Seasonal employees key to DNR fire protection plan
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
It’s been an unusual year for firefighters in more than one way. An extended, wet spring produced tall grasses that are ready to burn and the fire danger level is moderate at a time it is often high or extreme.
The other unusual thing is the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fire crews in Klickitat County are all male and due to lack of applications, the usually locally staffed seasonal crews include one person from Idaho. Normally the ratio is 60:40 with more women than men applying for one of the better summer job opportunities for local youth age 18 and up.
There are seven crews stationed in Klickitat County, four in Goldendale and three in Husum. Each crew has a truck and each crew consists of three people, typically one experienced person and two first year firefighters. Overseeing the operation for DNR are permanent employees, Wyatt Leighton, Fire Management/Forest Practices Forester, and Assistant Fire Management Forester, Dan Lennon. Their counterparts at Husum are Blake Murphy and Steve Crow.
Leighton is responsible for an area from the Klickitat River to the Idaho border. He started as a fire fighter and worked his way up. He has a degree in geology from Western Washington University and is from Forks. Lennon got involved when he made a “drastic career change.” The Auburn native was a beverage operation manager who decided to chase his dream career in the outdoors. He started at Goldendale six years ago.
The Goldendale crews work a staggered shift with at least two trucks on duty every day. All four crews in Goldendale work on Sunday, which makes it the day for training. Last Sunday the training consisted of a mock fire.
The ERC on Sunday morning was 65. All of the firefighters know the term, even the first year crew members. They know that when ERC exceeds 70 around here, “the potential for large fires, like the Cleveland fire of 1998, is high,” says Lennon. ERC is energy release component. It factors temperature, and humidity with fuel moisture. When you get over 70, wind and topography are no longer driving forces as the fire takes on a life of its own. “A vortex was created in the Cleveland fire,” says Lennon and when it collapsed it laid down a lane of fire.”
Lennon is the incident commander conducting the mock fire drill. The crews are given coordinates for the fire, which is northwest of Goldendale along Monument Road near Mill Creek. The area is timber land, which is the resource that DNR fire crews are hired to protect. While this is a drill, it is treated as the real thing. The only thing missing is fire.
Lennon begins with a briefing which includes an update on weather and what is called “six minutes for safety.” Safety is the primary concern of Lennon and Leighton. “They are just trees,” says Lennon. “I’m not going to risk these young people’s lives to fight a fire.” After checking to make sure everyone has gone through the safety checks, Lennon assigns the teams to attack the fire. In the scenario, lightning has struck a tree which is the source of several spot fires. The location is where a road makes a hairpin turn, so two teams head to the far side of the turn and two teams attack the near side. One team sets up a pump in Mill Creek to refill the trucks. Two of the trucks carry 240 gallons of water and two carry 620 gallons. The teams start by setting anchor points and they work their way ahead and behind the fire creating a four-foot wide wet line using water and foam fire retardant. Next they isolate and extinguish spot fires outside their water lines and dig a bare line along the water line to stop a creeping fire from escaping their containment. Once the incident is deemed controlled, the equipment is recovered and the crews repair the bare line, raking debris back over the bare ground. “In cases of large fires,” says crew leader, Ryan Gleckner, “we might return for two weeks making sure things are out. It will smolder that long.” Gleckner is the old timer of the seasonal crew, working his sixth year. He wants to work full time at some point, saying “I want his [Leighton] job.”
Once everything on site is gathered the teams meet for the After Action Review. They analyze how things went and discuss any things that should have been done differently, such as not blocking in a truck on the small road. In this case it was a 240 gallon truck which ran out of water quickly and couldn’t drive out to reload. It was a small issue since they had a line from another truck and Mill Creek which was used to refill the truck, but it is the small things that might count in a real incident. The area was secured and repaired in less than two hours. But it was a two hour workout in ninety-degree weather in full gear, complete with climbing a steep hill and a lot of work with a pick-axe-like tool called a Pulaski. The physical nature of the work is the reason the crews begin each day with calisthenics and running. All applicants must pass a capacity test to determine if they are capable to dothe work. The capacity test is a three mile walk at the Goldendale High School track with a 45 pound pack on your back. It must be completed within 45 minutes. The test does the job of giving recruits a taste for the physical work, as the drop out rate of those hired is virtually zero.
