DARRINGTON — A rift between Darrington’s Fire District 24 and the Darrington Ambulance Association has the mayor and many others concerned about emergency medical responses here.
In this town of 1,300, more than 100 people, including three sheriff’s deputies keeping the peace, showed up Wedn
esday night to listen to explanations for why there is friction.
The public meeting became heated, and Mayor Joyce Jones repeatedly had to scold people into civility.
By morning, however, the gap between the ambulance folks and the firefighters closed. Residual tear gas was released from cartridges tossed in a trash bin. A total of 18 people needed to be cared for and taken to the hospital.
“When trouble called, the barriers came down and everybody worked together,” fire district spokeswoman Trudy LaDouceur said. “I’m very proud of this community. They set their differences aside and stepped up to the plate to take care of things.”
But the hard feelings and complicated dealings between the two organizations aren’t resolved.
It seems that a 20-year-old, handshake-style cooperative agreement between the volunteer fire department and the volunteer ambulance association has ended.
Fire officials want the ambulance crews to rejoin the department for financial reasons, liability issues and state code compliance. Association members, who just added a new ambulance to their fleet, want to retain their autonomy, which was established in the early 1990s when the group split from the fire department.
Many people in the Darrington community, including Sauk-Suiattle tribal official Janice Mabee and town physician Dr. Gary Shillhammer, want the well-known and compassionate ambulance volunteers to continue their work.
Commissioner Steve Ekstrand explained that the fire district has been sending about $30,000 a year from the EMS property tax levy to the ambulance association for emergency medical aid and transports. Unless the ambulance association gets on board with the fire district, as recommended by the state Auditor’s office, the ambulance service no longer will receive the tax money, he said.
“It makes no sense to have two separate entities. We just want the ambulance volunteers to join the fire department,” Ekstrand said.
Problems erupted earlier this month when the fire district commission presented a contract to the ambulance leadership and asked them to sign off.
The new agreement requires ambulance volunteers to come under fire district direction and do more training time with the fire department.
Many association members were hurt by the additional requirements, including fire department membership, and what they see as insinuations of irresponsibility, said longtime ambulance volunteer Mikey Coleman. The association responds to more than 80 percent of 911 calls in the district and has been careful about staying well-trained and financially solvent, she said.
For now, two Bryant-based North County Fire emergency medical technicians are standing by during the day in Darrington. Fire District 24 officials are waiting for the ambulance association to reconsider signing the cooperative agreement. If not, Darrington fire volunteers who are available will need to be certified as EMTs. Many volunteers work out of town and are not around to respond to emergencies, Ekstrand said.
Complicating matters are rumors, which Jones said “fly through Darrington faster than speeding bullets.” Both sides have been accused of planning to shuffle gear and resources for improper reasons.
Several people at the meeting told the fire district commissioners they should sit down with the ambulance people to work out the matter, which is splitting the town into two camps.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Meetings
The Darrington District 24 Fire Commission meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the fire hall, 115 Seemann St.
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