Jeff Responds...

John,

I did not realize at the time that you had a pen name although it would not have changed my response to your posting. 

I have read your explanation and writings about the spokesman-Review. It may be true but it casts a negative light on my local and my department not to mention virtually all locals in the county in the eyes of your members. What they see through those eyes now when anyone mentions Fire District 8 is "oh yeah those guys on the south hill that don't have a clue about being a firefighter", which we both know is not true. All of our people go through the same recruits schools and the same training. You went through academy with Steve Bailey who works for us, I know this because I taught parts of your recruit school. I don't think most of your members know that we do this work together. It has been a great tool to help bond our two departments as well as District 9, 10 and the Valley.

I took your advise and focused on the phrase "our job" and the fact that it is all "our job" but I'm still having difficulty qualifying it when I read the whole passage.

"Heard the call come in for the fire on Ashton - District 8. An engine arrived and then called for Spokane to help and then the Valley. Amazing video and print coverage. But the recent multiple fires in the city were not worth stories in the Spokesman-Review because we do our job and put fires out before they become great videos".

I do understand that you are making a point about the Spokesman-Review. It's easy to see but in order to get there you made my job look really bad. Now when my guys, and I'm sure about 95% of your guys and girls read this what they are going to pick up on is "District 8 sucks". (This may confuse a few as directly above this posting you wrote a note letting your laid off members know that District 8 is is hiring and promoting going to work for us).

I believe that part of the problem is the misconception that everyone outside of the City and Valley are all volunteers. Let me give you a little example of what I'm talking about. Three days ago E81 took an MVA on the city/county boarder in which PL11 responded after our unit. When 11's arrived one of the scene on E81 had the pt extricated and boarded and both crews loaded the pt in the AMB. When it was all said and done one of the city guys (who lives in my fire district) made the comment "you mean there are paid guys in District 8". The District can be faulted for the lack of pub/ed and marketing of our fire district to its citizens but I really would like to see the work spread throughout the city that you aren't the only game in town.

OK back to by point on the volunteers. In your initial posting you did not mention the word volunteer although in your explanation to me you talk to that subject many times. You almost make it sound as if I where defending them in my e-mail to you which I was not. John trust me I understand as well as the professional members from Fire District 9, 10, Cheney, and the Airport that volunteer firefighters do not do this as "their job". In fact we know this way better then you could even begin to understand, as we have to deal with it on a daily basis.  It would be correct for you to assume as you do in your 3rd paragraph that I, as the president of my local, would agree that a fully staffed professional fire departments is preferable over volley's. In a perfect world that would be great. Unfortunately  you are the minority and always will be as a fully paid fire department. That is the reality in today's world.

Thanks for the atta boy on the efforts on the Ashton fire. To answer your question "Have there been any other fires that you've been on where the outcome would have been better, had you responded immediately with multiple apparatus staffed fully by firefighters whose only "job" that day was to be a professional firefighter? Come on John what do you think my answer is goingto be to that. The problem in my District isn't that we don't send multiple apparatus (which everyone does) staffed by fully paid firefighters, heck on the Ashton fire 90% of the people their where paid firefighters, the problem is the fact that my next due station is 10 minutes away. That is why sometimes we need to call for help from our brothers and sisters to the North. And by the way we are more then willing to return the favor when you are short handed. We don't mind covering 11's and 14's when the city is short due to "the big one". Yeah sometimes its a pain in the ass but its all in the name of helping out our union brother & sisters.  

I know that you guys are frustrated with the S-R. We have all been there either with bad press on our dysfunctional board or the fact we can't pass an M&O although, none of the other locals have had to endure the layoff nightmare that Local 29 has had to deal with and the lack of coverage there. I watch and read the local news everyday and know the coverage on your plight is horrible. Sitting at the forum this year listening to Ellie tell the story about the Cowles families distain for the Spokane Fire Department back in the early days makes me think that things haven't changed much. I have told Greg, Mike, and Mark that if there is anything we can do we will be there as I'm sure the other 5 County Locals would be.

Let me end by saying I'm sure that you did offend a few of the professionals from around the area as they probably took your comments the wrong way just as my guys did. For the past 15 years that I have been in the fire service there has always been animosity between the City Fire Department and the rest of the County Professionals which makes it easy for this type of thing to manifest itself into a huge problem. I say its time to beak down the walls that unfortunately still exists between the City and the rest of us. It is imperative that WE START TO COMMUNICATE BETTER AT OUR LEVEL. THE LINE LEVEL. It is ridicules that in today's age we are still having these stupid turf wars/they don't know what the hell they are doing out there BS. I am proud to say that I have many close friend that work for the Spokane Fire Department and we are trying to move together united as one group to open these communication lines. Hopefully this discussion helps us meet this goal. On behalf of your brothers in District 8 I accept your apology and we look forward to working with you on making our relationship better.

Thank You,

Jeff

P.S. Please do put all of our correspondence including this one in the order they were written on the site. I think it will help open some eyes. Thanks again John.