FRONT PAGE

Fire chief decides to stay on the job

By Meg Olson & Pamala Sheppard

Bill Skinner is back in the saddle again as Point Roberts fire chief after deciding to retire from duty in October.

After reviewing his decision, Skinner told commissioners in November that if he had the help of an administrative assistant, he and assistant chief Nick Kiniski could handle the heavy work load. The board of commissioners agreed to hire someone to shoulder some of the burden and at their December 12 meeting approved a job description.

“Between the care and repair of equipment, the ambulance billing, the ongoing training of EMTs and keeping accurate records for their recertification, ordering supplies and tracking the inventory and our regular responsibilities, it’s overwhelming right now,” Skinner explained. The new administrative assistant would likely be hired from the ranks of volunteer firefighters, as were Skinner and Kiniski. Commissioners gave Skinner the authority to fill the position, at $17 per hour.

The next big project on the horizon is to replace plans for an additional storage building to the west of the Benson Road fire station with plans to remodel the existing facility.

The station is in good condition, reported architect Stan Riffle who has volunteered to work pro bono on the project. “It’s a simple project,” Riffle said at the fire district’s November 14 meeting. “It’s logical. The building is centrally located to answer calls.”

Riffle went on to project that the new interior walls would actually strengthen the building and Riffle estimated the project would come in under $100,000, unlike the formerly proposed new building that would have been triple the cost.

Preliminary plans were presented in December to include expanded vehicle bays, storage, decontamination rooms and changing areas. The kitchen will remain operational. “I’d like to keep the kitchen operational due to the potential use of the building as a shelter,” Skinner said.

The portion of the building closest to the clinic would be converted to office space for lease to a local public service agency. The commissioners discussed how leasing a portion of the building would offset some of the lost revenue from the closure of Point Roberts fire department bingo. Bingo revenue paid for the building, an ambulance and many improvements to the Point Roberts fire department over the years.

The last night for bingo was November 30, and almost 150 players came to say goodbye. “The comment was made ‘Why weren’t you all here for the last year. If you had been, we wouldn’t be closing,’” Skinner said. “It’s the end of an era.”