Fire department: Mayor, assistant chief address issues

Cathlamet town government leaders announced Monday that they're taking steps to resolve issues about management of the Cathlamet Fire Department.

The department has been the focus of state auditors in the past 12 months, and Mayor George Wehrfritz has taken steps to take over management of the department, which has been operating on a 1932 ordinance that puts management of the department under control of the former Cathlamet Commercial Club.

Auditors released their reports last week (see coverage in the September 15 edition of The Eagle).

Fire department members have chaffed under the changes in management, and a crowd of around 50 people filled the River Street Meeting Room when the town council met Monday.

Fire department members expressed dismay that they or fellow volunteers had been contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is apparently investigating points raised by the auditors. Others commented that they and others feel under attack, and that is destroying morale and adversely impacting the department.

Citizens choosing to speak offered support of the fire department and urged the mayor and council to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation.

Wehrfritz opened the meeting by saying he and Assistant Chief Fred Johnson have been meeting to address the issues.

First, the council and department would act together to form a Volunteer Firefighter's Disability Board; later in the meeting, the council adopted a resolution to form the board.

Second, they will work together to resolve a problem with billing for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division. When town officials changed the mailing address, the department stopped receiving Medicare payments, a major source of income for the department, and the officials are having to re-establish the connection with Medicare.

Third, they will develop an update for Ordinance 170, adopted in 1932, which puts control of the fire department under the former Commercial Club, subject to approval of the council. Current law, Wehrfritz and state auditors say, gives the mayor, not council, control of municipal departments.

Wehrfritz said they hope to have the work accomplished within 45 days.

"We have had harmful and contrary debate and we need to focus ourselves and move forward," Wehrfritz said. "We both agree that it would be harmful to the community to allow financial and accountability issues to undermine the outstanding work that our volunteer firefighters do."

Johnson agreed. He added that Chief Jerry DeBriae, out of the area on a trip, had telephoned him earlier that day with similar comments and he wanted to address issues and fix them.

"Frankly, we may still have some issues," he said, "but those that you've mentioned, for the good of the town and the public we serve, we need to take care of them."

Wehrfritz invited public comment, and the audience responded.

Larry O'Neal started by stating appreciation for the fire department and its officers. He criticized Wehrfritz for wanting to fire Chief DeBriae after the department's wildland fire unit was dispatched to a state managed fire despite an order from the mayor that it remain within the city limits.

"This has turned into a witchhunt," O'Neal said. "All of us are concerned about what will happen to the department."

Sandi Benbrook-Rieder expressed concern about the process which has occurred. People in local government should sit down and work out problems.

"It is absolutely essential in the public sector to fix problems, not to point fingers," she said.

Evelyn Dault said she was disappointed in the situation. "Key people in the fire department may leave," she said. "When they're gone, who will lead and train the new members?"

Jim Brown praised the work of department EMT's at his wife's recent fatal traffic accident. "The EMT's are the one's who took care of everything," he said. "You can't find better people."

James Reed raised a different point. He warned that the Internal Revenue Service could become involved, and the department could lose its tax exempt status, leading to a decline in revenue and loss of tax deductions for donors.

Wayne Flohr praised the department and the dispatch of the wildlands unit to the fire in Klickitat County. He hoped that other mayors would allow their equipment to respond to Wahkiakum County and Cathlamet, should the need arise.

"I have a one-point plan for change," he added, "a new mayor."

Rollie Armstrong said he had just come from the hospital, where his wife was seriously ill. EMT's had responded over the weekend to aid her.

"Jennie survived, thanks to their help," he said. "We all know each other. Why do we have to be in each other's face? Instead of tearing the department down, let's build it up."

Department members expressed bitterness at the developments of the past few months.

"I discovered that the town has asked the FBI to investigate me," said EMS Captain Beau Renfro, an eight year department veteran. "It is very disheartening for a volunteer. I've given blood, sweat and tears for this town; I think this is a direct attack on me by the mayor and council. You guys (the council) have allowed this to go on too long."

Other volunteers echoed Renfro's comments.

"It's gut wrenching to hear Beau talk," said Duncan Cruikshank, an EMT and also chief of the Skamokawa Fire Department. "He's busted his butt, and to have the FBI set on him."

"We're volunteers trying to do the best we can," said Matt Beaulaurier, one of the department's three paramedics. "No one in the department is trying to make this difficult."

Later in the meeting, discussion returned to the reported FBI investigation.

Councilmember Steven McNicholas said the FBI had contacted him about issues. Other council members all said they knew nothing of FBI activity and they hadn't been contacted by an agent.

Wehrfritz said he knew of the FBI investigation but he hadn't initiated it. Instead, the state auditor's office had requested the investigation.

Two councilmembers offered comments.

Ruth Doumit stood and walked a few steps from the council table.

"Speaking as a citizen," she said, reading a prepared statement, "how I feel is that the fire department and EMS are important to me and my family.

"There are problems, but they have nothing to do with personnel, it's paperwork."

She added that the fire department and EMS will have come up to date with state law, and then people can put the issue behind them and move ahead.

Councilmember McNicholas pointed out that council members have taken an oath to uphold the state constitution and state law.

"We have to comply with the law, so don't attack us personally," he said. "We're bound to follow the laws."

Other issues related to fire department business came up in the meeting.

The council authorized the mayor to sign a contract with Cowlitz County Fire District 2 for back up paramedic services.

Johnson and Renfro explained that paramedics ride on many ambulance calls according to the protocol for responding to the patient's injury. The department has an agreement with American Medical Response for assistance in transportation and paramedic service, but that agency hasn't been able to respond to all Wahkiakum calls. The agreement with Cowlitz 2 will allow that department to respond if needed.

Renfro added that he has learned that two of the department's three paramedics are resigning. They won't renew their certification when it expires this fall.

"We're going to be relying on outside advanced life support," he said.