The INDEPENDENT, January 20, 2005
Page 13
Firefighting course can help students toward career position
Chairman Willis Meeuwsen
opened the Banks School
Board meeting January 10 by
welcoming the audience, say
ing it was “nice to see a full
house.”
Fire Chief Brian Coussens
introduced Banks Fire Depart
ment training officer Levi Eckert
and started a presentation on
the Firefighter program. Cous
sens told the board that stu
dents must apply for the pro
gram as if for a job. For some of
them it is the first time they
have filled out a job application
or had an interview. Students
must be juniors or seniors with
at least a 2.5 Grade Point Aver
age and excellent attendance.
They must also provide refer
ences, pay a $50 fee and pass
a drug screen and physical
exam. All books, materials, uni
forms and turnouts are provid
ed by the department, bringing
the total cost for the class to
about $950 per student. The
program is limited to ten stu
dents.
The program teaches life
skills, Coussens explained, par
ticularly civics, by offering ex
periences that include being
part of a team, giving back to
the community and working in a
professional environment with
adults. Eckert said that stu
dents learn compassion by ob
serving real-life crisis situa
tions, not television re-enact
ments or drama. Students also
learn CPR, advanced first aid,
rescue skills, fire prevention,
accident prevention and chemi
cal awareness. Successful
completion of the program will
earn 14 Portland Community
College credits the first year, an
additional nine PCC credits
during their senior year if they
started as juniors, and national-
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Much of this credit is trans
ferrable to other institutions,
Coussens said, a major sav
ings in tuition expenses. While
many students participate only
during their senior year, several
have completed, or are en
rolled in the second year of the
program.
Students receive certifica
tion as firefighters by Christmas
of their first year in the pro
gram. After being certified,
many of the students also join
the fire department and re
spond to local calls as volun
teers. Banks High School Prin
cipal Jim Foster said that he
was surprised to see so many
familiar faces when he attend
ed a drill. Several students who
have graduated are still active
in the fire department, with
some even commuting from
Corvallis for drill.
Students also work with oth
er firefighters to teach fire pre
vention and awareness to ele
mentary students, Coussens
said, greatly increasing the ef
fectiveness of the program be
cause younger students identi
fy with the older students. Chief
Coussens thanked the district
for the opportunity to provide
the program. He will be meet
ing with district administrators
to ensure that the class is
meeting student needs. He
would like to encourage more
students to join in their junior
year and receive the full advan
tage of the program.
Insurance Report
Amy Hanson, of Waltz,
Sheriden, Crawford (WSC),
summarized the annual insur
ance report for the board, say
ing that the major activity of the
last year was refining the policy
covering facility use. Unlike the
last several years, the insur
ance market appears to be sta
bilizing, according to Hanson.
When the Special Districts As
sociation of Oregon (SDAO)
opened their insurance pool to
school districts in 2003, the
cost decreased by about 12.5
percent. SDAO provides insur
ance for many fire districts and
other special districts.
Hanson told the board that
WSC does not receive contin
gency income and operates
strictly on a commission basis.
National media reported in De
cember that some agencies
were engaging in bid rigging,
but WSC’s interest is in placing
their clients with the best possi
ble insurance to meet their
needs, according to Hanson.
New Policies
Superintendent Marilyn Mc-
Glasson introduced two poli
cies to help the board develop
budgets with a new superin
tendent. The policies define two
items included in school (and
other government) budgets -
the operating contingency and
the unappropriated ending fund
balance. McGlasson explained
that, without a written policy,
the board is “somewhat adrift”
when determining what these
amounts should be. Meeuwsen
noted that over the last several
years of decreasing state sup
port, the ending fund balance
has been “whittled away, all
revenues were expensed.” The
board engaged in a lively dis
cussion as they struggled with
the need for such policies. A
second draft of the policies will
be presented next month.
In other business, McGlas
son reported that the district is
compliant with all 22 standards
required by the state.
Int’l Soup Festival, February 5
The second annual Interna
tional Soup Festival will be on
Saturday, February 5, from
3:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Banks
Elementary School cafeteria,
on South Main Street in Banks.
The International Soup Fes
tival will feature live music from
several professional musical
groups such as The Heather-
lands playing Celtic folk songs.
Homemade soups will include
English Vegetable Beef, Italian
Tortellini,
German
Potato
Bisque and All American Tex-
Mex Chili.
“Attendees can support a
community event, learn more
about the Sound Stage Project,
and listen to live music while
enjoying a smorgasbord of all-
you-can-eat homemade soups
from around the world,” said
Tracey Rowatt, Vice Chairper
son of the Foundation.
This family friendly festival is
open to all ages. Tickets at the
door are $10 for adults and $5
for children age 12 and young
er. Advance tickets are also
available at a discounted price
of $8 for adults and $4 for chil
dren. Call Charlotte Cline, 503-
324-9382 for advance tickets.
The Soup Festival is hosted
by the Banks Community
Foundation, a non-profit organ
ization committed to enhancing
cultural, social and economic
development in the Banks
community. Local businesses
have joined with the Founda
tion to sponsor the event.
The Foundation, in partner
ship with Rural Development
Initiatives Inc. and Diversity
Corporation, has produced a
feasibility study for a “world
class” motion picture sound
stage and back lot facility to be
built in the Banks area. The
Foundation is dedicated to the
clean industry of filming, which
in turn creates more jobs, in
creases education, cultivates
cultural arts and brings the arts
to the City of Banks and sur
rounding areas.
For additional information
about the festival or the Foun
dation please log onto <ww
w.banksfoundation.org>.
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