Clallam County Fire District 3 commissioners have issued a Declaration of Emergency, giving district chief Ben Andrews greater flexibility in making timely decisions during the COVID-19 coronavirus public health issue.
Board commissioners Steve Chinn, Michael Gawley and Bill Miano unanimously approved the resolution in an emergency meeting at the district headquarters in Sequim on Friday, March 20.
Andrews said the resolution will help him to make immediate calls on hiring more staff or signing agreements with neighboring fire districts or other governmental agencies rather than waiting for board approval, he said Friday.
“”I doesn’t mean I won’t come to the board,” Andrew said, but that it will allow him to make those decisions if it isn’t feasible to wait for a special meeting for approval.
“This is new ground for us,” Andrews said.
Gawley said that like other board commissioners he is reluctant to give over decision-making powers like this, but that “in view of the dynamics of this situation it’s important that you (Andrews) move quickly.”
The resolution as passed notes that, “The Fire Chief or designee is specifically authorized to combat such emergency and to protect the health and safety of persons and property by taking the following non-exclusive actions without additional authorization of the Board of Commissioners and without regard to limits previously established by the Board of Commissioners: a. enter into contract, incur obligations and make necessary expenditures in excess of policy and budgetary limits; b. waive the requirements of competitive bidding when necessary, and c. employ temporary workers and make staffing and scheduling decisions as necessary.”
The resolution notes that “as soon as feasible” Andrews or appointed staffer will notify the board when such action is taken, and that the board can rescind the authority granted in the resolution at any time.
Leave hours extended
Fire commissioners also voted unanimously to provide extra leave hours for District 3 personnel — an additional 80 hours for full-timers and 40 hours for part-time employees — to help during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
“We’re going to take a huge hit to sick leave (from this),” Andrews said. “We want to make sure there is enough sick leave … (and) we don’t want them to come to work ill.”
Andrews said the resolution is patterned after what the Public Utility District and other governmental agencies are providing.
“We want to support our guys the best we can,” Gawley said. “I think this is the kind of thing a contingency fund is there for.”
The resolution notes that the fire chief has ordered any staff exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms to not report to work.
Andrews said District 3 has put one employee in isolation after displaying symptoms. That employee, who was not named, was administered a COVID-19 test two days ago and is awaiting results.
Because first responders are considered essential to helping quell the coronavirus, they are not to be quarantined if, with appropriate gear come into contact with someone with the virus.
“There’s some angst among our staff,” Andrews told commissioners Friday.
The leave resolution sunsets (ends automatically) at the close of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
District 3 meetings on the move
Fire District 3 meetings will move now to the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St., for its two meetings in April (April 7, April 21).
The move will allow for more space than provided at the district’s headquarters station at 323 N Fifth Ave. along with the possibility of offering “virtual” meetings, where commissioners and staff can attend via online resources.
The headquarters’ meeting room doesn’t allow for enough social distancing during the COVID-19 coronavirus issue, Andrews said.
“Anytime you get beyond this,” Andrews said, noting the six persons in attendance at the March 20 meeting at district headquarters, “we’d have to cancel the meeting.”
While the Open Public Meetings Act has not changed, Andrews noted, the district can suspend public comment.
“We have to allow people who want to observe, to observe,” he said.
Sequim City Manager Charlie Bush, in attendance at the Fire District 3 meeting on Friday, told commissioners Friday “it will work fine for your purposes.”
Fire district commissioners meet each first and third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m.
Neighborly assistance
Andrews said he’s in contact with several neighboring fire districts on an agreement to provide additional firefighter/paramedic support to each other if feasible.
Staff would be allowed to voluntarily work for districts in need, with the providing fire district billing the other for the hours.
For more about Clallam County Fire District 3, see ccfd3.org.
