Editor,

My name is Savannah Erickson, and I am running for the South Whidbey Fire Commission Position 3.

I worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2007 to the beginning of 2021 serving communities across the nation in response to major disasters, and this experience has helped prepare me for the role.

Working as a communicator for FEMA, one of my primary tasks was to serve as an advocate for the public.

I honed my listening skills identifying what the public was thinking, feeling and doing during disaster responses, and informed my colleagues and partners about any gaps that FEMA’s programs could address and any subjects that the agency could communicate better.

As a fire commissioner, I will be able to support what’s being done well and identify opportunities for improvement, and to implement changes to directly benefit the good people of our South Whidbey Fire/EMS District — those who serve as volunteers and employees, and the public who are the beneficiaries of their services.

I first came to Washington state in 2009 with FEMA in response to flooding, and returned in 2014 in response to the Oso slide. My husband and I now enjoy living in Langley.

As your fire commissioner, I will apply my experience with FEMA to work with our fire chief to craft policy that benefits all of us living and working in our fire district.

I ask for your vote on election day in November.

Savannah Erickson

Langley