Chelan County Fire District 3 launches Community Fire Brigade

LEAVENWORTH — In an effort to bolster response capabilities during large emergency incidents, Chelan County Fire District 3 (CCFD3) is turning to the community for support.

CCFD3 is launching a Community Fire Brigade to supplement staffing during disaster incidents, forming a coalition of volunteers ready to augment operational staffing, support families of responders, prepare food for responders, and help pay for personal protective equipment.

With a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters, the small fire district is staffed to handle routine emergencies, protecting almost 30 square miles and over two billion dollars in assets. It responds to more than 700 emergencies a year including structure fires, wildland fires, rail emergencies, haz-mat, motor vehicle accidents, and river rescues, according to its website.

It also faces major emergency response challenges; it not only serves a community that has been identified as the number one for wildfire risk in the state, but one that welcomes over three-million visitors a year. These challenges pose the risk of an emergency incident that could overwhelm on-duty staffing, requiring help beyond the resources of neighboring departments.

To help mitigate the potential void in resources, the fire district is seeking volunteers to fulfill a number of roles on the Community Fire Brigade.

Reserve Firefighters: Reserve firefighters would augment operational staffing, serving as Emergency Service Workers credentialed through a state program, rather than traditional volunteer firefighters. Ideal reserve firefighters would be professional firefighters who live in Leavenworth but work in other jurisdictions.

Family Support: People are needed to help support firefighter families in preparing for and respond to a disaster event while their firefighter is engaged in protecting the broader community.

Meal Support: People are needed to make meals to feed responders during major emergencies.

Contributions: The district was awarded a grant from the Gesa Credit Union’s Local Hero Program, but more funds are needed to purchase personal protective equipment for reserve firefighters.

CCDF 3 will host an open house event on Nov. 5 to kick off the program and share information about the fire district. The event is scheduled from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. at Station 31, located at 228 Chumstick Highway. To learn more, or to make a financial donation, community members can visit chelanfd3.org, or stop by the station.