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Corrected information
From Ken Mercer, re the NBCIA minutes in this week’s North Coast News, referencing his statements on the Fire O’er the Water event:
Up-date: Mercer said Ocean Shores Fire Department will not be involved in this event.
Phyllis Shaughnessy said the NBCIA will be discussing this further, and potentially taking the lead on the Ocean City/North Beach event.
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on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 10:12 am and is filed under North Coast News.
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If I live on the lake, should I expect the city to protect my dock and the boat tied to it when the high winds come, or be expected to be vigilant about my own property? If you choose not to be vigilant about your own property during these critical times, I suggest you contact your home owner’s insurance agent to ensure you have proper coverage.
Mark, I read the “maintaining” part. I’m referring the rest of it, “If all property owners would keep that setback free of decaying brush and weeds, and monitored their homes/back yards for a brush fire during this holiday period…” The part after the “and” says that we should monitor our homes for a brush fire during the holiday. So what if I maintain it but choose not be around for this insanity, so if a fire starts and I wasn’t there to catch it, too bad for me? That’s what I pay my taxes for, the fire department should be vigilant because it’s the same fire department that is paid by the same city that allows this to continue year after year.
Mark is right. As a property owner, vacation or not, one has the duty to protect their property by properly maintaining the property as to prevent the spread of fire towards it or their neighbors. Those that leave dangerous vegetation near their property are not being good neighbors. One should read Firewise.org and specifically look at http://www.firewise.org/fw_youcanuse/preparing/index.htm which shows how to protect a home and community.
We all pay taxes, but that does not mean that the city assumes your duty to prepare your property. Some may have vacation homes or investment homes. Everyone considers their home an investment too. So, protect your investment.
Rielly, You obviously didn’t read the key word MAINTAINING.You expect the city to come mow your grass and take out your trash too?
So, Mark, for the privilege of being a homeowner on the dunes, one must be PRESENT during the holiday weekend to watch over their property to make sure that careless partygoers don’t start a fire in the dunes in front of their house? I’m sure thousands of homeowners who purchased vacation homes up here were planning that their tax dollars would cover for someone to care for fires around their property in their absense.
Do you see how narrowminded all of this has become? Did you forget that many people who own homes here do not live here, but still pay taxes? That they do not want to plan their summer vacations sparring danger to their property and that many people prefer to NOT be here during that weekend because of all the dummies with lighters and explosives? So now, if they choose to stay away from the mayhem and not visit their investment/vacation property during this insane weekend that is THEIR fault if their house burns down because they weren’t there to put the fire out? Are you serious? Or did you just speak without thinking?
This community is comprised of many people with many different situations and most of the postings on here are one sided, YOUR side. Let’s get real people! Ocean Shores is a unique place which is what draws people here. Let’s be equally respectful while we’re talking about them behind their back.
As I stated, the departments that were here were from District 7 and 8. So, they were not from far flung places. It is pretty hard to miss them all lined up in front of the fire house all weekend. As to personal responsibility, yes, they should require those homes to put in, when built, an additional hydrant at the back of the property. That 4 inch pipe, the same size as they are proposing to replace the 2 inch pipes that are around town in the 17 million dollar 10 year plan, could assist in protecting the properties near the dunes. Other cities require this extra item when the homes are up against a natural area. Even with some minimal training the owners could then protect more properties than the number of people we currently hire during the weekend. Also, clearing property to protect it is part of a Firewise City. Even having a Fire Marshal check and red tag properties would be smart.
We are a state park!!! Our beach is county too!!! Everything is not just Ocean Shores.
There is a 50′ setback between the dunes and all dwellings abutting them. If all property owners would keep that setback free of decaying brush and weeds, and monitored their homes/back yards for a brush fire during this holiday period, there would be very little to no chance of a fire jumping that barrier. Why should all citizens be paying for all this extra fire protection for the benefit of just a few that chose to live next to the dunes, that should assume some personal responsibility for maintaining and safeguarding their property?
