When the district administration failed to produce a 2010 budget, our fire fighters met the task head on. They knew the chief’s $186,362 salary (before benefits) was putting our safety at risk and they provided the leadership needed to deal with reality and solve the problem.

At the November 17, 2009 commissioner’s meeting, the unions submitted a balanced budget geared to maintaining “a high level of service to the community.” It called for the removal of Chief LaVielle and the training secretary (Commissioner Alishokis’ wife) and working with District 2 to start “us on a path that will improve the level of service to both Districts.” The fire fighters didn’t stop there. In order to be sure that the people of North Highline continue to receive the quality protection we’ve been paying for, the unions included salary and benefit concessions for themselves. Their letter to North Highline’s Fire Commissioners and Chief LaVielle is included in the minutes of that meeting at http://northhighlinefd.org/11-17-2009.pdf

On occasion I’ve been able to attend a commissioners’ meeting at 8:00 in the morning on a work day. I always make a point of asking the commissioners to change the meeting time so the public can be involved in the process. My requests have been ignored.

A review of the minutes of the Commissioners’ Meetings will show that they spend hours in Executive Session. I wonder about all those executive sessions. Why do NH Fire Commissions spend so much time with their attorney behind closed doors?

It’s my belief that the board’s failure to recognize its responsibility to be open and transparent is a large part of the reason the commissioners got themselves (and us) in such a mess. Hopefully, the two newest board members will consider what they can do to make their decision-making process more open and transparent.

Again, thanks to North Highline’s Fire Fighters for finding a path out of the disaster that was waiting right around the corner. As for the education and experience of Chief Marrs, I’ve spoken with him a couple of times. He’s clearly a bright man who cares about the community. For that I am also grateful.

During the memorial if the 4 Lakewood Police officers, he fell asleep during the event in the Tacoma Dome. He was also witnessed putting a wad of chew in his mouth. Several police and fire people looked at him and just shook their heads. How much more disrespectful can one get? What an embarrassment.

“Chief” LaVielle is a legend in his own mind. He has done nothing but brown-nose the public for many years so they would be on his side. He is a worthless chief who has done nothing to improve NHFD. In fact, he has darn near flushed it down the toilet. Promoting him was the worst thing that has happened to us. All of his medals and titles mean squat. It’s about time he was forced out of our district. Don’t be snowed because it is thought he is willingly stepping down. A united union has basically forced him out.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

He has done nothing but add letters to the end of his name. He has made no positive changes to the fire district and leaves the district in a financial shamble that was made worse by the financial compensation he received. He will walk away from this mess with approximately $300,000 in a severance package that allows him to collect that money while not working a day in the next year. The district employees that are left are making monetary concessions in order to prevent the loss of firefighter jobs.

He had plenty of time to write a balanced budget but choose instead to add more letters to his name. Some hero.

I don’t care how many letters the next chief has behind his name as long as he is a better steward of the taxpayers money.

And if you’re going to compare chiefs and what they have or haven’t done, I suggest you compare both departments current financial and operation situation.

North Highline Fire has essentially NO reserve funding, and had to take DRASTIC steps at the eleventh hour to ensure the budget was balanced. AND, all of this was done by the two unions and NOT by the chief. THEY came up with the budget that ensured firefighters would not lose their jobs. LaVielle repeatedly stated for well over a year that “we’ll be fine,” “everything will be status quo.” The truth was he didn’t have a clue and had NO PLAN to mitigate the financial impacts resulting from reduced valuation in the fire district.

Burien Fire on the other hand, has MILLIONS in reserve funding, has better staffing (with 3-4 person engines, and always having an aid car in service), as well as planning for the replacement of their fire stations (via a successful bond measure they planned for), and have planned accordingly for the financial hit that all public entities sustained.

Burien’s Chief may not have all the fancy initials and letters after his name, but he apparently has been good stewards of the taxpayers money and has done so in a way that gets results AND ensures financial stability.

At the end of the day, it’s all about action and not words (or letter after your name).

Well, part of that is true…

It seems the Highline Times could’ve done a much more thourough article, and explained how the fire commissioners of the NHFD first gave former fire chief Russ Pritchard a HUGE bump in his salary just prior to retirement. Which by the way, helps to determine what his retirement will be. More money in your final years of employment = a much higher pension.

Oh and by the way, guess who was one of Russ Pritchards boss’ at North Highline Fire? None other than Ron Malaspino–who happened to be the manager of Water District 20 during that time. And guess who Mr. Malaspino’s boss was Water District 20 at the time? Well none other that Water District 20 commissioner Russ Pritchard! Just a little bit of quid pro quo?

And remember when Russ Pritchards outrageously high salary became an issue (as reported in the HT’s), Mr. Malaspino proclaimed that the next chief won’t get “nearly that much.” True. The next chief got WAY MORE!

The leaders and administrators of North Highline Fire have exhibited a horrendous ability to properly manage the peoples money, and should be ashamed of themselves. There’s probably even grounds for a recall if the issue was pushed.

Hopefully the departure of Scott LaVielle and the commissioners contracting with another agency will help to ensure no services are lost or decreased.