HomeMy WebLinkAboutFW_ Gibbs Lake Training BurnHello JCPRAB members,
Here is the Gibbs Lake Training follow up email Commissioner Dudley-Nolette mentioned in our meeting yesterday.
Also THANK YOU for a wonderful meeting!
Reminder: Do NOT reply all!
Chelsie Kilmer, Admin Clerk III
Jefferson County Public Works
623 Sheridan Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Front Desk: 360-385-9160 M-F 8:00AM – 5:00PM
Direct Line: 360-385-9166
<https://www.instagram.com/jeffcopublicworks_wa/> Follow us on Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/jeffcopublicworks_wa/> !
All e-mail sent to this address has been received by the Jefferson County e-mail system and is therefore subject to the Public Records Act, a state law found at RCW 42.56.
From: Heather Dudley-Nollette <HDudley-Nollette@co.jefferson.wa.us>
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2025 4:22 PM
To: Chelsie Kilmer <CKilmer@co.jefferson.wa.us>
Subject: Fw: Gibbs Lake Training Burn
Report to be forwarded to the PRAB. Thanks, Chelsea!
Heather Dudley-Nollette
Commissioner, District 1
Jefferson County Courthouse
P.O. Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Office: (360) 385.9100
Desk: (360) 385.9157
Mobile: (360) 774-1986
All e-mail sent to this address has been received by the Jefferson County e-mail system and is therefore subject to the Public Records Act, a state law found at RCW 42.56. Under the
Public Records law the County must release this e-mail and its contents to any person who asks to obtain a copy (or for inspection) of this e-mail unless it is also exempt from production
to the requester according to state law, including RCW 42.56 and other state laws.
________________________________
From: Bret Black <bblack@ejfr.org <mailto:bblack@ejfr.org> >
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2025 12:46 PM
Cc: Matt Tyler <MTyler@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:MTyler@co.jefferson.wa.us> >; Molly Hilt <MHilt@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:MHilt@co.jefferson.wa.us> >; Mark McCauley <MMcCauley@co.jefferson.wa.us
<mailto:MMcCauley@co.jefferson.wa.us> >; Josh Peters <JPeters@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:JPeters@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Subject: Gibbs Lake Training Burn
ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Partners and Commissioners,
Please review the attached pictures and media release. I thought you might also be interested in the Incident Action Plan (IAP). Our staff put a lot of time and energy into the planning,
logistics, IAP and filling all the required positions. Training burns are highly regulated and costly. For yesterday’s training burn, EJFR had 11 people of overtime, 8 assigned administrative
staff and 11 volunteers filling a variety of positions.
Here are some additional highlights:
* There were no injuries! The firefighters are medically monitored before, during and after the training. We have an EMS crew standing by, that’s dedicated to our people. Sadly, each
year in the U.S. there are firefighter fatalities that occur during training events.
* Some our newest officers and firefighters received exceptional real-world training. Normally we train at our training tower on Jacob Miller Rd. This training checks the box, but becomes
predictable, so the firefighters quickly memorize the building and predict the conditions. Using a real building provides a unique experience.
* We were able to burn 9 times in the building before letting it go to complete ignition. There was concern that once ignited we would not be able to put the fire out, since there were
no fire resistive building materials used in the home’s construction. Our staff installed some protective sheetrock in an effort to slow the fire’s progress, which worked out well.
* Our volunteers got some great training too. They staffed the firefighter rehab station, medical monitoring and the water tenders. There are no hydrants in the area, so we had to shuttle
water from the Chimacum Fire Station. Our volunteer tender drivers were exceptional, and they are the main reason we maintain our WSRB Water Tender credit. We are very proud of our
volunteers!
* In addition to the Gibbs Lake fire training, we had our regular full staffing from our five staffed stations during the training event. We had about seven 911 calls during the training.
Daily minimum firefighter staffing for EJFR is 13 firefighters. When you add that to all of the personnel assigned to the Gibbs Lake training burn, EJFR had 43 people working yesterday.
Lastly, I would like to extend my personal and professional gratitude to Molly and Matt Tyler. This would not have happened were it not for their collaboration and patience. We had a
lot of tasks, permits and procedures. Every single request from EJFR got a yes from them. From my perspective, they represent the professionalism and collaboration the public expects
from public employees. They exceeded my expectations in every way. Well done Matt & Molly.
Thank you,
Bret Black - Fire Chief
Cell 360-381-0292
bblack@ejfr.org <mailto:bblack@ejfr.org>