Fireside chat with chief Christopher Carleton

The new year is well on its way! The sun is up longer, the birds are active and spring is in the air.

Public
I said it back in December and want to say it again –thank you   for approving the fire district’s levy last November. This is, by all definitions, life changing for our ability to serve this community’s emergency service needs into the foreseeable future.

As part of our Community Risk Reduction (CRR) efforts, we are looking forward to offering training in CPR, Fire Extinguishers, Cooking Safety. Fall Prevention, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors and other topics. As the sun comes out, we can offer these classes in your neighborhood so you don’t miss any rays! If you have a need, please contact us.

Many of you know about my challenge with Prostate Cancer. I had successful surgery in Kansas City on January 22 and my recovery has gone exceptionally well – thank you for all your prayers and support during this time. I have spoken to several community members and believe there is a need to start a support group or general gatherings for anyone that is going through/recovered from cancer or other medical condition; providing them an opportunity to tell their story, find local support and understand they are not alone. Let me know your thoughts on this – more to come.

Service
We have purchased and taken possession of the district’s new mini-van purposed to support our community outreach programs, including our new Welcome Home initiative helping those who have been transported to the ER for care a comfortable way back home if needed. As we are looking for members of our community to join the district’s support division and complete the required testing and training, our hope is the program will be up and running in May. We look forward to showing you this new addition to the level of service we provide.

CERT – We are actively looking for new members to join our Community Emergency Response Team. This team supports fire district operations in community emergencies such as severe cold or heat, power outages, road safety during emergency operations, natural disasters and more. We are offering this official FEMA training in collaboration with the Whatcom Department of Emergency Management at the firehall towards the end of April and all days must be attended to complete the course. The dates and times are Wednesday, April 24, 6 to 9 p.m., Saturdays, April 27 and May 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 5, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday May 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1-4 p.m.) as the final educational and testing day. If you would like to participate, please email chief Carleton at chief@wcfd5.com. Become part of the community response when needed, while being better prepared individually at home.

There are no longer fees from this agency when transported to the hospital for medical care. Depending on the medical acuity of the patient, the number of district personnel available to transport/remain in district and other considerations at the time of an emergency, we may require the assistance of another agency for transport. Agency partners such as Airlift Northwest, North Whatcom Fire Rescue, Whatcom County Fire District 7, Bellingham Fire Department, or others retain their legal right to bill for their services when used.

Another benefit to our community is we no longer charge for burn permits and the permit is now good for the calendar year. Burn permits are still required for all outdoor burning (residential, recreational and land clearing) in Point Roberts. This provides an opportunity to educate and remind the permit holder of the regulations and responsibilities they have to burn safely and in a courteous manner. If burning is found to be illegal, we reserve the right to notify the fire marshal and send the violation to the Northwest Clean Air Agency. This agency has legal authority beyond the fire district to impose large fines and even property liens. Watch for signs around the community for burn ban information. It is your responsibility to know when and how burning is allowed.

Safety tips
Visit nfpa.org/Public-Education for more safety information on fires, types of household alarms, heating and more.

Reminder: If you are using a cell phone here in Point Roberts, please consider calling 360/676-6911 to reach “911”. Continue to dial 911 from a landline. The reason for cell phone consideration is that a person trying to make a 911 call within our community may be attached to a cell provider in Canada and thus be routed to Canada’s emergency system.