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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018
Firefighters
from 1A
Captain Andy Gray was the
leader of the second team dis-
patched to California. His team
was involved in all three of the
California fires.
“California wanted 15 strike
teams,” Gray said. “There is a dif-
ference between a strike team and
a task force. A task force is more
versatile and a strike team is more
jobs-specific. So, we were pretty
much the insurance policy for the
local departments.”
Gray’s team went from the
Creek Fire in Los Angeles to the
Lilac Fire in San Diego, and then
back to the Thomas Fire. They
assisted with structural protection.
“We bounced around quite a
bit, but it worked out that we were
able to provide some needed back-
up for local departments,” Gray
said.
Both team leaders said that sup-
porting the California firefighters
during this emergency has multi-
ple benefits for SVFR moving for-
ward.
Not only will California fire-
fighters make their way here more
readily to assist with emergency
situations in Oregon, but the
opportunity to work under differ-
ent fire conditions adds to the
experience for local firefighters.
“The fuel here in our fires is
Robbery
from 1A
When the man ran out the door
with the money, Kaushik tried to
rinse the pepper spray out of his
eyes so he could call the police.
“I called the Oregon State Police
and reported the robbery, and they
were here in about 10 minutes,” he
said.
The police took Kaushik’s state-
completely different than it is in
California. The trees and the other
debris have an extremely different
fire behavior. It moves a lot faster
and the winds were crazy and very
unpredictable,” Larson said.
Gray agreed.
“Exposure to the different envi-
ronments and the different fire
behaviors was really helpful. The
fuel model is different, but not that
different, from a windy summer
day at the coast with the beach
grass, so there are some compar-
isons there,” he said. “The other
thing that was important was the
scale of the logistics of the whole
effort. So it was a learning experi-
ence in a lot of ways.”
In addition, the deployment
affected SVFR’s finances.
“Our apparatus also made
money for us. We received $100
an hour for the engine and $50 an
hour for the Quick Attack (brush
engine),” Gray said.
When asked to summarize their
time in California, both Gray and
Larson said the experience gained
by district members and volun-
teers was valuable from a training
perspective, but also from a team
building perspective.
“It was a great opportunity to
talk with firefighters from other
areas, to share common experi-
ences and to build communication
among the different organiza-
tions,” Larson said.
“SVFR was glad to be able to
send the crews to assist the fire-
fighters and continue to build
our volunteer ranks to meet such
requests, as well as offer unin-
terrupted quality service,”
SVFR Operations Chief Jim
Dickerson said. “The strike
team leaders sent accolades to
our crews for hard work, profes-
sionalism and dedication.”
Dickerson characterized the
California deployment as suc-
cessful.
“The seven firefighters that
deployed worked a grueling ‘24
on, 24 off’ schedule and worked
side by side with many other
agencies within the ICS system
that helps our community when
disaster strikes,” he said. “The
experience that crews gain in
these deployments further solid-
ifies our training and communi-
ty preparedness programs.”
To date, the Thomas Fire has
burned 281,893 acres and
has led to the destruction of
1,063 structures. One firefighter
has been killed due to ther-
mal injuries and smoke inhala-
tion.
As of Jan. 1, the California
Office of the State Fire Marshall
and the U.S. Forest Department
reported that 92 percent of the
Thomas fire had been contained
and personnel on scene had been
reduced to 508.
ment and proceeded to search for
the robber. They were unsuccessful
and, at this time, the suspect
remains at large.
Kaushik’s uncle purchased the
Riverside Market in 2015 and
Vedpal has been running the busy
Mapleton store since that time.
The robbery has been a traumat-
ic experience for Kaushik, who
shared that he is still in shock about
the incident.
“My family is from India and I
have not seen my wife and kids for
four years,” Kaushik said. “I start-
ed thinking of them after this hap-
pened, and I just started crying.
And then I was thinking, ‘Well, at
least he didn’t shoot me and maybe
I will get a chance to see them
again.’”
