3 run for CCFR fire district board seat

Richard Britschgi

Age: 57.

Occupation: Operations manager at an auto manufacturer.

Notable endorsements: International Association of Firefighters local chapter No. 3674.

David Town

Age: 59.

Occupation: International union representative.

Notable endorsements: International Union of Painters and Allied Trades local chapter No. 10.

W. “Frank” Manza

Age: 46.

Occupation: Captain at Vancouver Fire Department.

Notable endorsements: Firefighters with Clark County Fire & Rescue.

Three candidates are vying for Position 1 on the Clark County Fire & Rescue Board of Commissioners. The board, which meets twice a month, runs the fire protection district that serves more than 120 square miles in Ridgefield, La Center, Battle Ground and Woodland. Commissioners earn $114 for every meeting they attend, including additional committees, up to $10,944 annually during their six-year term.

• Richard Britschgi holds the seat now; he was appointed in 2010 and elected in 2011. Previously, the La Center resident served as treasurer of the Washington State Firefighters Association Board of Trustees, vice president and president of the Clark County Firefighters Association, and, for 10 years, a volunteer firefighter with the fire district. He has received several community service awards.

Although the district has lost more than $5.5 million in revenue since 2009, the board “managed to keep the district afloat,” he said. A contract with Woodland saved taxpayers money, and the district added five firefighters. Last week, the board voted not to pursue an EMS levy that would have increased property taxes.

Britschgi wants to consolidate services by integrating Woodland and Battle Ground into the fire district, as La Center and Ridgefield were brought in in recent years.

• David Town was a Fire District 12 commissioner from 1986 through 2000; around that time, he was also a volunteer firefighter. Town has more than 20 years of experience as a union representative.

“In general, the district is running OK,” Town said.

He looks to restore public education programs that were lost or reduced in budget cuts. A former health care trustee, Town says, “Preventative medicine is the best medicine there is.”

After talking with fire district residents, he said, he was surprised at how disgruntled and unhappy they are with the way the district is run, but also inspired to serve the community. He wants to repair that trust and offer quality fire and medical service.

• W. “Frank” Manza is a career fire captain with 27 years’ experience at the Vancouver Fire Department. He served as a commissioner for Fire District 12 and Fire District 14 from 2000 to 2006. During this time, he helped bring paramedic service to the area.

Manza describes himself as a fiscal conservative, and wants to work with legislators to find sources of revenue that don’t increase property taxes.

“I know there are other ways of doing it that haven’t been explored,” he said. Some of the cigarette tax, for example, could go toward fire departments, which have to respond to fires started by improperly discarded cigarettes.

Manza is concerned about the district’s current staffing. The rule of thumb is to put 14 firefighters on a working fire, but the agency has nine to 12 firefighters covering the area at a time, he said.

He wants to strengthen collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Police and firefighters use the same resources for certain calls — bombs and hazardous-material situations, for instance — and require some similar training. They could share expertise and resources, hold joint trainings and improve communication.

None of the candidates has raised any money so far, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.