Fire consultants: Improvements needed to emergency response

Wahkiakum County should upgrade its law enforcement, fire and emergency response systems, no matter whether or not a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving plant is built across the Columbia River from Puget Island, a consultant said Tuesday.

The report came from a request county commissioners made over a year ago to NorthernStar Natural Gas, who is proposing the Bradwood Landing LNG plant. Commissioners wanted the firm to cover the cost of a study of what would be needed for the county's sheriff's office, fire departments and other organizations to be ready to handle an emergency at the proposed plant. NorthernStar awarded funds to the Wahkiakum Community Foundation, which commissioned the study. Emergency Services Consulting, inc., did the study. Spokesman George Dunkel said he and many others in the firm are retired from fire departments or similar agencies. He and associates met with the sheriff's department, fire departments, and other sources to develop the report. Some staff visited an LNG plant near Boston, and Dunkel visited LNG facilities and sites in Oregon.

Basic recommendations included:

1. All fire agencies in the county need to use a standard response data collection and reporting system.

2. The sheriff's office needs to add one full-time, fully equipped patrol deputy.

3. The county needs to provide one commercially produced fire engine of standard design to each department so that firemen from different departments can work together more efficiently.

4. The county needs to develop an enhanced communication system between the emergency service agencies and the proposed Bradwood Landing plant during all incidents.

5. The county needs to develop a dedicated early notification system between Bradwood Landing and the county dispatch center.

Dunkel noted that the county's various fire department have varied equipment, some close to 50 years old. Having a piece of standard equipment would increase firemen to work effectively when several departments respond to a fire.

The sheriff's office is understaffed, he said. There aren't enough deputies for 24 hour coverage, and there aren't enough communications officers to cover all hours without overtime.

The county has an emergency management plan, he said, but the sheriff has no staff to oversee the plan, its updates, and its operation.

Sheriff Dan Bardsley and two fire chiefs, Dan. W. Cothren of District 4 and Scott Kehrli of Puget Island, said they agreed with Dunkel's conclusions.

"We've talked about this for many years," Cothren said. "It's great to have a document that lays it out."

Peter Hackett, Bradwood Landing observer, also commented favorably on the plan. "It lays out what needs to be done," he said.

Commissioners Dan Cothren (the chief's father), Blair Brady and Lisa Marsyla seemed to share an opinion expressed by some members of the audience: NorthernStar should cover the cost of the improvements.

"If LNG is going to go in, they should pay for the costs related to our costs to address their needs," Commissioner Cothren said.

"We agree with that to a very high degree," Dunkle commented. "We think it's important to them, that wherever they put a plant, that they have reliable services."

He added that the report does recommend improvements for departments just to meet their existing service needs, and this cost is not a responsibility of the plant operator.

Commissioner Brady pointed out a problem: Bradwood Landing would be in Oregon, and Wahkiakum County doesn't collect taxes there.

In response to questions from Puget Island residents, Dunkel said the report was based on reponse needed to address a catastrophic event. Local firemen wouldn't be going to Oregon to fight a fire, and they wouldn't be boarding ships, unless they were grounded or docked. They would be handling needs in their service areas. A key, he said, is having an early notification connection with the plan operators.

In response to requests from Island residents, commissioners said they would schedule a community meeting on the report.

Dunkel said he would mail some paper copies to the foundation, and these would be passed to the county. Also, a digital version will be linked to the county's website.