Anyone with information per-
taining to this crime should call the
Oregon State Police.
Development
from 1A
Henry said, “Our job is to try
to make Florence attractive and
visible. We have to get out there
and market Florence, so people
in turn will come and get it done.
“I do think our city can grow,
and can grow economically.
We’re just getting started.”
In October 2015, RAIN began
holding regular meetings in
Florence. RAIN itself is a startup
founded by the governor’s
Regional Solutions Office to
launch high-growth companies
in the Lane, Linn, Lincoln and
Benton county region.
Venture Catalyst Caroline
Cummings said her job is to
“catalyze other people’s innova-
tions.”
“Oregon is really good at
growing its own companies,”
she said.
Job creation is one facet of a
“three-legged stool” that eco-
nomic development movements
target. This also includes recruit-
ing companies to move to the
area, retaining and expanding
existing businesses and bringing
in entrepreneurs and innovation.
Reynolds said, “While we are
very caring about our existing
businesses ... this is really look-
ing at how we can grow and
encourage a new way of think-
ing.”
Florence Urban Renewal
Agency
retained
Leland
Consulting Group in 2015 to
develop an economic opportuni-
ties strategy and to identify key
development sites.
Chris Zahas, president of
Leland Consulting Group, said,
“I think you are in the pretty for-
tunate position that you have a
lot of assets that are attractive.
You have the ocean, river, lakes,
an actual authentic vibrant
downtown — with the restau-
rants and retailers as healthy as
they are — and you’ve got the
dunes. The list goes on and on of
exciting things. If they’re mar-
keted, packaged and presented
well, they would make a really
compelling case why a sole-pro-
prietor business or small entre-
preneur would think about
Florence.”
He said that the economy is
shifting to be more talent-based.
“We are depending on a
knowledge-based
economy,
where ideas are driving our
economy forward. The jobs are
following the talent. What you
need to be doing as a communi-
ty is attracting the talent,” he
said.
2016 — ‘W HAT ’ S N EXT ?’
January 2016 kicked off with
a continued partnership with
RAIN and its resources. With its
motto being “What’s next?,”
RAIN pulled in local entrepre-
neurs Carl Hulan, who wants to
connect technology with the
local foods market, and Jayne
Smoley, a glass artist with an
innovative idea to connect high
art with low-cost, replaceable
products.
“I believe that we live in an
amazing time because technolo-
gy enables us to build almost
anything imaginable, so let’s get
together to figure out our goals
and how to achieve them,”
Hulan said.
Throughout the year, RAIN
partnered with the city, Lane
Community College Florence
Center and the Florence Area
Chamber
of
Commerce.
Meetings were held at City
Lights
Cinemas,
Siuslaw
Riverside Eats & Drinks,
Homegrown Public House,
Beachcomber Pub and Ocean
Dunes Golf Links.
Also in January, Henry gave
his next State of the City
Address, this time to a crowd at
the Florence Events Center.
“In my first State of the City
Address, I told you of a great
many things to come. It is deeply
fulfilling to be able to say we
have accomplished many, if not
most, of the goals we presented
last year,” Henry said. “A sneak
peek into the City Council’s
goals for 2016 will be a continu-
ation of the 2015 goals in a more
condensed and focused manner.
We expect 2016 to be filled with
staff activity focused on com-
pleting the work that was start-
ed.”
His address also encouraged
the community to get involved.
Florence’s goals for 2016
were city service delivery; liv-
ability and quality of life; eco-
nomic development; communi-
cation and trust; and financial
and organizational sustainability.
In February, Florence Urban
Renewal continued to move for-
ward with what would later be
called the ReVision Florence
Streetscaping
Project
on
Highway 101.
“We promised you a year ago
that we would be a city in mo-
tion. I think especially recently
See
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ALL YOU CAN EAT COD THURSDAYS 5-8PM
Enjoy all the hand-battered, golden fried cod and chips you can eat!
CULINARY CELEBRATION WEEKENDS
Ask about our featured specials!
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