The seasonal workers are guaranteed 40 hours of work per week and receive $2/hr overtime if required when working a fire. Shirt, pants, helmets and tools are provided. Each person receives a $180 boot allowance every three years. All first year recruits attend a week-long training camp in June. By mid-August some of the crew members leave for college. Ones who want to stay are kept on until mid-October. The truck leaders for theGoldendale teams are Patrick Murphy, Callan Wilkins, Kyle Woodruff, and Gleckner. The rest of the team members are Caleb and Aaron Ferch, Perry Lancaster, Harris, Jaryd Cline, Chase Wing, Aaron Cochran and Doug Chamberlain.
The DNR is responsible for most of Klickitat County except for the communities of Dallesport and Centerville and the eastern, non-forested portion of the county. Landowners in the covered areas will see an assessment on their property taxes, listed under “taxes and special assessments” on their tax statements. State funds also support DNR’s fire management division.
One of the most important partners for DNR is the volunteer based fire departments throughout Klickitat County. “We are very much reliant on Rural 7 and the other fire districts,” says Leighton. “Typically it is the volunteer fire department on site first for initial suppression.” Some of the coordination among the different entities is managed through the Klickitat County Interagency Fire Chiefs Association. Leighton says they work well with the fire districts and are able to communicate through their radio system. DNR’s system is based in headquarters in Wenatchee. The county wide system that will give interagency contact doesn’t really apply to them as they are already on narrow band and are able to communicate with the other fire departments.
DNR fire trucks are fabricated by the agency after purchase of flatbed trucks. According to Leighton, “we save the tax payers a lot of money by not purchasing equipped trucks.” In addition to the local hires, Leighton is also proud of the fact that local contractors were successful in obtaining a couple of job bids in the county. Federal stimulus funds are allowing DNR to complete projects near Klickitat, the east side of the Glenwood highway, and in High Prairie. The work involves pruning up the lower branches on trees which will help slow fires in those areas.
When crews aren’t training or fighting fires, they are kept busy on fire management projects. Last Friday one crew went to the Glenwood DNR property to do some stand improvement while another worked on a similar project at Brooks Memorial Park in conjunction with the State Parks. Each day starts with the work-out and a briefing. Last Friday, Leighton reminded the crews of safety tips and what is referred to as the LCES, meaning lookout, communication, escape route, and safety. He discussed the need to be wary of the “light flashy fuels” the kind that consumed fire engine 31 near Cowiche last week. “I would prefer the crews leave five minutes too early than five seconds too late,” says Leighton. Everything is about safety.
So far things have been slow, but things are bound to pick up. Caleb Ferch, Harris and Wilkins saw action when they assisted with the Swakane fire. They camped at the fairgrounds and Entiat High School and got a feel for what it is to work a large fire. “Fires are physically demanding,” said Ferch.
If the crew is lucky, the season will be one of the lowest in terms of forest fire activity, but Lennon expects the ERC to hit the 70 mark this summer. Unfortunately in this business it is just a matter of time before another big fire strikes.
OSC rules no action to be taken in Hatch Act findings
Lou Marzeles
Editor
After weeks of anticipation, the U. S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has handed down its findings on the Klickitat County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.
In letters delivered Monday, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Craig Juris and former Deputy Prosecutor Dave Brown each received notice that their present status is not in violation of the Hatch Act.
In largely identical wording in letters to Juris and Brown, Leslie Gogan of the Hatch Act Unit of the OSC wrote, “We conclude that you do not currently have duties in connection with a program funded by a federal grant of loan. Therefore, you are not covered by provisions of the Hatch Act, and the Act does not prohibit your candidacy for Klickitat County Prosecuting Attorney.”
However, the letters also state that both candidates were in violation of the Hatch Act during a certain time period. The OSC’s letter to Juris reads, “A portion of the salary of each deputy prosecutor was paid for by the ARRA JAG [a federal] grant during the period from June 2009 until June 2010.” Since Juris filed to run for Prosecuting Attorney on January 27 of this year, the OSC found that Juris was in violation of the Hatch Act between the date of his filing and the end of June. Brown, too, was found to be in violation of the Hatch Act between the date of his candidacy filing on May 25 through the end of June. Brown left his position as Deputy Prosecutor on July 14.
