Emergency Preparedness
The Cape Emergency Preparedness Committee held three information sharing events in August, September & October 2022.
The meeting notes and handouts from each meeting are below:
October 2022: Guest Speaker Roger Hill, CSJ Water District Commissioner & Water Board President, on the topic of " Water Supply & Sewage, and how to keep it all flowing. "
September 2022 : Guest speaker Francis Smith, retired Fire Captain and 16 year EMS veteran, on the topic of "Health and Medical Preparedness".
August 2022: Guest speaker Brendan Cowan, San Juan County's Emergency Management Director.
The documents from the meeting:
Be FireWise!
A homeowner toolkit from FireWise USA can be found here: FirewiseToolkit.pdf
Helpful Community Links:
https://www.islandsready.org/seniors - Preparedness for Seniors
https://mil.wa.gov/tsunami - Tsunami Information and Resources
www.sanjuandem.net/neighborhood - PDF pamphlet specifically related to neighborhood preparedness
www.sanjuandem.net/critical - the page with links to our most useful single page flyers (including the neighborhood one, above).
Local News
Emergency Medical Services
The Cape is served by San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services. San Juan EMS is made up of volunteer EMTs reporting to a paid professional EMS Chief (an experienced Paramedic) with 2 additional career Paramedics on staff and 1 on call. This organization is separate from Fire District 3. Unlike many EMS services in larger cities, every EMS call on San Juan Island is served not only by EMTs but also by a Paramedic on the first response. San Juan Island EMTs are among the most highly trained and experienced EMTs in the US as is befitting the rural and isolated nature of the island. Many of the EMTs have multiple designations including Wilderness EMT, Flight EMT, Marine Rescue EMT and I.V. Maintenance Technician. The Paramedics are likewise highly qualified with additional Critical Care training.
San Juan EMS operates out of a single station in Friday Harbor. The EMTs attend weekly training and respond to aid calls from wherever they may be at the time of the alarm.
Patients who require more medical treatment than can be provided at Inter Island Medical Center can be evacuated from the island by helicopter (Airlift Northwest), by fixed wing ambulance (Island Air), on an ambulance on a ferry, or by the Sheriff's boat (Guardian), a specially designed vessel capable of safe patient transport in most weather conditions. Inexpensive insurance is available for the helicopter flights.
At this time, the Cape has two EMTs: Francis Smith and Kurt Long. Rebecca Smith and Alan Roochvarg recently retired after nearly 30 years as an EMT - thank you, Alan and Rebecca, for your many years of service to your community.
FIRE
Today's Capers can thank the early residents for building the first community hall and fire station. The building, originally designated as Station 2 (now referred to as Station 32) of San Juan Fire District 3, has twice been expanded - by volunteers - with materials funded form maintenance fees.
Station 32 is staffed entirely by volunteers who attend weekly drills. The Station operates under the overall command and direction of a paid professional District Fire Chief and small staff. Fire District volunteers undergo a State-approved 120-hour basic training course before being allowed to function as a basic firefighter. Subsequent training allows the firefighter to participate as an engineer driver/operator, wildlands firefighter, heavy rescue technician, hazmat technician or rope rescue technician. All firefighters are trained as first responders (first aid) and can administer CPR and can utilize the District's automatic defibrillators (AED's) placed in each station.
Station 32 houses two fire engines - a 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper (E321) and a four-wheel drive brushfire truck (E322) capable of working wildlands fires. E321 is utilized for structural firefighting and carries 750 gallons of water in addition to foam equipment, self-contained breathing apparatus, a generator, a smoke exhaust fan, pumps and other items needed to handle these kinds of fires. E322 carries 200 gallons of water and the necessary equipment to fight fires in the wild areas of the island. Either engine can connect to the Cape's hydrants. The Cape engines may be dispatched to any part of the island to assist with fire suppression efforts.
In 2007, the Cape was designated as a Firewise Community. This designation is granted only after an exacting application process to the Firewise Communities/USA organization in recognition of our attention to providing a community environment that provides protection against wildland/urban interface fires. Cape San Juan is one of very few island communities to be served by permanent fire hydrants. Every property at the Cape is within a few hundred feet of a fire hydrant.
Thank you, Francis and Rebecca Smith for your 16+ years in the fire department!