Siren call silenced for review

Faced with petitions signed by 86 Cathlamet residents calling for an end to the emergency siren on City Hall, the Cathlamet Town Council on Monday voted 3-2 to silence the siren while a committee considers alternatives to call to alert emergency responders.

Petitioners said that they feel the siren was very disturbing and that they think the fire department could find suitable alternatives with modern technology.

Several members of the Cathlamet Fire Department and the county Emergency Services Council said that the siren is a vital part of their communication system and that there aren’t reliable alternatives.

At the end of 90 minutes of often emotional discussion, the council voted to silence the siren and appoint a committee to analyze the situation and make a recommendation for further action at the council’s October 15 meeting.

The petitions

The council received two petitions on the matter; both remarked on the disturbance the siren causes and suggested other technology exists to take its place.

The first also suggested the siren could be moved to the fire department’s new hall; the second requested it not be relocated to the new fire hall.

Mayor Dick Swart asked for discussion to open with two speaking in favor of the petition and two opposed.

Speaking in favor of the petitions were James Reed and Jim Morris.

Reed, a retired petroleum industry executive, said the siren is a nuisance for many people and technology exists that make them unnecessary for notifying emergency responders of calls.

“I’ve put in emergency systems, and where there are residents, we get away from sirens,” he said.

“Out of consideration for your neighbors, I’d think you’d want to get rid of the siren.”

Morris cited a career with the City of Portland as an emergency coordinator.

“Pagers are far more effective than sirens,” he said. “A siren doesn’t do anything except disrupt the community. They’re unnecessary and outmoded.”

Also commenting in favor of closure of the siren were:

—Carl Backman: The technology must be there to replace the siren.

—Jennifer M. Johnson: Living within 100 yards of the siren, she finds that it’s impossible to communicate in parts of her apartment when the siren is sounding. Still, she realizes firemen rely on it. “I hope there’s some way we can find a happy medium,” she said.

—Gene Witham: Citing a career in public service, he felt there are suitable alternatives to the siren. “I can’t believe that in this day and age, you have to use World War II technology,” he said.

—David Goodroe, council member: The siren is annoying; there are better technologies; the citizens have spoken through the petitions. His motion to discontinue use while a committee studies the issue drew a second from Bill Talbott and passed.

The EMS response

Speaking in favor of the siren were Paramedic Cindy Faubion and fire department emergency services Captain Bo Renfro.

Faubion cited 27 years experience as an emergency responder in the department. Radio technology doesn’t work well in this county, she said. Radios are easy to misplace or turn off.

“I missed a call today because I didn’t have my radio and for some reason the siren didn’t go off,” she said.

She added that the department once tried going without the siren but found that the number of volunteers responding to calls dropped and the response time was slower than it is with a siren. Quick response is a key to helping patients survive their emergencies, she said.

Renfro echoed Faubion’s comments.

“Minutes can make the difference between if someone lives or dies,” he said. “It helps us do our job.”

Fred Johnson, acting town attorney and assistant fire chief, added his comments in favor of the siren.

The fire department recently conducted a poll of its members and found that 100 percent believed the siren was “essential” to emergency response.

“We are an all volunteer department,” Johnson said. “The only way we get people to calls is to have the siren.

“It’s still an important part of our emergency response; the radio issue is important.

“Discontinuing use of the siren would be detrimental to our service to the public,” he said.

Many others also commented in favor of keeping the siren, including:

—DiAnne Knudsen: The sound of the siren is reassuring to those who have called for help in an emergency.

—Brandi Seaberg: Emergency responders often can’t use radios on the job or in school.

—Dr. Richard Avalon: Keep in mind the responders are volunteers, he said. It’s unreasonable to expect 24-hour service from them seven days a week. The radio system is very unreliable, he said.

—Mike Wright, fire department volunteer: Pagers aren’t reliable, and one can’t expect volunteers to carry them and be on duty at all times of the day. “It’s your choice; it’s your gamble if that EMT or fireman will be able to respond,” he said.

—Effie Wright, wife, mother and grandmother of three firemen: “I probably live closer to the siren than anyone,” she said. “I still think they need it.”

—John Hannah, emergency responder and council member: “The siren is crucial. I’ve been on both sides. To me, it’s important. But if there are better ideas, let’s look for them. But until we have a better solution, someone could die.”

—Wally Wright, council member and 45-year volunteer: A delay of even two minutes can severely impact someone having a stroke or heart attack, he said. The inconvenience of being an emergency services volunteer far outweighs the inconvenience of the siren’s noise, he said.

“I’m especially opposed to doing away with the siren,” he said. “I’m looking at my mother; I’d hate like hell to miss a call to help her because no one heard the radio.”

Motion passes

As discussion progressed, Mayor Swart and others in the audience suggested amending Goodroe’s motion to state that the siren would continue to function while the committee did its work, but no one would propose the amendment.

Goodroe’s motion passed with Goodroe, Talbott and Danielle Erickson voting in favor and Hannah and Wally Wright opposed.

Serving on the committee to make a recommendation will be Mike Wright, Johnson, Backman and Witham.

The town staff will also develop information on the cost of employing full-time emergency responders.

In related business, the council passed a motion to fund a $37,000 study of the emergency response radio system in the county.