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Ocean Shores fire department reports staffing gains, South End station progress and wildfire mitigation grant
Summary
The fire department said reporting-system issues mean statistics lag a month; it reported 214 calls in March (171 EMS) and said four paramedic hires are pending and two EMTs are in paramedic school. The South End station has comms installed but still needs a generator; the department received an $8,000 wildland prevention grant to fund outreach and two dumpsters for vegetation cleanup.
At the April 21 Public Safety Committee meeting the fire department reported 214 total calls for March, including 171 EMS calls and 43 fire-service calls, and said that changes to a national incident-reporting system mean the department is operating a month behind while systems are reconciled.
The department said staffing remains a top priority. Fire leadership said the assistant chief position is currently vacant, the union negotiated a new schedule that is attracting candidates, and that the department expects to add four paramedics in the near term; two EMTs currently in paramedic school are expected to finish by Jan. 1. "As of January 1, we'll have 16 firefighter paramedics," one speaker said, adding that these changes should reduce overtime and strengthen south-station coverage.
On infrastructure, the South End Fire Station has new communications equipment; the department still needs a generator, internet and propane to be fully operational and said the goal remains moving in by the end of May.
On wildfire prevention, the department received an $8,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to fund public education and mitigation. The grant will fund two 20-yard dumpsters for vegetation removal (rotated weekly for roughly a month) and about $1,000 for signage and outreach materials, officials said.
Sources: Fire department remarks at the Ocean Shores Public Safety Committee meeting, April 21.
