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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018
Marshal
from 1A
“I really loved it,” he added.
SVFR Recruitment and
Retention Coordinator Pete
Warren has worked closely
with Barrett over the years and
greatly appreciated the profes-
sional attitude and composure
Barrett brought to the job.
“One event I recall came on
the heels of a wildland fire,
which the majority of the
department was battling. The
gang was just starting to return
from the field when a rapidly
burning house fire was tapped
out to us. Sean arrived on scene
as houses bordering the struc-
ture were in serious jeopardy,
too,” Warren said. “He knew it
would be longer than normal
response time from our teams.
You could almost detect a bit of
concern in his voice over our
Dunes
from 1A
“One of the things the col-
laborative did was identify
our priority areas for restora-
tion and get rid of the inva-
sives,”
Blackwell
said.
“Obviously, next to Highway
101 would not be a priority
area. We don’t want to cause
the roadway to get buried. It’s
more out in the open where
we’ve done restoration work
already, like the Oregon
Dunes Overlook.”
radios, as it seemed like he was
‘willing’ his crews to arrive in
time.
“Not taking any chances, he
requested Mutual Aid from
another fire department. It all
worked out fine as crews
arrived in time to minimize the
damage. I’m sure his pulse rate
rose a bit more than normal, but
he was rock solid and in com-
mand.”
While Barrett was a strong
presence in the field, his other
responsibilities as fire marshal
were perhaps the most enjoy-
able aspect of the job. His
duties included public educa-
tion, code enforcement and fire
extinguisher training.
Barrett also enjoyed working
with students at the Siuslaw
School District and with senior
citizens, educating them on fire
safety and effective methods of
fire prevention.
“I just love working with the
public,” he said. “Helping peo-
ple with problems or situations
they might have at their busi-
ness or restaurant was one of
my favorite parts of the job.
Teaching folks how to prepare
for an emergency was also an
important part of my job and I
enjoyed it a lot.”
Another aspect of Barrett’s
job that he found extremely
rewarding was the camaraderie
and friendships he developed
over the years with his fellow
firefighters.
“The person right next to
you, the people you are work-
ing with, may have to save your
life. They are backing you up
and you are backing them up.
So you are responsible for each
other — and that’s more than
just a regular working relation-
ship,” he said.
Barrett’s decision to retire
from the district was one that
was made primarily due to seri-
ous medical issues he was fac-
ing, not a diminution of his
enthusiasm or love for the job.
He underwent an involved
procedure to remove a tumor
from his brain and the resulting
damage has been a significant
hurdle to regaining his health.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t a
planned decision to step away
and it wasn’t a decision I made
lightly. It was a medical deci-
sion,” Barrett said. “I have
undergone some serious proce-
dures and I just wasn’t recover-
ing as fast or as fully as I had
hoped.”
He added, “I’m going to be
OK. I have suffered some brain
damage from the tumor and
there are some cognition issues
that have affected me. I still get
really tired, but I am deter-
mined to work my way through
The ODRC regularly has
students from the Siuslaw
School District cutting scotch
broom at the overlook, as
well as at Heceta Beach north
of Florence.
The methods used to get rid
of the plants has involved
mostly hand treatments,
including pulling the plants or
cutting them down.
“There have also been
some areas where the Forest
Service has done mechanical
treatment with bulldozers and
excavators,” Blackwell said.
The Siuslaw National
Forest is currently involved in
environmental assessment to
look at specific areas on the
beaches, and how best to treat
the area.
Blackwell and the ODRC
hope that the book will help
raise awareness for dune
restoration.
“The Oregon dunes are a
special place for many of us,”
Dina Pavlis, ODRC member
and author of “Secrets of the
Dunes,” said. “If we do noth-
ing, they will be lost forever.
That’s why I’ve been a part of
this effort. I’m hoping this
book will help others see that
all of us working together is
how we can save the dunes.”
The book is available on
request at the ODRC’s new
website at SaveOregonDunes.
org. There, the public can also
see aerial photographs of the
dunes from different decades
to see the progression of the
invasive species and the loss
of open space.
him in his health situation and
the changes that are on the
horizon for the fire district in
the future.
“I like change. I’m a change
person and I think change
needs to happen. In the 30
years I have been involved
with the district, I have seen
four fire chiefs and a lot of
changes in the department,”
Barrett said. “And as far as the
merging of WLAD and SVFR,
we work together already and
most of our calls are medical in
nature, so we work together a
lot.
“It’s just the next step in
what seems to be a natural pro-
gression. Merging the two
departments seems like the
right thing to do as we move
into the future.”
them and get better.”
He described the decision as
“one of the hardest of his life.”
Barrett commented on his
future plans as he eases into a
well-deserved retirement and
he encourages others to consid-
er volunteering at the SVFR as
a way to help their friends and
neighbors.
“I plan on doing different
things in the district as a volun-
teer, helping out when I can.
I’m not ready to give it up, but
I am ready to take it a little eas-
ier,” he said. “If people think
they might want to volunteer at
the SVFR, they should try it. If
it doesn’t work out for them,
that’s OK.
“Many people think they
can’t do it or it’s not the right fit
for them and then they get in
there and they are hooked.”
Barrett said he is prepared
for the challenges that await
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