019. The department has begun planning the services that will be available through its community paramedicine program, which should begin operation in the first quarter. A Fire Academy (training for new volunteer firefighters) is scheduled for 2019, probably beginning in February.
Finally, the commissioners approved the first 16 policies for the administrative and operational policy manual that OIFR is preparing. A policies, procedures, and guidelines manual is also planned.
The next regular BOFC meeting will be Tuesday, January 22, because of the Martin Luther King holiday on January 21.
