I read about Larch Corrections Center near Yacolt closing last fall, and am concerned about my local fire district’s ability to respond in case of wildland fires without nearby inmate fire suppression crews. Wildfires are getting bigger, and more of them are coming. I live in Clark County Fire District 3, and we don’t have enough people to replace those wildland fire crews that have left.
I worked in the fire service for 34 years. When I started back in 1960, the fire department that employed me had three- and four-person engine crews. Fire District 3 in east Clark County has only two-person engine crews and it is 2024.
Two firefighters are not enough people to enter a burning building safely, which means our firefighters have to wait for another engine to arrive. We can’t even staff all our fire stations full-time. This is unsafe for our community.
Fire District 3 is asking our community to approve a fire levy lid lift to hire more firefighters. I know all of us are paying more for everything. But I think the most important public services funded by tax dollars are fire and emergency medical services.
This is not because I was a firefighter. It’s because it saves lives.
Gary McPeak, Battle Ground
To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.