Orcas Fire Simulates Fire & Rescue in Spring Point

by Cara Russell

Airlift Northwest arrives in Deer Harbor to transport this reporter, who volunteered as a burn victim in Spring Point fire drill.

At 8 a.m. on Saturday May 18, I normally would have been thinking about getting out of bed and brewing a pot of coffee. Instead, I was sitting in the conference room at Orcas Fire Station 21 with a to-go cup of brew, attending a pre-drill meeting with almost 20 members of Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, and two deputies from the County Sheriff’s Department.

Fire Chief Kevin O’Brien was preparing us for a community-based drill. Meanwhile the neighborhood of Spring Point was preparing for the same thing. The drill scenario: a wildfire in Spring Point. The agenda: communication, organization, and to work with the community.

The drill began at 9 a.m., when an emergency call was placed by one of the Spring Point residents. Dispatch advised Orcas FD/EMS of the fire, located on Spring Point Road, east of Arbutus Lane. Flags were placed to represent the area of the wildfire. I rode out with Assistant Chief Mik Preysz and we arrived at the location shortly after FD/EMS, and found them working around a water tender truck.

Orcas Island has four water trucks, and each tender truck carries 2700 gallons of water. Drop tanks, which look like enormous kiddie pools, were placed so the water from the tender truck could be emptied into the drop tank. The tender truck would then be free to leave the firefighters with a water supply, while it went to refill its pumps at the nearby pond.

To contain the fire, firefighters would use shovels and picks to remove a roughly 3’-5’ swath of vegetation around the site of the fire. Units were placed in different locations so as to flank the fire on both sides and drive it toward the road to contain it. Meanwhile, Incident Commander Fire Chief Kevin O’Brien had arrived at the new Station 24 in Deer Harbor and set up the command post, staying in close contact with the FD/EMS on the scene and deploying orders by radio. Also participating in the drill was the Red Cross, whose personnel set up an emergency shelter at the Deer Harbor Inn for the possibility of evacuated residents.

This reporter, volunteering as a victim for the purposes of the drill, was found with burn injuries of 30% third degree burns and 20% second degree burns. The incident Commander immediately radioed for Airlift Northwest to evacuate me. I was driven to an alternate Landing Zone by Mik Preysz and one of the Spring Point residents.

Then it came in on the radio, the fire had jumped the road, and was no longer contained. The Incident Commander ordered an evacuation of the Spring Point neighborhood. The residents activated their neighborhood phone tree, and 12 volunteer residents arrived at the Spring Point Dock for a marine evacuation by Sheriff’s Boat, which can carry six passengers at a time. The residents were ferried across the water to the Deer Harbor Marina then shuttled by the Senior Van to the Red Cross shelter at Deer Harbor Inn. (US Coast Guard had been scheduled to participate in the drill, but had last minute engine troubles.)

Waiting at the LZ was EMT Maria Nutt. She talked me through what would happen while we waited for the medivac. She would attend to me, keep me calm, take my vitals, and obtain my health history. Twenty minutes after the call had been made to Airlift Northwest, the helicopter arrived. Two flight nurses in royal blue jumpsuits jumped out and walked up to me.

If this had been an actual emergency, they would have loaded me onto a gurney and into the helicopter and tended to me on the flight to the hospital. I, however, was allowed to sit shotgun with the pilot and enjoy the view as they then flew me to the landing zone at the Eastsound Airport, ending my participation as a volunteer victim.

A scheduled critique was then held at the Deer Harbor Inn following the drill to discuss how things had gone and what needs be improved upon. OIFR, the San Juan County Sheriff, San Juan County Dep. of Emergency Management, Airlift NW and the Red Cross all participated in this drill.