WHATCOM
COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 11
Lummi Island Fire Department
3809 Legoe
Bay Road * P.O. Box 130 * Lummi Island, WA 98262
Phone: (360) 758-2411 Fax: (360)
758-2041 www.lummiislandfire.com
2004 ANNUAL REPORT
2004 was a progressive year
for the department. We received two Department of Natural Resources grants along with an
unexpected seismic upgrade award. The fire apparatus replacement program that started in
1994 entered its home stretch. Our annual Open House was well attended and had a highlight
visit by an Airlift Northwest helicopter.
In February we received a
sub grant of $15,000 from The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Firewise activities. We mailed informational
flyers and rented a chipper to dispose of the vegetation removed to reduce wildfire
hazards around homes. Both Fire Danger signs were rebuilt using long-life materials. We
obtained a very nice reader board for safety messages and department announcements.
Through much planning and hard work the Scenic Estates community achieved a major
accomplishment in receiving the Firewise
community recognition. They were the second in Washington State to receive this
prestigious award and the 39th of 52 in the entire country. DNR also awarded us
with half the funds to purchase 10 new pagers urgently needed for our large increase in
volunteers.
In 1987, we purchased an
initial response vehicle, often called the Crash Truck. Its small size, four wheel drive,
foam capabilities and two-man operation improved the speed with which volunteers could
respond to calls and greatly improve their effectiveness once on scene. On June 8, 2004
the Board of Commissioners signed a contract for a new initial response truck to be
delivered by the end of March 2005. The new truck has all the features of the 1989 model
plus upgrades and new technologies to make our first response volunteers even more
effective. We will convert the old truck to a utility vehicle to carry extra equipment and
supplies to support calls when needed.
In August, The Washington
State Military Department asked if we were still interested in receiving the funding for
the seismic upgrade we applied for 2 years ago. We accepted. The upgrade involves
strengthening the rafter connections to the walls and re-roofing. Since this will open up
the building, we needed to start a critical facilities upgrade/improvement program. We
held the first of many facility planning meetings and toured other stations in the county
to get ideas. All improvements and changes must be adequate for both the department and
the community for the next 30 to 40 years.
The Countywide EMS system continues to be a major concern for
the Board of Commissioners and myself. Representatives from the fire service, Whatcom
County, small cities and the hospital are meeting regularly to develop a system that will
meet the needs of the county and maintain the quality EMS service we all expect.
Progress is being made but a final plan has not been reached yet. It is very important
that our community realize the great likelihood of increased EMS transportation cost.
While most patient transports are done with ground units, air transport must be used
sometimes. Some insurance carriers cover the full cost while others do not. We encourage
everyone to research individual options.
The support of this
community by passing the EMS Levy and by donations collected for the annual “Give
Burns the Boot” drive truly instills a sense of pride in serving you. The EMS Levy
allows us to continue developing the department to meet ever-increasing requirements. The
Northwest Burn Foundation can continue providing assistance to the victims and families
injured by burns. Fire Prevention week was very enjoyable for us. We visited the Beach
School K-1s. A few weeks later they visited the station and had fun flocking the back yard
with foam.
(This is only a Partial Report, click below to download the complete report)
Download Complete Report Click here 2004
Old Report Report 2003 Click here
Old Report Report 2002 Click here
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