A siren call to serve on the fire board

Published 1:00 pm Saturday, November 11, 2006

Voters expand the board, and applicants are sought for the

two new positions.

Voters’ over­whelm­ing approval Tuesday of an expanded, five-member Bain­bridge Island Fire Board will give the fire department greater community representation and oversight.

It also means two fire commissioners can now have a cup of coffee together without breaking the law.

Any meeting of two of the three commissioners constitutes a quorum and thus a public meeting, under state guidelines. Two commissioners bumping into each other in a grocery store aisle would require an advance public notice and minutes taken of their discussion.

“That was really frustrating for me,” fire commissioner David Coatsworth said. “If I had an opposing view from (commissioner) Earl Johnson, I couldn’t call Earl and say ‘what the heck?’ without some violation. Adding to the board allows us to discuss things in a much more intelligent, civil way and have much better communication.”

Over 73 percent of 6,588 ballots cast supported Bainbridge Island Fire Department Proposition No. 1, according to unofficial results posted by the Kitsap County Auditor’s office Thursday.

“The message received from the community is that they want contributions on the board from a broader base,” said interim fire chief Glen Tyrrell.

The commission oversees a multi-million-dollar budget, handles personnel and labor issues for 20 full-time staff and 55 volunteers, has a say in equipment purchases and other organizational issues for three island fire stations.

Approval means the fire department can set regular commission meetings, rather than set dates that fit the three commissioners’ schedules. In the three-member commission, one absent commissioner barred most actions.

“A lot of great things come out of this,” said Tyrrell. “It’s very exciting.”

Bob Fortner of the Bainbridge Resource Group, which backed the proposition, hailed its passage.

“From the communication standpoint alone, our entire community will benefit,” he said.

Fire commissions of five or more members “is pretty standard” for other jurisdictions of Bainbridge’s population, Tyrrell said. It also brings the commission closer to the number of elected representatives in other Bainbridge boards. The City Council has seven members, while the park and school boards have five each.

The commission will likely appoint commissioners to the two new seats. They will serve staggered terms, with one serving one year, and the other serving for three years.

The larger commission will soon oversee a new fire chief. Department staff have recently expanded their search, hoping for a larger pool of applicants.

Tyrrell expects the department will have a new chief sometime by early next year.

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Got what it takes?

Islanders interested in serving on the Bainbridge Island Fire Board should submit a letter of interest to Carol Mezen at the fire department by Nov. 27, and be prepared to meet with commissioners on the evening of Nov. 29 at the regular board meeting. The two newly created board positions will be filled by appointment after candidates are interviewed. Information: 842-7686.