10A • January 29, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Meet LADDER 3249
The department’s fl agship vehicle
ANDREW TONRY/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Ladder 3249 extends reach for Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District.
By Andrew Tonry
For Cannon Beach Gazette
There’s a shiny new truck
at the ¿ re statiRn
,n -anuary the &annRn
%each 5uraO )ire 3rRtec
tiRn 'istrict weOcRPeG a
custRPEuiOt IRRtORnJ
SRunG
hun
GreGhRrseSRwer 3ierce $r
rRw ;T OaGGer intR the Eay
&hristeneG
³/aGGer
´ the GeSartPent’s À aJ
shiS YehicOe wiOO Ee Rn caOO
Ey PiG)eEruary
The $755,000 truck was
SaiG IRr Ey a ta[ OeYy ,t
reSOaces a %eck te
OesTuirt
%esiGes the ROG %eck’s
increasinJ Paintenance cRsts
anG insurance cRncerns, /aG
Ger ’s SriPary seOOinJ
SRint was its 75IRRt e[tenG
aEOe OaGGer :ith siJni¿
cantOy increaseG heiJht anG
ranJe, &annRn %each ¿ re
¿ Jhters say they can reach
the tRS RI any EuiOGinJ in
tRwn
That wasn’t the case with
the ROG truck, which was OiP
iteG in its reach, esSeciaOOy
criticaO at hRteOs anG OarJer
hRPes 2nce yRu were Rut
siGe the cROOaSse ]Rne yRu
cRuOGn’t reach,´ /ieutenant
6teYen 0RRn saiG ³5areOy
sRPeRne wRuOG Ee uS that
OaGGer´
The new OaGGer, with
PRtRri]eG e[tensiRn, wiGer
steSs, JuarG raiOs, eTuiSPent
PRunts anG an intercRP, can
carry uS tR 750 SRunGs
³This is the shRrtest truck
yRu can Jet with a 75IRRt
aeriaO,´ 0RRn saiG
$s shRrt as it is, /aGGer
EareOy ¿ ts unGerneath
the statiRn’s Eay GRRrs ,t
sTuee]es in Eecause it was
EuiOt tR e[actinJ sSeci¿ ca
tiRns
³This is custRP aOO the
way,´ 0RRn saiG ³:ith the
si]e RI Rur streets, we want
eG a cRPSact truck with the
EiJJest OaGGer we cRuOG Jet´
³There are thRusanGs
uSRn thRusanGs RI RStiRns,´
he cRntinueG ³The sky’s the
OiPit <Ru Jet a huJe ERRk
RI sSecs ± it has eYerythinJ
IrRP the IrRnt winGshieOG tR
rear EuPSer´
The ROG truck haG ¿ ttinJs
IRr three water hRses /aGGer
suSSRrts si[ anG aGGs
increaseG OenJth ,t SuPSs
uS tR ,500 JaOORns Ser Pin
ute, anG has the caSaEiOity tR
sSray twR kinGs RI ¿ reretar
Gant IRaP
/aGGer ePSORys
Lawsuit
Balzar from Page 1A
5esiGents haYe GeIenGeG the IRr
Per chieI anG cRPSOaineG aERut the
way %aO]er was treateG Ey ¿ re Gis
trict GirectRrs, whR ORckeG hiP Rut
RI his RI¿ ce the PRrninJ aIter his
GisPissaO
*arry 6Pith, a ERarG GirectRr,
GescriEeG the ¿ rinJ as ³strictOy
Eusiness, nRt SersRnaO,´ anG Rther
