LWVSJ Observer Corps: SJI Fire District, April 9, 2024

During public comment a citizen congratulated Chief Monin on the leadership he was shown. appointment.

The Fire District is continuing to negotiate lowering the cost of the lease on Brown Island with the homeowners’ association.

The commissioners then discussed the County Wildland Firefighter Module to bring together a group of volunteers who are trained and certified to respond to wildfires. They plan a mutual aid agreement among the islands in San Juan County to share resources to fight Wildland Fires with approval from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). DNR will provide resources for these volunteers.

The Chief briefed the commissioners on two programs designed to avert wildfires. The Long-standing Firewise program brings together homeowners’ associations and other groups to clear flammable materials in their neighborhoods. A new program, Wildfire Ready Neighbors, will support individual households which can request an assessment of the fire hazards on their property by a trained professional. DNR will reimburse the fire district for providing the assessments. Residents can sign up for assessments on DNR’s website. The fire district will launch the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program on May 8. The district is moving forward with the Outer Island Fire Brigades and Friday Harbor Fire Life Safety Inspections of local businesses.

The Chief provided a financial reports available at:

https://www.sjifire.org/assets/docs/2024-1st-quarter-financial-report.pdf and

https://www.sjifire.org/assets/docs/march-financial-report.pdf 

Eight new firefighters have completed training and have been hired. The Chief reported on how the fire district has been saving money, including new agreements with EMS and the Sheriff’s department that will cover some expenses that are now incurred by the district.

Commissioner Frank Cardinale announced his resignation due to family health reasons that required him to be off island for lengthy periods. The other commissioners thanked him for his service to the fire district.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.