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Two full-time firefighters hired

By Meg Olson

Nick Kiniski, a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Point Roberts fire department since 1998, has become the department’s new paid firefighter.

“He starts orientation in Birch Bay this week and should be on the job in Point Roberts two weeks later,” said North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) captain Jim Rutherford.

Kiniski will be joined by a lieutenant, also taken from the pool of NWFRS career firefighters, to split up six twelve hour shifts a week manning the fire station and the quick response vehicle, handling administrative duties and working with volunteers. Four hours a week each is banked for training.

The change comes after the Point Roberts fire department lost its third fire chief in five years. Mike Cadden returned to his old job this month citing the pressure of manning the quick response vehicle around the clock as the only paid member of the department. NWFRS chief Mike Campbell told commissioners it was unreasonable to expect one person to provide full-time coverage and equally unreasonable to depend on volunteers to always pick up the slack. Commissioners voted unanimously at their July meeting to hire two career firefighters.

“There’s an increased cost but they’re getting better coverage, more flexibility and its better for volunteers,’ Rutherford said. Because the full-time firefighters are being hired from the NWFRS bargaining unit, a replacement will be available for vacation and sick leave coverage.

Rutherford said they would be testing NWFRS firefighters interested in the lieutenant position this week to see if any were up to the promotion. “A couple have expressed interest but we need to make sure they fit all the qualifications of the position,” Rutherford said. If the position cannot be filled internally it will be opened up to outside hiring.

Kiniski said he will continue to run the Reef Tavern with his new job. ”Change is good in life,” Kiniski said. “This gets me away from the bar.”
The position won’t be much of a change for Kiniski, who has in the last few months worked as many hours as a full-time firefighter as a volunteer manning the quick response vehicle.

Joining the fire department as a volunteer in 1998, Kiniski has been a bit of an overachiever. He became an emergency medical technician a year later, and advanced to an intermediate life support EMT last year. In his four years with the department Kiniski has been firefighter of the year twice, EMT of the year twice and last year he put in over 3,000 hours as a volunteer.

“When people are in trouble I like to help them,” is Kiniski’s answer for why he was drawn to being a firefighter. “I also like the camaraderie. Being on sports teams I always liked the team aspect and I missed that.” However, there is a less lofty reason as well. “I like to drive the big red truck,” he said.

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