GirectRrs TuestiRneG %aO]er’s aG
PinistratiYe skiOOs
6usan 1euwirth, a &annRn
%each resiGent, has ¿ OeG a recaOO
SetitiRn tR rePRYe three RI the
ERarG’s ¿ Ye GirectRrs 3resiGent
6harRn &OyGe, 6Pith anG /inGa
%eck6weeney
-iP 6tearns, RI +erPistRn, is
serYinJ as interiP ¿ re chieI The
¿ re Gistrict ERarG hRSes tR hire a
new chieI Ey -une
$ccRrGinJ tR %aO]er’s Oawsuit,
ERarG GirectRrs cRnGucteG a SerIRr
Pance eYaOuatiRn in the ¿ rst Tuarter
RI Oast year that was Yery criticaO RI
%aO]er’s wRrk
%aO]er cOaiPeG GirectRrs, in Sar
ticuOar, chastiseG hiP IRr aOORwinJ
his wiIe tR critici]e ERarG GirectRrs
Rn sRciaO PeGia anG Rther cRP
Pents
%aO]er saiG the ERarG set JRaOs
IRr hiP tR accRPSOish Ey 1RYeP
Eer that were ³iPSRssiEOe tR REtain´
within that tiPe IraPe anG then ³in
tentiRnaOOy createG a hRstiOe wRrk
enYirRnPent´ EeIRre his ¿ rinJ
%aO]er saiG he has ³suIIereG ir
reSaraEOe inMury tR his Eusiness anG
SersRnaO reSutatiRn, anG wiOO haYe
seriRus GiI¿ cuOty ¿ nGinJ suEstitute
ePSORyPent, SarticuOarOy in the
sPaOO cRastaO cRPPunity in which
he resiGes´
‘A great piece of apparatus’
ANDREW TONRY/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Interim Chief Jim Stearns, Lt. Steven Moon and Lt. Tom
Misner.
EriJht, ORwSRwer /('
OiJhts, a PRre PRGern anG
rREust cRPPunicatiRns sys
teP, increaseG caE si]e anG
carryinJ caSacity, enhanceG
saIety Ieatures anG an autR
Patic transPissiRn
³,t GriYes Oike a GreaP,´
/ieutenant TRP 0isner saiG
The YehicOe anG its sSec
i¿ catiRns were seOecteG Ey
0isner, 0RRn, aORnJ with
Rther YROunteers anG IRrPer
)ire &hieI 0ike %aO]er 'e
sSite the aOOure RI Iurther RS
tiRns, 0isner anG 0RRn say
/aGGer cRntains RnOy
the essentiaOs
³:e keSt this thinJ as
sOiP anG triP as SRssiEOe,´
0RRn saiG ³:e saYeG as
Puch PRney as SRssiEOe 1R
IriOOs´
3asseG Rn were RStiRns
Oike cRPSutercRntrROOeG OaG
GerGRckinJ anG an RnERarG
JeneratRr ,n the case RI the
JeneratRr, they aGGeG a Puch
cheaSer, hanGheOG PRGeO ,n
the case RI the eOectrRnic
GRckinJ, it Must seePeG IriY
RORus
³:e GRn’t eYen haYe
aircRnGitiRninJ Rn this
truck,´ 0RRn saiG ³That
saYeG $,000´
The 3ierce EranG was chR
sen, in Sart, Eecause RI the
accessiEiOity RI an authRri]eG
serYice center in (uJene
³2ur ROG %eck truck was
the Oast RII their Oine EeIRre
they went EankruSt,´ 0RRn
saiG ³There was nR IactRry
suSSRrt´
The GeSartPent’s enJine
± a sPaOOer waterSuPSer
withRut a OaGGer ± is aOsR a
