Meet Your Volunteer Firefighter

Here’s Sheila Harley again with this month’s edition of “Meet Your Volunteer Firefighter…”

Brien Sesby, FF2 W2 – Contributed photo

Brien is a 2nd generation firefighter for San Juan Island Fire Rescue. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Jim, who retired from the department this year. He is trained in structural and wildland firefighting and is also trained in rope rescue.

Brien started life on Shaw Island and when he was sixteen years old, his family moved to San Juan Island. He attended Spring Street International School and was a member of the 2nd graduating class. After that he went into the excavation business which he learned pretty much by trial and error. He earned his Washington State Excavation Contractor Insurance License and Bond very recently. Congratulations!

He has been a firefighter at Station 31 for about 10 years. Brien enjoys all aspects of fire fighting. He is partial to rope rescue, low and medium angle, and has been doing that for 6 years. The rescue truck that provides those services goes to every emergency call, so Brien is ready to use his skills whenever they are needed. Wildland fires are slower going as a rule, while structure fires are faster burning, but he loves each challenge equally. Brien likes that firefighters go into dangerous areas when everyone else is going in the opposite direction.

When asked what advice he would give to potential recruits, he says that each member of the community should volunteer for something and firefighting is a great way to do that. It teaches one life skills and safety. It also looks very good on a person’s resume.

Brien notes that although there is presently a recruit class in training, San Juan Island Fire Rescue is always looking for more volunteers. For instance, there are 2 stations that presently have no volunteers and one station that has only two volunteers.

San Juan Island Fire Rescue welcomes all interested men and women, ages 16 years of age and over to drop by the Mullis Street station and make an appointment to see what we are all about. We drill every Monday evening. Our phone number is 360-378-5334. Or, look at www.sjifire.org for more information.

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