Fire District 2 serves the people of Whidbey Island from Deception Pass to Penn Cove in all the area outside the Oak Harbor city limits. Presently Fire District 2 (North Whidbey Fire and Rescue) is seeking the continued support of the public in financing its ongoing operations with a levy lid lift (an adjustment up to the community’s current assessed tax value) in order to continue with its mission of protecting the public needs.

That mission includes of course saving your property from being consumed by fires but also so much more that you may not have considered. One of their prime duties is putting themselves in harm’s way to save your and your loved ones’ lives in case of fire but also in highway crashes, extrication from the wreckage, life support as EMTs, working hand-in-glove with the Island’s EMS system in joint staffing of the ambulance services, providing basic medical care including resuscitation and defibrillation of cardiac arrests, search and rescue operations, cliff and water rescue, disaster response for natural threats from storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, power outages, epidemics, mass casualties, hazardous materials, and even terrorist threats.

For more than 25 years, I have observed their dedication to this mission in my role as Whidbey General Hospital’s EMS medical director, hospital commissioner and grateful citizen. Be thankful they are there for us. They are worthy of our continued support.

Paul A. Zaveruha, MD

Coupeville