Community Expansion Alerts
Residents to Protection Needs
DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN - The November blaze that destroyed
Hazel Suppah’s home in West Hills was started by candles left burning
in the basement. Concerned community members are looking into new
approaches to fire prevention and discovery. Spilyay Tymoo Photo
by CDS
Fish Dealer charged
with illegal sales
....Ten men answered the fire
alarm which summoned them to
a Warm Springs housing devel
opment. The six residents nar
rowly escaped from the home
with their clothes and lives,
leaving many memories and
belongings to burn in the inferno.
The total response time seemed
like an eternity but was, in
reality, only five minutes. No
lives were lost, but the house
totally destroyed. Cause of the
fire was determined as smoker’s
carelessness.
Fires, such as the one simu
lated above happen daily, per
haps hourly, across the country.
In fact, the number of fires in
Warm Springs took a dramatic
37 per cent jump in 1978 as
compared to 1977. Property
damage alone amounted to over
$280,000 last year.
Because of those astonishing
figures, Fire and Safety Officer
Elmer Quinn, along with several
other Bureau, Tribal and PHS
employees held a safety meet
ing December 1. Discussed at the
meeting were several problems
that concern the reservation
communities of Warm Springs,
Simnasho, Kah-Nee-Ta and other
outlying areas. Because that
meeting brought out so many
different issues, it was decided
that a task force should be
appointed to prepare recom
mendations to improve the pre
sent fire protection system.
The sub-committee recom
mended that education and train
ing programs be organized to
help the entire community,
school aged children and the
present volunteer fire depart
ment members. One way to help
the community understand the
true hazards of fire might be to
publish and distribute a fire
prevention inventory list. The
Tribal Safety Officer Would offer
assistance to residents in admin
istering the inventory. Other
ways would be to provide window
stickers for each room in the
home which is occupied by a
child and to place posters in
conspicuous places throughout
the reservation reminding of fire
danger.
For the education of children
the committee suggested films,
fire truck visitations, poster
contests, fire evacuation prac
tice, and instructions on turning
in fires and using fire extinguish
ers.
Because of the high rate of
volunteer turnover on the reser
vation, it is necessary that a
continuous training program
take place. Further, it is suggest
ed that a trained volunteer fire
department is more attractive
for potential volunteers than the
situation that presently exists.
Training could come from Cent
ral Oregon Community College,
grant funds or from the State of
Oregon. Also, to encourage more
people to join the fire depart
ment, a youth volunteer recruit
ing and training program is
suggested.
In addition to those ideas, it
was advised to maintain a volun
teer community awareness
schedule by recognizing the loca
tion of fire plugs, public building
floor plans, becoming familiar
with the total community by area
and street name and understand
any potential community-related
fire fighting problems.
Presently, there is no 24-hour
fire protection and no local
protection in the North End of
the reservation, plus there is a
lack of adequate protection in the
Kah-Nee-Ta area and Warm
Springs Forest Products, say
committee members.
To solve those problems it is
recommended that five persons
be hired at the agency as
full-time fire fighters with the
duty of providing 24-hour cover
age. It is also recommended that
additional pumpers and tankers
be purchased so that adequate
fire protection can be provided.
In addition, it is advised that the
fire equipment at the mill meet
the National Fire Association
code. The hydrant fittings do not
match the hose fitting of the fire
department. Adequate hardware
should be provided in case of
simultaneous fires.
The existing alarm systems
are not adequate for the total
reservation nor for the expand
ing high density residential
areas. The existing siren system
is hard to hear plus it has a
tendency to call out more specta
tors than fire fighters.
A partial solution to that
problem, the committee feels, is
to purchase emergency alarm
equipment for the senior citizens
housing and tribal apartments.
Also, at least three contact
persons for each area on the
reservation should be designated
to act and assist in immediate
response to any fire or other
hazardous situation.
Presently, less than 50 per
cent of the homes on the reserva
tion have fire extinguishers and
there is no way to determine
which of the existing ones are
operational. It is suggested that
the Tribal purchase A.B.C. fire
extinguishers and smoke detect
ors in volume and sell to resi
dents at reduced cost.
