Gary Stuart (right), chief of Cowlitz-Skamania Fire District 7 in the Ariel-Cougar area, honored 27 volunteers including Mike Rietman (left) for his 18 years of service to the fire district during an annual recognition potluck held March 17 at the Pleasant View Community Church near Cougar. Rietman is also one of three elected commissioners who oversee District operations.
Four new volunteers who signed up in 2017 were among the 27 volunteers honored at the annual Clark-Skamania Fire District 7 volunteer recognition dinner held March 17 at Pleasant View Community Church near Cougar.
Caps, pins, jackets and certificates were presented to volunteers who have served the district as long as 31 years. District Chief Gary Stuart gave special recognition to Cheryl Cline who retired in July 2017 after serving 31 years as a medical responder.
Stuart announced that call volume in 2017 had returned to average levels after a 28 percent spike in 2016.
The district covers 54 square miles, 22 miles of state Route 503 and three lakes on the north side of the North Fork of the Lewis River in the general Ariel and Cougar area. Stuart said district personnel responded to 172 calls in 2017, 26 for fire emergencies and 146 medical calls, still above the district average of 140 calls per year but fewer than the 195 calls in 2016.
Stuart, who has served the district for 35 years and is the only paid staff member, said a new form of signal repeater installed on a tower that overlooks Speelyai Bay has improved communications with dispatch officials in Vancouver.
“Now, instead of trying to talk to a radio in Yacolt, we just have to talk to the radio at Speelyai and our signal is relayed to Yacolt and on to our dispatch,” said Stuart.
Stuart also noted that the district's station No. 3 in the North Dubois Road area was burglarized in May 2017 and about $18,000 worth of fire equipment was stolen. None of the equipment was recovered and no suspects were identified. The break-in resulted in the installation of motion-activated cameras at all four of the district's stations.
The district has acquired a new “electric over hydraulic” jaws of life device that is self-contained and does not require a separate hydraulic pump and hoses.
Stuart manages the district with three lieutenants, four captains and one assistant chief, with an annual budget of about $240,000. Elected commissioners Don Stuart, Mike Rietman and Denny Parkhill manage the district.
Active volunteers honored for service were: Linda Roff (26 years firefighting, 26 years medical), Cpt. Bob McEldoon (25, 24), Mike Rietman (18, 18), Lt. Mike Fink (17, 5), Capt. Jeff Salisbury (17 fire), Cpt. Keith Stuart (16, 10), Don Renfro (16, 15), Lt. Curt Lowden (15 fire), Lt. Shawna Leake (14, 13), Judy Salisbury (13, 12), Cpt. Dan Wenger (13 fire), Kyle Riggs (10, 10), Assistant Chief Luke Miller (8, 6), Kiersten Perkins (7, 5), Bryan Leake (7, 7), Denny Parkhill (3 fire), Chris Sims (3, 2), Tony Runkle (3, 1), Nick Huesties (4, 4). Mikael Salisbury (2 fire), Elly Miller (2 fire), Charlie Riggs (2 fire), and Crystal Huesties (1 medical).
Jessica Blessing, Troy Stewart, Ron Stewart and Ed Feigenberg are in their first year of service.
Benno Dobbe of the Holland America Bulb Farm in Woodland donated hundreds of blooming tulips for the occasion.
The district maintains an information website at csfd7.org
