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East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) is using Earth Day to raise awareness and disseminate the lessons learned from recent wildfire tragedies. We are seeing the impacts of climate change in real time with increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions. EJFR recommends three films which document the visceral shock, fear and grief felt by the impacted communities.  These films can be viewed on your streaming video provider.

Fire in Paradise on Netflix

Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forest, and the Future

Rebuilding Paradise

*These films are NOT recommended for children.

EJFR wants our community to view and hear these tragedies as a call to action. One of EJFR’s core objectives is to ensure the resilience of our community. Here in Jefferson County, as well as regionally, we experience weather conditions similar to those being felt in neighboring states. Although our peak season for elevated wildfire risk is shorter, we do experience dangerously low humidity and high wind. The risk to our community is very real. As of mid-April 2021 the National Interagency Fire Center is already issuing Red Flag Warning’s for portions of northwest Oregon.

On this Earth Day we encourage you to reflect on what you can do individually to make our community more resistant to wildfire. Deliberate preparation around the immediate perimeter of your home may dramatically increase the survivability profile during a wildfire. Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety concludes the area immediately adjacent to your home needs special attention and regular upkeep. As Wildfire Season approaches, take time to make fire safety improvements following these standards from the National Fire Protection Association.

To be sure your family is prepared to act in the event of a wildfire or possible evacuation we recommend having conversations now using resources such as Ready.gov.

EJFR welcomes community volunteer involvement on this topic and more – for information and an application visit the of our site.

 

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries – the leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home.
• Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it’s cool.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
• Loose clothing can hang down onto stove burners and catch fire. Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 metre) around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

*Thanksgiving is the leading day for fires involving cooking equipment.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. More tips, videos and fire safety activities available at fpw.org.

Facility Highlights

The modular structure has two bedrooms, office, two bathrooms, kitchen, common room and laundry room. EJFR Volunteer Fire Station 5 even has high speed internet and fire sprinklers. The North Garage houses and antique fire engine, EJFR ambulance and a small fitness room. The South Garage houses one of EJFR’s water tenders, fire engine and H.A.M. radio room. The equipment and vehicle inventory kept at EJFR Volunteer Fire Station 5 is robust and will help sustain the Island during a disaster.  

The Future

On April 20th, 2024 EJFR celebrated the completion of phase 1 of the project; more is to come. MIF applied for a grant to electrify EJFR Volunteer Fire Station 5 in 2023. They were awarded the grant and the project will begin in May 2024, bringing solar panels and electricity storage to the compound. EJFR and MIF are also planning to apply for disaster related grants to establish a disaster cache at the facility.

Aid 5 Pilot Project

Background: (Prior to 2023)

Fire Station 5, at 6633 Flagler Rd., on Marrowstone Island houses Aid 5 and Engine 5. This station is not typically staffed 24 hours a day, but is instead served by Fire and EMS volunteers that live on the island. East Jefferson Fire Rescue is a combination Fire department with 34 career firefighters and 35 volunteer personnel. For several years EJFR has struggled to staff this location with resident island volunteers.

In 2018 the Washington Survey and Ratings Bureau (WSRB) lowered the Fire Insurance rating from a 5 to a 9 if your home is not within a 5 mile distance of a fully staffed fire station, due largely to the lack of volunteers. In response to this, EJFR contacted the WSRB to reevaluate based on a mutual aid agreement already in place with Naval Magazine Indian Island Engine 91. The WSRB rating was updated to reflect this agreement.

Residents of the northern end of the island are still impacted by the WSRB insurance rating and the island, in general, receives some of the longest response times within our district. To address these issues EJFR is actively working with island residents and members of the Marrowstone Island Foundation to formulate a solution.

In 2019, the opportunity arose to purchase a used, modular station from Shoreline Fire and an agreement to purchase and move the station upon Shoreline Fire’s project completion was executed. The tentative plan is to provide living quarters and staff Station 5 with volunteers. The current facilities at Station 5 are apparatus bays only – there are no station quarters and no restroom facilities. The Marrowstone Island Foundation has worked diligently to support this plan, including raising over $125,000 to fund portions of the project. We can’t thank our partners enough! Challenges include building a difficult septic system, permits, timing and acquiring more Volunteers.

Unfortunately, some of our challenges have led to delays in this project. At this time, we have decided to forgo purchasing the building from Shoreline Fire and explore different options.

Multiple factors were weighed as we considered our options:

• Septic construction timeline and costs are not yet finalized
• A foundation for the building has not been constructed yet
• Storm water system costs are unknown
• Driveway expansion costs are unknown
• Issues with the county-owned alleyway north of the property need to be finalized
• A PUD waterline needs to be constructed
• If we were to purchase and move the aforementioned building to our location now, it would sit empty – future degradation is unknown
• A storage area for the modular unit was not established
• Current needs for this particular building were a new roof and new paint
• The purchase of a similar, but new building, may better suit our needs in the long run

At a special meeting held on August 3rd, 2020 the Board of Fire Commissioners ultimately decided it best to terminate the agreement with Shoreline Fire and reevaluate our project strategy.  Understandably this is a disappointment to all involved in this endeavor. EJFR Fire Commissioners do not wish to put this project on hold or delay moving forward, however a reevaluation is necessary to ensure a positive completion of the Marrowstone Station 5 Project.