Both Juris’ and Brown’s letters from the OSC say that the violations will not result in action. “Although we have concluded that you engaged in prohibited political activity that violated the Act,” the letters read, “evidence indicates that your violation was not knowing and willful. Therefore, we have decided not to pursue disciplinary action for the violation.”
“The county will not incur any cost or liability,” Brown said of the OSC finding. “That’s what I was most concerned with. I’m satisfied with the opinion.”
The OSC ruling also made it clear that Washington state elections are definitely partisan, notwithstanding the “top two” primary election system, for Hatch Act purposes. “A review of the relevant Washington code supports the conclusion that the ‘top two’ primary election system is partisan,” the OSC letters state. “Washington code defines a ‘partisan office’ as any public office ‘for which a candidate may indicate a political party preference’…in Klickitat and all counties without a home rule charter, all county offices except judicial offices are partisan.”
Prosecuting Attorney Tim O’Neill also expressed satisfaction with the OSC findings. The OSC letters did not, however, address the matter of former Deputy Prosecutor Lori Hoctor’s dismissal from office under contentious circumstances earlier this year.
Asked about that, O’Neill said the only OSC investigations of which he was aware were those regarding Juris and Brown. “Those were the actions I brought,” he said. “If there were others, I have not heard of it, and I have never been contacted by OSC investigators on anything other than matters related to Craig and Dave.”
County candidates make their cases
Jesse Burkhardt, Rebecca Gourley, Lou Marzeles
Gorge News Reports
On July 30, the Klickitat County Auditor’s Office is set to mail out the ballots for the Aug. 17 primary election. With the state’s “Top Two” primary system, the candidates who finish in first and second place, regardless of their political party, will advance to the general election in November. For that reason, for now, The Sentinel in cooperation with The White Salmon Enterprise will focus on the races in which there are three or more candidates competing.
East District Court Judge
We begin with the three candidates for East District Court Judge. Each of the three candidates for this office was asked three questions.
What made you decide to run for East District Court Judge?
Gwendolyn Grundei: Most lawyers entertain the thought of becoming a judge at some point in their professional lives, but such a desire must be for the right reasons. I was appointed the Judge Pro Tem for East District Court in 2008, and already know that I can meet the responsibilities of this position. But I would not give up the work that I love as a trial lawyer, which I have been for over 21 years, first as a prosecutor, and now as a private practitioner, for any reason other than the strong desire to move beyond the limitations of being an advocate for one side or the other. For me, there could be no more rewarding combination than that of service to the Constitution and the laws of our state, to individuals before the court, and to the public.
Rick Hansen: I think it is going to be challenging, I’m definitely qualified for it, and I think I will be good at it.
Tim O’Neill: I have wanted to be a judge since I clerked for a United States District Court Judge right after I graduated from law school. He made me responsible for handling the civil docket, let me write decisions in criminal cases and participate with him during trials. Since then I have practiced before federal and state courts in both Louisiana, Washington and Alaska and got to see a variety of judges and judicial styles. When the East District Court position opened up, I thought this would be an ideal way for me to continue to serve the citizens of Klickitat County at a job I would love.
What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
Hansen: I have been practicing for 26 years in East District Court alone. I believe I have more combined experience than both of my opponents.
O’Neill: I have been in practice longer than my opponents and have appeared in more state and federal courts than they have. Most of my legal experience has been civil practice, but I have also been before the Klickitat County Superior Court on felony, juvenile, and civil matters and in both District Courts on criminal and civil matters. I also have appellate experience in the First and Third Divisions in the Washington Court of Appeals and have written opinions for the United States Court of Appeals of the D. C. Circuit. Also, I have experience in dealing with attorneys and their clients from having served as a King County Washington Mediator and Arbitrator.
