Joe’s Positions

“I’m running for Fire Commissioner because I want to make Vashon a safer and better place to live and work for its residents.”

Over the past decade, the Fire District has come a long way towards recovering from a decade or so of internal and political trauma.  Due to the efforts of the current leadership, most difficulties have been put to rest.  Now, while learning the lessons of the past, the District must focus on the future.  As many know, I have advocated a long range planning process that will help the District work with the community on specific action steps. Such a plan must address options, budgets and focused measurable goals so we can all work together on choices. So, if elected, I wilI  focus on:

• ensuring actions and acquisitions are based on absolute needs to protect  and enhance island resident safety with the minimum expenditure of Island taxpayer dollars
• enhancing response times to all areas of Vashon and Maury islands, with focus on the outlying areas, to bring them more in line with recommended national public safety standards.
• recruiting more island residents to become volunteers so as to take advantage of the enhanced response times and financial benefits of utilizing local personnel.
• ensuring that our career and volunteer firefighters and medics are well trained and treated fairly considering the added demands placed on them because of Vashon’s separation from the mainland.
• continuing to reinforce Vashon’s community disaster preparedness efforts to ensure an ability to provide for public safety and well being in the aftermath of a disaster and for a prolonged period of time if Vashon is isolated from the mainland.
• taking pro-active steps when faced with mainland political moves that could profoundly affect islander well-being and safety such as the current road maintenance issue or the potential for loss of Medic One funding.
• encouraging Commissioners to get more involved in ongoing community activities, outreach that will help them to get continuous feedback on fire safety and medical concerns of Vashon’s residents.

Why do we need the long term 5 to 10 year business plan I’m proposing? Because, to succeed with all these things, we must have hard-nose analyses of needs, resources and realities and clear, measurable goals and objectives — not broad, glittering generalities.

The District needs the support of Island residents and we’ll gain that support by involving the community in our planning process, by asking residents to be a part of the solutions developed by working together.

Most of the internal challenges to the safety of residents have been identified by all candidates and actions to address these are already underway.  We all seem to be very concerned about keeping expenses down, about improving response times and area coverage and increasing the number of resident volunteers.  However, the major threats, potential and actual, that should be directly addressed in the immediate future are beyond direct island control but not island influence.  These are road maintenance, Medic One financing, reduced ferry service and major disasters of various types.  To counter the impact of these, Board members must become directly involved. Board members need to have the desire, time, knowledge and demonstrated ability to enable them to influence any of the foregoing challenges.  I have demonstrated all of these over the past ten years and am eager to do so in the future as a Board member.