Ocean Shores officials outline all‑hands July 4 beach safety plan

Ocean Shores fire officials described an "all hands on deck" public‑safety plan for the July 4 holiday, warning of large crowds, reduced staffing and steps to prevent dune and wildland fires, Chief Ritter said during a public safety meeting.

The city will stage brush rigs, duty crews and other resources on July 2–4 and deploy additional personnel on the holiday itself. "On July 2, we have 5 duty crew plus 2 brush rigs that will be staffed by 2 personnel a piece," Chief Ritter said, adding that July 3 will use the same staffing pattern and that on July 4 the department will have "7 station personnel for 24 hours, and then everybody else will be out on the beach." He cautioned that outside firefighting resources are limited because of active wildland fires elsewhere and that the city is "short staffed."

Why this matters: large July 4 beach crowds, widespread alcohol use and people entering the dunes increase the risk of dangerous dune and brush fires. Officials said the plan emphasizes prevention (education and patrols), rapid response where needed, and public information to reduce both safety and environmental harm.

Most important operational details: Chief Ritter said a dozer loaned from Rodlins will be on standby at the fire station with an operator ready to respond and a spotter; the department also has drone capability with its fire inspector to "track the fire immediately." For the approaches, the city will reroute vehicle traffic to reduce congestion at the Chance approach, install eco blocks on both sides of the Chance approach to channel pedestrians and vehicles, and place dumpsters at Damon, Chance and a southern location. Officials expect and will monitor small, contained dumpster fires: "we'll probably respond to 4 to 6 dumpster fires on the July 4. That's to be expected," Chief Ritter said.

Prevention and public‑health partners: The volunteer organization Avert and Surfrider will provide first‑aid tents and help hand out trash bags; Chief Ritter said Avert will staff first‑aid tents at the Damon and Chance approaches and possibly a southern site. Ace Hardware (Steve Buck) will place color‑coded locator flags along the High Dune Trail (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) so responders can give precise locations for lost or injured beachgoers.

Traffic, patrols and partner agencies: Police, public works, state parks, Fire District 7, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff and state patrol will share coverage, though officials said county and state agencies are also short‑staffed. Chief Ritter said incident command will be located on the fourth floor of the Shiloh and that marine patrol will operate on the lake. He also noted that one DNR employee who lives in the city, Mark Kinkade, is "on point for the July 4."

Staffing and recruitment: The fire department is testing firefighter/EMT candidates and expects to offer up to six positions; Chief Ritter said there are 22 applicants and civil service representatives Mister Dooley and Richard Wills will assist with the two‑day testing process. He described ongoing difficulty finding firefighter‑paramedics.

Permits, rules and public guidance: Chief Ritter said a small number of fireworks vendors have applied for permits through the fire department. He urged residents and visitors to follow local rules: "stay a 100 feet away from that dune grass and don't have any huge fires, no burning couches or cars. Keep your fire pit no bigger than 3 feet and burn only naturally cured firewood. No burning, driftwood or pallets, things like that," he said. If a burn ban is declared, the city will post signs on approaches and deploy brush rigs to advise people that beach fires are not allowed; enforcement, he warned, would be difficult and time consuming.

Environmental and operational context: Officials said prevention and public education have reduced incidents in past years, but the department is preparing an "all beach" command structure rather than separate north and south divisions so wildland rigs can move up and down the beach as needed. Chief Ritter also said the city should consider budgeting for the holiday as a shared city expense: "it's hit us for about 30 to 35,000 dollars, easily," he said, and suggested creating a dedicated July 4 pot shared among departments.

Closing: Officials asked for public cooperation and volunteer help; Chief Ritter said the goal is to prevent major incidents through education and targeted response. "I really feel like the prevention part of this is gonna help us avoid, potentially serious threats," he said.