Grundei: I am the only candidate for this position who has been a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and has experience on the bench as Judge Pro Tem. I believe I am also the only candidate who has served in a legislative capacity, having six years experience on the Goldendale City Council. I am thus familiar with budgetary issues, and the necessity for fiscal restraint. I also bring my life experience; I have been a waitress, a store clerk, a deli and a cafeteria worker, and a nurse’s aide to fund my college education, and remember those days of little money. My experience, before attending law school, of working with disabled college students taught me empathy and respect for others. Every working day I witnessed these students overcome the challenges of paralysis, blindness, muscular dystrophy, or severe dyslexia with dignity and perseverance.
What changes or innovations will you bring to this office?
O’Neill: Judge Altman and his staff have done an excellent job of running the East District Court and if I see a way to make the Court more efficient or responsive to the public’s needs, I will do so. The biggest drawback to the County’s District Court system is that we have two part time District Court Judges when we have the case load to have one full time judge. I will not, however, treat this as a part time job to be balanced with an outside practice but as a full time job. The result would be I would be working on the docket every day for a full work day and lessening any back log of cases. The other change I would make would be stricter adherence to Court Rules.
Hansen: It’s hard to tell if anything needs to be changed until you’re actually in the position to do so.
Grundei: I am mindful of the old adage: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Based upon my knowledge of the court’s operation as Judge Pro Tem for over two years, I have no concerns at this time. I believe that the candidate who becomes the next East District Court Judge should maintain the current court schedule and administrative procedures for a time sufficient to thoroughly evaluate whether changes could be made that would enhance the court’s efficiency while achieving a reduction in budgetary requirements. Change cannot be contemplated without first obtaining input from those who assist the court; I’m speaking of our jail’s Corrections Department, the staff of our county Probation Department, and the staff of Programs for Peaceful Living, to name a few. The next Superior Court Judge must be consulted as well. I would give some thought to those who must travel more than 30 minutes to get to court—could anything be done to lessen the burden on those with work or family commitments? Suggesting change might enliven a campaign speech, but it should not be implemented unless truly needed.
Prosecuting Attorney candidates
In the Aug. 17 primary, the following three candidates, all Republicans, are competing for the right to serve a four-year term as Klickitat County Prosecuting Attorney: Craig Juris, Dave Brown, and Lori Hoctor.
To help voters learn more about the candidates and where they stand on some of the issues, we asked all three to respond to key questions.
Why did you decide to run for this office?
Juris: A change is coming to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office no matter who is elected. I am running for this office so the citizens of Klickitat County have an experienced Prosecuting Attorney who is able to handle any situation thrown his way. The head of a department must be able to do every job himself. If he cannot, then there is no way he can be expected to adequately manage or train those who work for him. I have worked in every branch of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, including in a supervisory capacity. I am the only candidate who can say that. I will not require the on-the-job training or time to get up to speed that the other candidates will need.
Hoctor: My decision to run for prosecutor was shaped by several factors. The first is my belief that there are serious problems with the way that the Prosecutor’s Office is currently run. The second being my husband, who gently informed me that if I’m not willing to do something to make a positive change I don’t have the right to complain about the way things are currently being handled. I think it comes back to the old saying, “if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.” However, the most important reason is because I feel that I understand the problems and issues that impact this county and I am the candidate with the right combination of experience to bring the positive changes that are so desperately needed to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Brown: I am running for office to provide the residents of Klickitat County the choice of an experienced attorney who has fresh ideas and a fresh outlook.
What improvements would you like to see in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office?
Hoctor: First, restore confidence in the abilities of the Prosecutor’s Office. Commissioners and elected officials have to regain confidence in the ability of the Prosecutor’s Office to act as their counsel and advisor. Second, reduce the hemorrhaging of money in the Prosecutor’s Office by stopping the outsourcing of criminal work and reducing the amount of civil work sent out to other firms. Our county is facing a $1 million shortfall next year. I believe that before you can tell people that they do not have a job you need to ensure that you have eliminated extravagance and waste in government spending. Third, ensure that confidentiality exists in the Prosecutor’s Office at all levels.
Brown: Many people don’t know this, but the PA’s Office has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years hiring outside private attorneys to do a lot of its work. While some of this is necessary - for highly technical land use and contractual issues and the like - many routine matters could much more economically be handled in house. Having some staff work a shortened or flex-time work week while still retaining full-time status is attractive to many, but the issue has never been seriously addressed. With a little creative thinking, it could be a significant cost-saver over the longer term.
