News - Local News

POSTED: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

North Whatcom's Fields honored as fire chief of the year

Tom Fields was hired as the chief of North Whatcom Fire and Rescue in April 2005 and took over a dysfunctional organization, an assistant chief wrote in a letter to the Washington Fire Chiefs' Association.

The agency was in the process of merging Fire District Nos. 3 and 13, which cover Birch Bay, Blaine and the surrounding area. Poor performance and financial management also plagued the agency, Assistant Chief Henry Hollander wrote.

Fields, 64, was instrumental in uniting the two districts, implementing better accounting practices and hiring new staff to reduce response times, Hollander wrote.

Recognition and validation for Fields' efforts came late last month, as he was given the "2009 Fire Chief Dan Packer Fire Chief of the Year" award at the association's annual conference in Spokane.

"It's probably the highlight of my career," Fields said. "I have an incredible staff. My name's on the brass, but (the award) really belongs to everyone here who's got North Whatcom to what it is today."

Fields said he was the first recipient of the award since it was named to honor Dan Packer, a Pierce County fire chief killed while fighting wildfires in California in July 2008.

Fields accepted the award to a standing ovation from his fellow fire chiefs and met with Packer's wife, which made the moment an emotional one, Fields said.

"It brought a tear to my eye," Fields said. "What an incredible honor."

Hollander wrote the letter to nominate Fields with the backing of the fire agency's staff, Fields said.

Hollander cited one aid call from 2007 as evidence of the change in attitude Fields' leadership brought.

An elderly man suffered a heart attack while pouring concrete steps in his yard, Hollander wrote.

Not only did North Whatcom medics restart the man's heart and transport him to St. Joseph Hospital, they also finished pouring the concrete, cleaned up and put away his tools before returning to their station, Hollander wrote.

"Building North Whatcom to where it is today has been a huge effort," Fields said. "The strength of this organization is not in its engines, or its ambulances - it's in the people."

ABOUT NORTH WHATCOM FIRE AND RESCUE

Annual budget: $5.3 million.

Calls for service in 2008: 2,361.

Fire stations: 10.

Vehicles: 48.

Coverage area: Blaine, Birch Bay and areas surrounding Lynden.

Full time firefighters: 37.

Volunteer firefighters: 51-52.

SOURCE: Fire chief Tom Fields