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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2015)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ DECEMBER 2, 2015 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE Liz Iabichello C ATHERINE J. R OURKE For the Siuslaw News _____________ C risis is common and danger is no stranger for Liz Iabichello. As one of 40 volunteer fire- fighters at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue (SVFR), she and her team members remain on standby 24/7, serving 17,000 residents plus visitors in a 120-square-mile area. In addition to three full-time fire- fighters, SVFR relies on these dedi- cated volunteers to provide emer- gency rescue and medical response, structural and wildland fire protec- tion, hazardous and disaster response management, traffic control, post- accident cleanup, mutual aid and public education. A kitchen fire erupts and spreads as quickly as a forest wildfire. An ATV overturns in the dunes, and a truck hits a bicyclist on Highway 101. A tourist in Old Town has diffi- culty breathing, and a cat is stuck in a tree. Kayakers are reported miss- ing, and then a car veers off Route 126, shattering glass as well as a life. “It’s a calling,” said Liz, a captain and EMT intermediate with 13 years as an SVFR volunteer. “Every day offers fulfillment by helping others; it’s really rewarding work.” From car crashes to cardiac arrests, Florence’s firefighters handle it all. They extricate the traumatized victims of auto accidents and encounter frigid waters to prevent a drowning. They can be the first to hold a newborn and the last to close the eyes of the dying. “You never know what’s going to happen,” Liz said. “It’s unpre- dictable. What I like about this work is that we face something different every day. No two calls are ever alike.” Camaraderie runs deep among volunteer firefighters as they coordi- nate family life with other jobs, weekly drills, comprehensive train- ing and community service. According to her colleagues, Liz always steps up to lend support for another firefighter. That’s why she’s affectionately called “Mama Bear” around the station. “You name it, she’s there,” declared SVFR Fire Chief Jim Langborg. “She’s one of our most active volunteers who spends 85 per- cent of her life in the service of oth- ers.” Add two other high-intensity jobs and a long track record as a wife and working mom. Liz remains humbly reticent to take any credit, a hallmark of her profession. “It’s not about me but about the whole team working together,” she said. “All I really do is try to con- nect people. If I ask for help, half the department is there to lend a hand.” Liz and her fellow firefighters face constant uncertainty in a world where accidents happen and things can go wrong. More than just squelching a fire, their response involves quelling distress, often under extreme conditions with pounds of heavy equipment and short on sleep, remaining collected for others during a calamity. Perhaps that explains Liz’s distinctly calm demeanor. “It’s all about trying to stop peo- ple’s pain and suffering,” she said. “When it’s all coming apart, we try CATHERINE J. ROURKE Suited up and on standby, volunteer firefighter Liz Iabichello is always ready for the next call. to hold it together.” Liz gets plenty of opportunities for that in two other part-time jobs as an Emergency Room tech at Peace Harbor Medical Center and as an intermediate EMT at Western Lane Ambulance District. “If they need help, I come run- ning, often in the middle of the night,” she said. “I sleep with one eye open and one foot on the floor.” Every job has its mundane tasks, and firefighting requires routine maintenance and equipment checks, station chores, staff meetings, special projects and ongoing education. Firefighters also teach fire preven- tion and support local fundraisers. “We all pitch in where we can, and we just love to help,” Liz said. “It’s unique for a community to have this level of unity and coordinated efforts with different agencies and volunteers coming together to pro- vide such services. We are all one ... it might be a firefighter, a paramedic or a police officer, but we are all here to help.” Life is not all about sirens for Liz who often enjoys long beach walks with her husband, Craig. “We’re really beach bums at heart,” she said. The couple discovered Florence during a honeymoon on the Oregon coast and made the move from the San Fernando Valley in 1994. “I’ve never seen such a giving community,” she said. “I am so proud to call Florence my home because of this wonderful communi- ty of volunteers.” All hours and no glamour, emer- gency response requires an unflinch- ing ability to handle unimaginable trauma with heroic stoicism. Yet Liz and her colleagues seek no recogni- tion for their exemplary service. “I have this absolute desire to make people’s worst moment a little bit better,” she said. “It’s all about trying to stop their pain and suffer- ing. We’re really just ordinary peo- ple put in extraordinary circum- stances.” ______________________ Catherine J. Rourke is an award- winning writer, journalist and book editor who teaches creative writing at the Florence Regional Arts Alliance. She may be contacted at CJReditor@gmail.com. LETTERS I am sickened. Americans are better than that. Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor who spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps, once said: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.” We must speak out. We must vote. Marybeth Marenco Florence Deck the hall On Saturday, a group of Siuslaw High School wrestlers came to the Disabled American Veterans hall to decorate our tree. Wasting no time, they had the tree decked out and ready to shine. The members of the Florence DAV Chapter 23 would like to thank each and every wrestler for their kindness and support to the American veterans. God bless them all. David Burkett Treasurer, Florence DAV Changing Columbus Day What is next — changing Christmas to a dif- ferent holiday? I’m with you, Tony (“Create Another Day Instead,” Nov. 21). Leo Nencini Florence Christmas in Florence Christmas Store success The Florence Area Humane Society (FAHS) Christmas Store wrapped up another very suc- cessful season on Nov. 30. The store was packed with everything from Christmas trees and gift-wrapping supplies to gift items for young and old. Everything was priced at incredibly affordable prices and all donated by residents and local businesses. The store was manned by volunteers daily through the month of November. On behalf of all FAHS volunteers, and espe- cially on behalf of the dogs and cats waiting for a forever home of their own, a most sincere thank you, for without great community support this wonderful event would be impossible. As always, all proceeds will benefit the Florence Area Humane Society, helping to feed and care for the many wonderful dogs and cats each waiting for their own forever home. Lynda Bare Volunteer, FAHS We must speak out Donald Trump recently gave an interview advocating for a registry for all Muslims in America. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with restrictions on Syrian refugees coming into this country, restrictions so tight as to completely keep Syrian refugees out of this country, people who are fleeing from terrorists. The Christmas spirit arrived in Florence this past Saturday afternoon. Santa arriving in a fire truck with lots of children and parents waiting with anticipation and joy. The City of Florence providing festive hay rides along Bay Street and the interpretive cen- ter beautifully decorated along with the lighting of the Christmas tree made me feel so happy and proud to be a part of our community. We should all be proud of our city. Also, a big thanks to Cal Applebee, executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, for his hard work and dedication to our city. Gary Foglio Florence USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore. Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. 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Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: www.TheSiuslawNews.com L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR P OLICY The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor concerning issues affecting the Florence area and Lane County. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed let- ters must be signed. All letters should be limited to about 300 words and must include the writer’s full name, address and phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Libelous and anonymous letters as well as poetry will not be published. All submissions become the property of Siuslaw News and will not be returned. Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com