To the editor:

Your last article in the Record regarding the fire commissioner race says it all, Mr. Gabelein has the experience and skills to recognize when things aren’t right as is such within the fire district. He listens to the all the members of the fire district, volunteers, paid staff as well as the general public and has the courage to speak up and make those voices heard which is not popular with the administrative staff and commission members of this district.

Yes he is critical of the way the district is being run and how “our tax dollars” are being spent. Mr. Helland, on the other hand, has settled into complacency and he certainly doesn’t listen to the volunteers (which he doesn’t consider taxpayers).

Furthermore, he doesn’t acknowledge that there is a morale issue going on because he only listens to a fire chief who doesn’t live here (only rents), doesn’t pay taxes here or vote here and if anyone ever looked at his history would question why he was hired in the first place and then kept extending his contract.

Mr. Helland’s statement that “if there’s a morale issue, it was there before I came onboard” is further proof that he is out of touch and that he has had 12 years to recognize it and do something about if only to listen the those volunteers. His next statement, “Ask the volunteers. They have the best gear, responses are good, the rigs are new, the buildings are new. I don’t know what more we can do to support them.”

How about listening? The volunteers have been trying to give the commissioners a loud and clear message, but they’re not listening. The best gear isn’t going to do anybody any good if you don’t have the “trained experienced personnel” to use it. The responses are good, I’d like to know how he figures that since the district terminated the paid firefighters that responded during the day when most volunteers are away at work or unavailable and now that program is operating at less than 50 percent manning because the volunteers are leaving thus creating longer response times.

The new fancy buildings do nothing to put out a fire or save a life, they only cost the taxpayer more money to build and operate and the Langley station is a clear example of that at $1.5 million dollars for a garage with only one bathroom, no cooking or eating facilities and no sleeping quarters.

Mr. Helland, the commissioners and the fire chief are not people oriented, you could have the finest product, widget or service but if you don’t have the best people you have nothing and this district is chasing them away. That’s why the district is now getting federal “tax dollars” to recruit and retain volunteers, (a problem we have never had before); just ask the volunteers.

Mr. Helland in his closing statement at the forum held by the League of Women Voters presented stated that he feels he’s doing a fair job as he has does not hear any comments from the public. That is probably because the commission meeting are held the second Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. when a vast majority of the people can not attend the meeting, so I’ll urge the readers and taxpayers of Island county to call the fire district and have the meeting changed to 7 p.m. so they can attend and be heard. There was a reason why so many people were running for the position of fire commissioner and I fully support Mr. Gabelein.

Don A. Carscadden

Freeland