Champs…

The champs!

The Fire Department’s Ron Garner says we have some champs on the island:

On June 27, 2009 the Firewise Precision Drill Team World Championships were held in Friday Harbor, WA. A group of San Juan Island Firewise residents and Fire Department members joined together to create a team to enter the competition. In the only other competition three years ago, a Colorado team was the only entry and declared themselves World Champions. The local team took on the challenge by forming the San Juan Island Firewise Precision (easy on the precision) Drill (not much on the drill) Team.

After hours of discussion and planning (well at least 15 minutes) the team started their extensive days of practices (two half hour days to be exact). They became extremely skilled considering that only half the team showed up for each of those extensive drills. You can’t find a more devoted bunch in the nation.

Oh, that brings up the fact that the other entries were very limited. At the time of the judging, no other teams could be located so the San Juan team was declared the World Champions and presented with the first place plaque.

The Team thanks two local citizens for their financial support. They are a fellow Firewise Community member who donated donuts (you can’t have a team without donuts) plus those strikingly colorful green Firewise uniforms and Dave at the Trophy Shop for the plaque. The Team hopes that some of the folks that enjoyed their performance will consider joining the Firewise Communities protecting themselves from wildfire. For more information call Ron Garner, Firewise Coordinator, at 378-7722.

Fire Marshal Low (right) presenting Chief Marler with World Champion plaque

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