After storm response challenges, responders find ways to bolster capacity

LEAVENWORTH — The December storm flooded homes, took out power and cell service, and downed hundreds of trees, complicating emergency response and highlighting vulnerabilities that emergency officials say new funding and staffing initiatives are meant to address.

“We had 13 storm-related calls to check on people in their homes or cabins, rescue people who were surrounded by water, help cone of hazard areas, secure utilities, etc. Our swift water team was busy both days using a couple of our rescue boats to rescue 20 people and 2 dogs from 14 flooded homes,” said LWFR Deputy Chief of Operations Steve Foley.

In addition to 15 routine calls, Chelan County Fire District #3 ran 15 calls directly related to the storm event over Dec. 10 and 11, mostly related to electrical hazards created by downed trees. These hazards also made it challenging for responders to reach scenes.

“During the night, the situation on city streets created a nearly impossible navigation challenge. We had multiple responses delayed while crews cleared roads themselves, after determining alternate routes to also be blocked,” said Smith, noting the PUD’s instrumental help in navigating and removing hazards.

Smith added that non-emergency calls and disseminating information were also a challenge. Without phone or internet service at the station, the only way to reach the district at the time was by calling 911. The fire district became totally reliant on Starlink and RiverCom Dispatch. 

“We attempted to utilize social media for information, but that was of no value to those without power or internet. Cell phone service was also spotty or non-existent, compounding the communication issues,” said Smith.

Foley said LWFR leveraged its team of over 60 responders with public safety radios to interface with the public and identify people that needed attention. The radios were also used to coordinate operations among responders until Starlink was set up.

The storm response highlighted how quickly local emergency services can become stretched during widespread events, particularly when access and communications fail simultaneously. However, recent initiatives aim to strengthen emergency response capacity and improve coordination during future disasters. 

In the Feb. 10 election, voters approved a funding measure for RiverCom 911, which implements additional sales tax revenue of one-tenth of one percent. The sales tax will support a facility upgrade and strengthening cybersecurity, but it will also support radio equipment upgrades and the addition of radio towers in the hope of eliminating “dead zones” in areas like Blewett Pass, sections of US-2, Lake Wenatchee and Douglas county. In situations like LWFR’s, where radio communication is paramount, this could significantly improve responders’ ability to communicate reliably during emergencies.

Additionally, CCFD #3 is organizing a Community Fire Brigade, a program designed to expand on-the-ground capacity during future large-scale emergencies. 

“During the wind event, we were able to add staffing but, at the height of the event, we were running pretty thinly…A cadre of trained and experienced reserve firefighters would help add more depth to our response as well as experience with mitigating the more complex kinds of emergencies that typically occur during disaster events,” said CCFD #3 Deputy Chief Andy Day.

For the Community Fire Brigade, the district is looking for reserve firefighters that could augment operational staffing, serving as Emergency Service Workers rather than traditional volunteers. According to Day, the district is looking for professional firefighters who live in Leavenworth but work in other areas. 

“The nice thing is that these firefighters are literally plug and play. They are already trained and experienced, and after being credentialed, equipped and oriented, they can serve, without meeting the more involved and ongoing expectations of being a volunteer firefighter,” said Day.

The brigade would also include community members willing to make food to feed responders during the major emergencies, or who can support families prepare for and respond to a disaster event when their firefighter is responding.

Day said the use of the brigade would be triggered by a number of factors: when all of the district’s resources are fully engaged in an incident that is expected to last longer than 4 to 6 hours, mutual aid partners are unavailable, or when a high-severity incident, such as a wind-driven wildfire, threatens the community.

“In addition to the target group of professional firefighters to serve in reserve roles, we welcome the support of interested community members to help out with the food and family support functions. If community members aren't up for volunteering, they can also help by making monetary donations to help purchase personal protective equipment for the Brigade members,” said Day.

Residents interested in joining or supporting the Community Fire Brigade can find out more at chelanfd3.org/fire-brigade/.