Honoring veterans
Viewpoints
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Heritage Days Update Page A4
The Chief
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020
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VOL. 129, NO. 3
Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Live Fire Training
Kelli Nicholson / The Chief
This photo of a Columbia River Fire & Rescue crew shows a similar training exercise conducted in east St. Helens in June of 2018.
Exercise Saturday JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Rain or shine, The Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) will conduct a live fire training exercise all day Saturday, May 30, at 19536 Beaver Falls Road. The Chief contacted Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District division training officer Gabriel Wiggins for insight into the live burning exercise. The Chief: What specifically will the crews be doing during this live training that is designed to help each firefighter improve his/her skills? Gabriel Wiggins: Live fire training evolutions such as this give firefighters an opportunity to practice their firefighter skills and put their knowledge to practice during realistic conditions. Firefighters will practice
hoseline advancement, nozzle control, suppression tactics, and will see the evolution of fire behavior from the incipient phase through the growth phase. During the burndown phase of the exercise, firefighters will protect exposures as would occur during a defensive fire. Additionally, this provides firefighters the chance to watch a fire progress from the incipient phase, growth phase, fully developed phase, through to the decay phase. The Chief: How do these exercises help strengthen the firefighting team’s effective and efficient teamwork needed in an actual fire and other emergency responses? Wiggins: The fire service requires teamwork at all levels to be effective, from the individual firefighters working on a crew, crews working together as a division or group, all the way to agencies supporting each other through mutual aid agreements. During this exercise each fire-
City to gain new deputy JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
In just a few days, law enforcement in Clatskanie will be improved. On June 3, the Clatskanie City Council is expected to adopt the city’s proposed $9.5 million operating budget, which includes funding for a third full-time Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy. During a community meeting in late February about school safety at Clatskanie Middle/High School, Clatskanie Mayor Bob Brajcich told those gathered that the city is developing funds that could pay for a full time law enforcement officer dedicated to the community daily, Monday through Friday, through the contract the City currently has with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). “So during the school days we would have an officer in town,” Brajcich said. “That officer would get to know the kids, the businesses
Obituaries............A3 Viewpoints...........A4 Poll.......................A4 Market Place........A5 Public Notices..A5-6 Clatskanie Grows A7
and the community.” Brajcich said the cost for the additional deputy would be approximately $50,000 annually and would be paid for through the city’s general fund. History Due to city budget limitations, the Clatskanie City Council closed its city police department and contracted in 2016 with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services. The contract includes two deputies with the city paying 85 percent of the cost while the Sheriff’s Office picks up the remaining 15 percent. Since that time community members, and Brajcich have voiced concerns for the need to strengthen local law enforcement. Repeated school security issues earlier this year heightened those concerns for additional policing. Read more about the school security issues in a series of stories at thechiefnews. com. Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman adjusted his proposed 2020-2021 city operating budget to reflect the additional cost of adding a third deputy that would be full time in the city. Hinkelman said adding the 100% funded deputy is a continued effort to provide more law enforcement in the City. “Our goal has always been to provide as much law enforcement as possible with the resources we have,” he said. “Having deputies on duty, able to respond in a timely manner to a variety of calls has been a community concern and this additional deputy will help us strive to that aspiration.” Deputy’s assignments Hinkelman said the specific assignments of the new deputy were still in discussion.