I believe if you really did some research the individuals came from areas that are a distance to travel and not Mutual departments. The equipment and individuals came from areas that would otherwise take them 1 hr – 2 hrs to get here if the department did request them at time of emergency. Thats why you saw tents some years out in high school playing fields and shacked up where they could. The equipment is specialized for fighting fires in the grass and dunes, Some where able to drive in the dunes and some had special hoses to fight dunes and wildland fires. I dont believe Hoquiam or aberdeen has light weight trucks. I could be wrong, but I have never seen a small fire pickup for driving in dunes. County Dist #7 needs theirs to cover Ocean City and Copalis. Lets see.. Moclips? 35 minutes out and probly needs to stay. I do believe that during that period of time all of our mutual fire departments either need their equipment to stay or does not have the special equipment to fight dune fires. So, what is the answer? Does the city sit back and cross fingers during that period of time. Do we hope that we don’t have another dune grass fire like the one on Ocean Lakeway few years back. If it does occur do we call for help at that time and hope that they are available and arrive on time. Or do we be proactive and have equipment in the area to protect houses and fight these fires before they get close. I would think, during the 4th July it is very busy time for most departments in the area. I myself living near dune grass feel comfort that we are being protected during the 4th. Maybe we can have some of those fire departments further out that are not MUTUAL donate their equipment and the specially trained people. maybe.. or say no more fire works..
Strange, for the last five years I have watched equipment from other departments be staged at the Ocean Shores Fire House. Again, we are paying them when we have a mutual aid agreement. So, if they are busy, someone else comes under the mutual aid agreement. Just like we go there if there is a call. Note the word mutual.
However, our plans always call for hiring additional personnel from these other agencies. If they were so busy, would they not need their own personnel too? Would they not be paying them to be at their stations too?
No, they are here being paid by us to do what their departments have agreed to do in the mutual aid agreement.
CitizensAgainstCrime.. Have you ever tried to contact the Fire Department to see what they have to say or to explain how things work? They may have an answer to your questions. In fact, they could probly explain alot of things to people who have questions if they would just take the time to contact them. Alot people jump to conclusions.. For help on 4th July, Dist #7 is just as busy as our city fire department in that time period. They have limited resources and personnel to protect and service their area.
Strange that we pay people from other communities when we have mutual aid agreements that we show up on all the time. Seems out of balance.
Ocean Shores does allocate extra resources for the 4th of July weekend. The money is allocated to extra fire and police resources to protect against fires in the dune areas and crowd control. It is my understanding that due to budget shortfalls, the fund for extra protection has been cut somewhat for 2010! The funds are spent on 1) overtime for our local resources and 2) salary for professionals from other communities. It is possible that wear and tear on our local resources used for this activity is built into the the budget, but I am not sure!
Fire O’er the Water had not been in Ocean Shores. It has been put on by Ocean City. That is already outside of Ocean Shores. MBCIA is the North Beach organization that has represented most of the areas north of the city. Tourist come with or without that display. You might want to stop by and see it on the 4th.
Some form of display on our beach in O. C. is critical to the quality of that weekend and the reputation that our community has had for many years. Letting the display go out of our town to the casino or some beach north only pulls our valued tourist business away from our retail businesses. Ocean Shores lives and grows on the success of our tourist trade and we should work to develop and increase that trade with holidays like the fourth of July.
The minutes were incorrectly worded; and any O.S. funding was to be involved would also be incorrect.
With what money is OS Fire thinking of doing it with? If they have that much extra money, we need to forget the EMS Levy and the fireworks too. Crabber, you have it right.
i have a novel idea. why not just tell everyone to bring your own fireworks(byof),set them off and leave the trash for locals to clean up. oh, i’m sorry that has been done before and it worked quite well. gee whiz, what was i thinking. i think i’m going to drive over toward hoquiam and pick a spot along hwy 109 and set mine off. think that’ll fly?