Title

Clark County Fire & Rescue: Partnership Proposal

Author

Samuel Gillenwater, Concordia University - Portland

Date of Award

Spring 4-1-2018

Document Type

Practicum

College

School of Management

Department

Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Degree Name

Homeland Security, BS

Abstract

(HLS) has evolved to combat our nations threats. Emergency preparedness is one area that must remain in a continuous state of increasing improvement. Federal entities, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have developed hundreds of plans, policies, and procedures to mitigate a wide range of emergency situations from natural disasters to terrorism. This paper will address the collective approach our federal agencies want to see at the local level, and more specifically how first responders can combine efforts to deliver a more effective service. First Responders are the foundation to our nations stability and mitigating elements.

Clark County Fire & Rescue (CCF&R) is a combination fire department in Clark County, Washington. They cover over 155 square miles, including the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, and Woodland, serving a population of approximately 40,000. CCF&R is staffed with full-time, part-time, resident, and volunteer firefighters, all who are trained to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 standard (Nohr, 2018). A significant portion of its district is residential, business, industrial, marine, and railroad responsibilities. They protect several areas of critical infrastructure including the main west coast rail line, several electrical substations, multiple government buildings, two-primary high pressure natural gas transmission lines that run from the Canadian border to the Midwest, nearly a fourteen-mile stretch of Interstate 5, and the main freeway from Mexico to the Canadian border. Clark County Fire and Rescue respond to approximately 3,600 fire and medical calls each year and are governed by a five-member board of elected Fire Commissioners (Nohr, 2018). This department’s mission involves operations that closely resemble elements of homeland security as their day to day function includes preparing, responding, mitigating, and recovering from various emergency situations.

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