3ierce
8SRn GeOiYery, the Panu
Iacturer sent a reSresentatiYe
IRr tR cRnGuct a Gay RI train
inJ )urther instructiRn in
OaGGer RSeratiRn wiOO IROORw
³$nytiPe yRu Jet arRunG
the OaGGer the huJe risk is
SRwer Oines,´ interiP &hieI
-iP 6tearns saiG ³,t has tR
Ee in their PinGs µ:here
are thRse RYerheaG SRwer
Oines"’´
The entirety RI the SriPar
iOy aOOYROunteer IRrce wiOO
eYentuaOOy EecRPe À uent in
the new truck’s RSeratiRn
³,n a YROunteer GeSart
Pent Oike this eYeryRne has
tR knRw aOO the GiIIerent
rROes,´ 6tearns saiG ³:e
striYe IRr eYeryERGy tR Ee Rn
the saPe SaJe, Eecause yRu
GRn’t knRw whR is JRinJ tR
shRw uS Rn a caOO´
³,t wiOO Pake Rur MREs eas
ier,´ 0RRn saiG ³This heOSs
EriGJe the JaS Eetween Ser
sRnneO anG caSaEiOities´
³:e GR want tR thank
the cRPPunity IRr the YRte
tR Sass this,´ 6tearns aGGeG
³,t’s a Jreat Siece RI aSSa
ratus that RuJht tR serYe this
cRPPunity IRr the ne[t 5
years Rr sR´
Cannon Beach seeks fi re chief who can do it all
June timeline for
hire ‘is very doable,’ if
board isn’t derailed
By Andrew Tonry
For Cannon Beach Gazette
,I eYerythinJ JRes accRrGinJ tR
SOan, the &annRn %each 5uraO )ire
3rRtectiRn 'istrict %RarG RI 'irec
tRrs hRSes tR hire anG instaOO a new
)ire &hieI Ey -une
The tiPeOine, SrRSRseG at a
wRrk sessiRn TuesGay, -an ,
OeaYes OittOe ParJin IRr errRr
³, think its Yery GRaEOe,´ saiG
interiP &hieI -iP 6tearns, whR
wiOO OeaG the search ³%ut it’s JRinJ
tR Ee a Yery Eusy tiPe in here´
The tiPeOine aOsR suSSRses that
an RnJRinJ eIIRrt tR recaOO three
ERarG PePEers ² incOuGinJ the
ERarG SresiGent ² GRes nRt GeraiO
the SrRcess
The -une tarJet Gate cRin
ciGes with the cRncOusiRn RI 6tea
rns’ si[PRnth cRntract 6hRuOG a
new chieI IaiO tR PateriaOi]e in that
tiPe, 6tearns saiG he wRuOG rePain
aYaiOaEOe
³,’P nRt JRnna waOk RII anG
OeaYe yRu hiJh anG Gry,´ 6tearns
tROG the ERarG
This wiOO Ee 6tearn s’ thirG tiPe
GirectinJ a chieI’s hir inJ %eIRre
retirinJ as a IuOOtiPe chieI in
+erPistRn, 6tearns IRunG his re
SOacePent $nG in a situatiRn siP
iOar tR the Rne in &annRn %each,
6tearns OeG a search in 5RJue 5iY
er whiOe actinJ as interiP chieI
A little bit of everything
,n JuiGeOines Sut IRrth Ey 6tea
rns anG echReG Ey the ERarG, &an
ANDREW TONRY/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District Board member Garry
Smith, left , and interim Chief Jim Stearns discuss hiring a new fi re
chief.
