|
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
| 
