Dear Taxpayers of Spokane County Fire District 8,

A Spokane County Fire District 8 Paramedic/Firefighter, who continues to serve your community through the pandemic, was granted a religious exemption that complies with the new vaccine mandate.

Now, he is being terminated, effective Oct. 29, 2021, because the Fire District is unwilling to provide him with accommodations that will allow him to continue serving the community.

This Paramedic/Firefighter has worked for SCFD8 the past 5 1/2 years as a dedicated employee serving your community. He has never faced disciplinary actions, is highly respected by his coworkers, maintains a positive attitude, and is always willing to go above and beyond for the fire department and the community he serves.

SCFD8 is currently functioning with 14 Paramedics. With three shifts, they need at least 4 paramedics at every station, with the minimum paramedics to be 12 total, to satisfy life-saving measures to the community. This individual not only provides the Advanced Life Saving (ALS) measures to the community, but also is cross-trained as a firefighter. The majority of the fire department is trained to the basic medical level, while a paramedic serves both roles and provides ALS to the community.

Terminating this Paramedic will leave only 13 Paramedics. With only one extra Paramedic being able to cover their coworkers who are out sick, on vacation, or on a scheduled day off, this will create an additional staffing issue within the district, and replacing this position is a process that could take years.

SCFD8 has not had the full complement of Paramedics needed to properly support and care for the community since 2016. Since then, the district has tried -- on 3 different occasions -- to hire Paramedics. The last Paramedic hired to serve your community was in April 2018!

With a decrease of paramedics statewide, and competing with local agencies, SCFD8 has not been able to hire the appropriate number of Paramedics to properly serve your community. Now they plan on terminating this very needed essential employee who provides life-saving care to those of you in this community.

SCFD8 has been able to accommodate other employees in the past, and they are able to accommodate this Paramedic in a safe manner at work, and to the community members.

We are asking for your help. Please sign this petition and then email the SCFD8 Fire Commissioners and Fire Chiefs (see email addresses below), in a respectful manner, and share your concerns. The loss of this one paramedic will negatively affect your community in a drastic way.

Andrew Rorie - arorie@scfd8.org
Lee Boling - lboling@scfd8.org
Gregory Hesse - ghesse@scfd8.org

Fire Chief Lonnie Rash - lrash@scfd8.org
Assist. Fire Chief Chris Wyrobek - cwyrobek@scfd8.org