It was also determined that
one person should have total
authority in handling the con
stant upkeep of fire hydrants and
the enforcement of safety regu
lations on the reservation. As it
stands now no one person has the
authority to act independently in
safety matters.
Nearly all of the 52 fires
reported in 1978 could have been
prevented, say officials. Five
were arson-caused, 19 were
home-type fires and eight of
those were caused by children.
Fourteen were car fires, which
includes car accidents as well as
engine flareups. Fortunately,
there was only one false alarm
called in and responded to.
After studying the recom
mendations of the sub-commit-
tee, it was decided that further
investigation of the problems
and solutions should be made in
line with the following four
concerns: education, fire pro
tection, improved and additional
fire alarms, and the authority
issue. On January 12, the entire
committee will meet to discuss
the findings of that research.
species in the Northwest,” said.
By David Whitney
Haas; “The Legislature has
of The Oregonian staff
A licensed Washington fish made this crime against our
dealer has been arrested on environment a felony, and we
indictments alleging 15 felony intend to follow their lead by
counts of unlawfully selling, prosecuting instances of illegal
processing and transporting fishing to the fullest extent of the
more than 12 tons of food fish, law.”
The case against Ms. Settler,
mostly spring run Chinook sal
whose age could not be imme
mon.
The indictments were re diately learned, is the first
involving a dealer-buyer to be
turned Tuesday by a Multnomah
prosecuted under the new law,
County grand jury against Mary
Haas said. Two other such
Settler, who was arrested at her
indictments against fishermen
ninn« th» Cnmumbia River
are pending.
from the Bonneville
Dam near Carson, Wash. She is
The district attorney’s office
being held in the Skamania said the indictment accuses Ms.
County, Wash., jail pending ex Settler of buying fish caught out
tradition to Portland.
of season by fishermen and then
Steve Seymour, a prosecutor processing them through her
with the Multnomah County dist packing plant for sale through
rict attorney’s ofice, said an her broker. The indictment al
investigation into the case is leges that the fish were trans
continuing.
ported by air to areas such as
Charges against Ms. Settler, Philadelphia, New York, Boston,
a former resident of The Dalles, Denver and San Francisco.
involve more than 24,000 pounds
Multnomah County claims
of food fish valued at more than jurisdiction in the case because
$48,000.
of the use of Portland Interna
The district attorney’s office tional Airport for transportation
said, however, that during the of the fish to out-of-state desti
period the crimes are alleged to nations.
have been committed — April
The district attorney’s office
through August of 1978 — the
said William Robinson, Oregon
total illegal sales amounted to
Department of Fish and Wildlife
more than $380,000.
biologist, told the office that
The indictments were ob out-of-season fishing reduces the
tained under a new Oregon law
number of fish that can escape
passed by the 1977 Legislature
past Columbia River dams to
which makes it a Class C felony
spawn.
to catch or market fish out of
An escapement of more than
season.
120,000 fish past the Bonneville
The spring Chinook salmon
Dam is needed to sustain the
season was closed in 1978 bet
spring Chinook run at oDtimum
ween April 1 and Aug. 15, when it levels. The 1978 spring Chinook
is alleged the crimes were
escapement past the dam was
committed.
slightly more than 120,000. But
If convicted on all counts,
with the 8,500 fish that were
Ms. Settler could face a 75-year
alleged to have been illegally
prison term and fines up to
processed and sold, the actual
$37,500.
escapement figure will be below
“On felony fish cases, this
the optimum level, according to
office has a strict policy of no
Third graders Flora Frank, Carla Tewee and Clint Switzler have been spending their free class time doing
Seymour.
plea bargaining,” said Multno
“Evidence shows that (the) extra work in math. Their teacher Mrs. Cunnion has encouraged the fast workers to go beyond the regular
mah County District Attorney
operation was responsible for math program and while the rest of the class is catching onto multiplication, they are multiplying with
Hari Haas.
taking 7 per cent of the 1978 two digits. Mrs. Cunnion says that the extra work keeps the students from getting bored and the students
“Spring run Chinook is be
spring run of Chinook salmon,” are all for it, since math appears to be their favorite subject.
coming nearly an endangered
Spilyay Tymoo Photo by CDS
the district attorney’s office said.
Whiz Kids