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fighter will be assigned to a crew. Each crew will be assigned a different task during each evolution. Some of the tasks which will be assigned are fire attack, backup hoseline, rapid intervention crew, and water supply. An incident command system will be put in place to support and coordinate operations. This will also be a multi-jurisdictional exercise. Mist Birkenfeld RFPD is participating by sending a crew to participate in the live fire training. Columbia River Fire & Rescue will be assisting by providing ambulance coverage for the Clatskanie Fire District so all the employees of the Clatskanie Fire District have a chance to participate. Additional agencies in the region have also been invited however have conflicts which preclude their participation. The Chief: These live exercises often come with some level of challenges and even danger. What are those challenges, the danger, and as the District training officer, what do
you emphasize to the crews going into these extensive training sessions? Wiggins: Firefighting is an inherently dangerous business and training evolutions are no exception. We do however take steps to reduce that risk. As the Instructor-in-Charge of this evolution, I have used NFPA 1403: Standard for Live Fire Training Evolutions to plan this exercise. This standard provides guidance on personnel requirements, equipment requirements, even going as far as calculating the minimum gallons of water required to be available. Risk is further diminished through the use of redundant systems. Fire streams will be supported from multiple fire pumps. The primary water supply for this exercise will be a pond located on the property with multiple water tenders on site as a secondary water supply. Exterior and interior safety officers are also assigned to monitor for any issues. The command emphasis for live fire training evolutions such as this is
always the safety of participants. As in all operations, every firefighter is encouraged to inform their supervisor of concerns. Prior to starting any of the evolutions each firefighter will enter the building to familiarize themselves with the layout and alternative exits they could use. Additional considerations have been made for this training evolution in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled for March, we postponed until the Governor started lifting the stay at home orders. Firefighters will be practicing good social distancing practices when not wearing their respirators. Briefings will be held in the apparatus bay instead of the classroom to promote distancing and crews will enter the building in small groups for their prefire walkthrough. The Chief: How and why was this site on Beaver Falls Road selected
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Pumped for retirement CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Howard Hummer, an 87-year-old gas attendant who has been working at the Chevron in Rainier for 29 years greeted Jo Tuom, a regular customer for at least two-thirds of that time. Tuom lives in Longview, Washington but said she often gets her gas at the Chevron, 312 W. B Street in Rainier. After pulling up to the pump on Wednesday afternoon, May 27, Tuom and Hummer have a brief chat. This occurrence is usual for Hummer, but it won’t last for very long. Hummer was preparing to to retire on Friday, May 29. Tuom said she would miss Hummer.. “We come over here to get gas because he’s such a sweetie,” Tuom said. She said the two talk about anything and everything while her car is filled for a few minutes. “It’s just ‘how’s it going’ and ‘how’s your day,’” Tuom said. “And besides that, he always laughs at my rude jokes.” Hummer’s leaving is such an occasion that the Chevron had his name and retirement date on a marquee in front of the station. “Congrats Howard Hummer on your upcoming retirement,” the sign reads. “Last day May 29.” “He’s loyal, he’s dependable, he’s honest,” Rainier Chevron Gas Station manager Nancy Grogan said. “He’s just meant so much to the community, the customers that have been coming in for years and years. They look forward to seeing him.” Hummer is a soft-spoken man who doesn’t like to talk a lot about himself. He said not much has changed in the 29 years since he’s worked at the station, and that he enjoys working with his co-workers and chatting with the people who come to get gas in their automobiles. Hummer has spent a long time in the workforce. Before coming to Chevron, Hummer worked at Inter-
Christine Menges / The Chief
Howard Hummer pumps gas for long-time customer Jo Tuom. Hummer planned to retire on May 29 after working at the Rainier Chevron for 29 years.
national Paper, a paper mill that was situated across the river, in Washington. Before working at the mill, Hummer served in the Marines for three years, stationed in San Diego. He was born in Garden City, Kansas in 1933. Hummer has a few siblings still surviving, sprinkled around the country. One in California, one in Nevada, and one in Oregon. However, he said he and his siblings are not very good at keeping up with each other. He and his wife have seven children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren who occasionally visit the couple. Hummer said the primary reason behind his living as gas attendant at the Chevron station, is that his wife said he should retire. “She told me it was time to give it up,” Hummer said. Hummer and his wife live a few
blocks away from the gas station, although Hummer said he drives to work each workday. Hummer’s wife is retired as a former nursing home employee. Hummer worked at the station 32 hours a week for four days a week. This past Wednesday was unusual for Hummer, who said he usually works Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. As far as what comes next for Hummer, he said he doesn’t know yet what he’s going to do as he retires. But whatever Hummer does do next, it is clear his regulars are going to miss him. Before leaving the gas station, Tuom handed Hummer some cash telling him to by himself a lunch. When Hummer said he had already gotten lunch, Tuom insisted he keep the cash as a tip and buy himself something nice.