I propose giving back 20 percent of the Prosecutor’s salary to the county, so long as it is used only to provide a substitute funding source for a Prosecutor’s Office staff position that is to be cut, or provide the seed money for professionalizing coroner services. The Prosecuting Attorney is one of the highest paid officials in county government (top three), and a proposal like this needs to be discussed in our current funding climate. Washington is the only state in the U.S. where the PA’s office is also the Coroner’s Office (in counties of less than 40,000). As the PA’s Office only has four attorneys total, each one must serve at least one quarter of the time on 24/7 call, which means not leaving the immediate area, being up at all hours of the night, in dangerous situations, etc. The attorneys are not compensated in any way for this work. It also makes retaining competent and ambitious attorneys difficult, as in addition to being in the office from 8-5 Monday-Friday, a lot of their after hours and weekend free time is not really theirs to use as they see fit. My proposal would be to either have county Sheriff’s deputies and city police officers get the requisite training, and be paid from this fund or other coroner funds for being on call and responding.
Juris: The easy answer to this question relates to the budget. However, the budget is going to be set by the County Commissioners no matter who is elected. The next Prosecuting Attorney will have to make tough decisions to fit within that budget. My views for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office are more long term. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office needs to improve its communication with the citizens of Klickitat County. Law enforcement and prosecution by nature are reactionary. I believe the Prosecuting Attorney should be more pro-active. We need to partner with law enforcement and community groups. We need to develop outreach programs for schools and give presentations on things ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to domestic violence to the dangers of the Internet for children. I have already helped develop some programs like this and want to expand their implementation. By educating people, we can work together to make a safe community.
What do you see as the core mission of the Prosecuting Attorney?
Brown: The Prosecuting Attorney is subject not only to the professional and ethical obligations of all attorneys, but has special duties of ensuring that justice is served. This can only be assured by having an elected Prosecutor that respects and will defend the constitutional rights of all citizens.
Juris: The core mission of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is to keep the citizens of Klickitat County safe and secure. This is done through both the criminal and civil courts. We are public servants and our top priority must always be what is best for the public. We must also protect crime victims. Victims deserve their day in court as much as the criminals do. We must work closely with victims and keep them informed.
Hoctor: The mission of the Prosecutor’s Office is to act as advisor and counsel to the Board of County Commissioners and to elected officials, be a voice for all victims of crime and a protector for the rights of property owners. It is not the job of the Prosecutor’s Office to make law, or policy decisions. It is the function of the Prosecutor’s Office to fairly and uniformly abide by and enforce the laws currently in place and act as counsel and advisor to those who are faced with policy decisions. Our Prosecutor’s Office is also charged with the duty of coroner. When you have lost a loved one, the Prosecutor’s Office must be able to enter your home with compassion and understanding to help guide you through those first hours of grief. Most importantly the Prosecutor’s Office must always, in everything they do, represent the citizens of Klickitat County.
Why do you believe voters should support you over your opponents?
Hoctor: It is important that we elect a Prosecutor with a broad range of experience. Your prosecutor needs to be able to manage a staff, negotiate contracts, oversee criminal prosecutions, talk to victims and their families, submit budgets, and give legal opinions when requested to the Board of County Commissioners and all other elected officials. As your Prosecutor, I can bring that combination of experience to the office. I understand the issues that affect this county and am able to look at situations and issues using a broad lens developed from a range of legal experiences and a strong connection to this community.
Brown: I believe voters want new ideas and a fresh start, tempered by years of experience and a commitment to provide strong leadership in uncertain times. I have the skill set necessary to meet the demands we now face, and will face in the future. I will appoint a Chief Deputy dedicated to public service and raising the bar on performance, not someone who just talks about it.
Juris: I have more experience in Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices than both of my opponents combined. I am the only candidate who has been involved in every level of a Prosecutor’s Office. I have the support of those who work with the Prosecuting Attorney every day. I am unanimously endorsed by the union members of the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office, union members of the Goldendale Police Department, former County Commissioners Don Struck and Joan Frey, and the entire support staff in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. I have the experience and proven ability to lead this department for the next four years.
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