EJFR is here for You

EJFR facilities are open to the public.

For non-emergency business call (360) 385-2626. We strive to respond to voicemail within one business day and most inquiries are answered immediately. You may also contact our department via email: info@ejfr.org. Please note that the administrative phone number, (360) 385-2626 is not for emergencies and is monitored during business hours only. Call 911 for all emergencies and potential emergencies.

All EJFR Administrative business can be arranged via email or appointment, including acquiring a burn permit.

Responding to Emergency 911 Calls will remain unchanged!

EJFR is actively working with partner agencies on planning and response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. The lead agency in the local area is the Jefferson County Department of Public Health. Please visit the following websites for the most up to date information.

Jefferson County Department of Public Health

Washington State Department of Health

Please email Application Packets to HumanResources@ejfr.org

EJFR has no open positions at this time.

 

 

 

Message From Fire Chief Black

I am privileged to present the East Jefferson Fire Rescue 2022 Strategic Plan. Our core mission is succinct in its basic directive: protect our community. Carrying out this mission, however, is complex and becomes more multifaceted with each passing year.

EJFR Strategic Plan 2022 – Accepted 11-10-22

Vol 1 – Technical Report – East Jefferson Fire-Rescue SOC and Strategic Plan (10-31-22)

Vol 2 – Map Atlas – East Jefferson Fire-Rescue SOC and Strategic Plan (10-31-22)

The strategic planning process ensures we evaluate all aspects of our service delivery as compared to applicable regulations, industry standards and best practices. Using independent third-party consultants, we have undertaken a process of courageous reflection as we identify both our strengths and service delivery gaps. This strategic plan prioritizes opportunities for improvement, ensuring we provide services to the best of our ability with the available financial resources. We are fortunate that we serve a community that recognizes the importance of public safety in maintaining a healthy and vibrant community. We are also fortunate to have a workforce that recognizes the value of teamwork, planning, preparing, efficiency and, ultimately, service to the community. These forces have enabled East Jefferson Fire Rescue to be a model of excellence within the fire service community.

The fire service is an ever-evolving profession; we strive to meet new risks and expectations for the community, adapting as needed. Even in light of our historical successes, there are future hazards and challenges to be met. The fire service is changing as we face escalating costs for the services we provide, industrywide firefighter shortages, unfunded government mandates and more pressure to contain costs with demand for performance metrics as decision triggers (i.e., cost vs. benefit, return on investment, trends over time, etc.). These factors will expand the adoption of practices such as the continuous improvement process and value-added service models that will ultimately require outcome-based performance objectives. It will also push more agencies toward regional and non-traditional fire protection models.

As the East Jefferson community grows, there will be more demand for services (increasing call volume), particularly for seniors and socioeconomically challenged citizens. Urban planning will move toward higher densities in designated areas of the fire district that will require the evolution of fire apparatus design and deployment strategies. The pandemic and slow economic recovery have also added a new dynamic of financial strain affecting the fiscal stability of emergency services at the local level which threatens our ability to provide baseline 911 services. This has required the fire service to respond in new ways and to consider alternatives in emergency service delivery. Strategic planning is critical as East Jefferson Fire Rescue responds to the current needs of the community and adapts to future challenges while continuing our legacy of providing exceptional service.On a more positive note, we see East Jefferson Fire Rescue as positioned well to meet these coming challenges due to one important component: we have an amazing workforce that is dedicated to providing exceptional service and partnering to resolve the challenges we face. Our people are EJFR’s most valued asset and represent the very best of our community. It is because of this single factor that we are better positioned to face the future than most other fire service agencies in the state. 

Fire Chief, Bret Black

bblack@ejfr.org

In Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak

East Jefferson Fire Rescue has implemented protective measures in response to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak. We have put measures into place to help protect you, our patients and first responders. Those first responders are following appropriate safety protocols such as wearing protective equipment, being extra careful when providing treatment, and decontaminating equipment/gear after calls.

Fire agencies across Jefferson County continue to collaborate closely with Public Health, Jefferson Healthcare, and Jefferson County Emergency Management to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak.

Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics play a key role in the response to this virus, as we respond to treat sick patients. Fire departments across Jefferson County have put various measures in place to help prevent the spread of the virus locally, which starts when someone calls 911.

Dispatchers are asking additional questions regarding travel and advising appropriate protective equipment to responding crews when a patient presents with symptoms that could be from COVID-19 disease. When responding crews arrive on scene, they are taking extra care when entering the home, treating the patient and transporting (if required). Once the response is complete, firefighters and paramedics are instructed to follow specific, thorough decontamination procedures before providing care to another patient.

Transporting patients who present symptoms of the COVID-19 virus to a hospital will be avoided whenever possible unless the patient’s symptoms are severe. The Emergency Room will be briefed on the arriving patient prior to their arrival, so the hospital can take necessary action on their end.

It is our commitment to you that we stand ready to assist you in your time of need day or night, with compassion, professionalism, respect and dignity.