Okanogan Fire Volunteers want local hired for chief of OFD

Volunteer firefighters of the Okanogan Fire Department want a local applicant hired for fire chief. However, the mayor of Okanogan is ignoring their advice and input and seeks to hire an applicant from out of the area.

The Oct 7th open letter from the volunteers to the mayor detailing their complaints follows:

Mayor Jon K. Culp,

This letter is written and submitted on behalf of the Okanogan Fire Department, per unanimous vote. We represent the largest department in the city, composed of 27 members; the majority of city employees in Okanogan. Although we may be volunteers, rather than paid employees of the City of Okanogan, we do not consider ourselves to be indentured servants, and we collectively resent that our thoughts, opinions and input have been apparently treated as such. Our attempts at a personal level, to convince you to do the right thing by the Department and the City have been blatantly ignored.

We understand that the hiring of a fire chief for the department falls entirely under your personal discretion. It stands to be considered, however, the complete disregard for the input of the members of the fire department, particularly officers. Not only have you failed to personally address the body regarding the tragic loss of Assistant Chief Christian Johnson, and the subsequent and abrupt retirement of Chief Jerod Gavin, but you have demonstrated that you have no interest in either providing or receiving input, thoughts or information regarding the current state of the void in our leadership positions.

As the highest position within the chain of command of the Okanogan Fire Department, you are expected to take interest in the state of affairs of the department, and to take consideration of the members therein. You have a team of competent and experienced officers at hand- a resource you are leaving untapped- who will freely share their knowledge of the members’ state of opinion on any matter regarding the department, and give council on the best course of any administrative action affecting the body.

It’s entirely disheartening that the years of experience, knowledge and community rapport built by members of this department has been so casually disregarded. These qualities are incredibly valuable for any member of the department, and particularly the Chief, who’s knowledge, judgement and guidance are held to the highest standard by all other members. Furthermore, just like any other geographical area, Okanogan County has its own unique compilation of fuels, weather and terrain, which in turn creates a unique wildland fire behavior. Although many outside applicants surely have wildland fire experience, it is crucial for our Chief, just like all other officers, to have an intimate knowledge of our local conditions. The department should not be expected to train a new member for months or years, at your leisure, to be an effective and knowledgeable resource in directing operations during a wildland fire incident. Your failed record of outsourcing our lead city positions in order to change the culture of Okanogan speaks for itself; and your refusal to even consider applications submitted by Okanogan residents is a clear indication of the regard in which you hold us.

Lastly, our community, your constituents, take pride in personally knowing their emergency first-responders. One of the great blessings in living in a small town like Okanogan is that every uniformed public servant is known by their first name by so many people. It makes us approachable and relatable, and that should certainly apply to our Chief. Not “eventually,” or “one day,” but from the first day. There is much to be said for meeting new people, but when a family is standing on the sidewalk praying the fire department can save their home, it is reassuring for them to personally know who it is that is committed to that job.

Although we hope you take these points into consideration when selecting applicants for the position of Chief of Okanogan Fire Department, rest assured that regardless of your actions, we will continue to serve the citizens of Okanogan to the very best of our abilities.

Respectfully,
Okanogan Fire Department

As posted on Facebook