nRn %each’s ne[t ¿ re chieI wiOO
neeG tR GR a OittOe Eit RI eYerythinJ
6ince arriYinJ in &annRn %each
in 1RYePEer, 6tearns caPe uS
with a sayinJ tR GescriEe the ¿ re
GeSartPent’s PyriaG resSRnsiEiOi
ties ³,I yRu can shRRt it, tas e it Rr
cuII it, caOO the cRSs,´ 6tearns saiG
³)ire GRes eYerythinJ eOse´
³0y ¿ rst Gay here, we JRt Gis
SatcheG IRr a tree acrRss the hiJh
way,´ 6tearns saiG ³:here , cRPe
IrRP, , thRuJht , µwhy are we JRinJ
Rut Rn a tree"’´
The reasRn TuickOy EecaPe
cOear ² iI the ¿ re GeSartPent
GiGn’t rePRYe the tree, it PiJht
aIIect their aEiOity tR eIIectiYeOy
resSRnG tR a caOO in that area The
nearOy aOOYROunteer &annRn %each
)ire 'eSartPent aOsR assists in wa
ter rescues, ePerJency PeGicaO re
sSRnses anG PRre
%ut the GesireG TuaOi¿ catiRns
IRr a new chieI JR weOO EeyRnG
his cRPSetence in the ¿ eOG %RarG
PePEers saiG they wanteG sRPe
Rne whR cRuOG write Jrants, insSire
YROunteers, hanGOe a sOate RI aG
PinistratiYe Guties, interIace with
the cRPPunity anG PRre
³, think in a GeSartPent this si]e
yRu neeG eYeryERGy tR Ee resSRnse
caSaEOe,´ 6tearns saiG ³:hen the
whistOe EORws, we’re aOO ¿ re¿ Jht
ers The aGPinistratiRn siGe has tR
Ee GRne cRn¿ GentOy anG weOO´
³:e neeG sRPeERGy whR GRes
ERth,´ saiG ERarG 3resiGent 6harRn
&OyGe
$nRther TuaOi¿ catiRn a sPRRth,
reassurinJ Sresence
³3uEOic reOatiRns is JRinJ tR Ee
huJe IRr a whiOe,´ 6tearns saiG in
a nRG tR the cRntinueG SuEOic IurRr
RYer the ¿ rinJ RI SreYiRus &hieI
0ike %aO]er anG the ensuinJ recaOO
eIIRrt
Filling the post
6tearns anG the ERarG aOsR Gis
cusseG GiIIerent ways tR ¿ OO the
SRsitiRn 8nGer cRnsiGeratiRn are
a IuOOtiPe chieI À uent with aG
PinistratiYe wRrk, anG SarttiPe
chieI with aGPinistratiYe suSSRrt
+RweYer, the ta[ OeYy IunGinJ
the chieI’s saOary is RnOy aOORcateG
IRr a sinJOe ePSORyee ² the chieI
³TR earPark thRse IRr Must Rne
SRsitiRn anG a YehicOe, yRu’Ye
kinG RI tieG yRurseOI GRwn,´ 6tea
rns tROG the ERarG The OeYy re
Pains in SOace untiO 07
6tearns aOsR GiscusseG with the
ERarG the uSs anG GRwns RI hirinJ
in this SarticuOar ORcaOe
³:e’re JRinJ tR attract a chieI
tR a sPaOO GeSartPent Oike this
that’s either a ¿ rst tiPe chieI anG
usinJ this as a steSSinJ stRne,´
6tearns saiG ³2r yRu Jet sRPe
ERGy Rn the way GRwn that’s
wantinJ tR retire Rn the 2reJRn
&Rast Eut nRt reaGy tR Tuit wRrk
inJ That cRuOG Ee a wRnGerIuO
¿ nG, Eut it’s JRt tR Ee the riJht
¿ nG´
³, think yRu’re nRt JRinJ tR at
tract a PiGcareer SersRn here at
that saOary ranJe,´ 6tearns aGGeG
The IuOOtiPe saOary RIIereG is in
the neiJhERrhRRG RI $70,000,
which GResn’t incOuGe an aGGi
tiRnaO $5,000tR$0,000 sSent
Rn insurance anG Eene¿ ts
6tearns anG the ERarG hRSe tR
RI¿ ciaOOy annRunce the RSeninJ
)eE 2n this tiPeOine they wiOO
aGYertise untiO 0arch 5, anG Ee
Jin interYiews in PiG$SriO
)rRP his cRnnectiRns with ¿ re
GeSartPents thrRuJhRut the state,
6tearns has aOreaGy Eeen TuerieG
aERut the RSeninJ
³:e’Ye JRt three YiaEOe canGi
Gates aOreaGy interesteG in the SR
sitiRn,´ 6tearns saiG ³, think we’OO
haYe a whROe ORt PRre´