Tag Archives: Home insurance

Disaster

Cortes Fire Department Achieves Superior Tanker Shuttle Service accreditation

Leave a comment

The Cortes Island Fire Department successfully passed the tests needed for Superior Tanker Shuttle Service accreditation. Some Cortes Island residents in Whaletown and the south of the island will probably see their home insurance bills reduced by hundreds of dollars. Where and how much is up to the individual insurance companies, and it will be months before we see the final numbers. Some parts of the island like Squirrel Cove, Mary Point and the Olmstead Road area will not see any change, at least not yet. While monetary savings is an important topic, achieving Superior Tanker Shuttle Service (STSS) accreditation is also a significant milestone in the Cortes Island Fire Department’s development. Fire Chief Eli McKenty was on the ferry when Cortes Currents caught up with him for further details.

Continue reading Cortes Fire Department Achieves Superior Tanker Shuttle Service accreditation →
Fire

Wildfire Risk on Cortes: interview with Fire Chief Eli McKenty

(A series of 4 broadcasts, last published July 23)

A couple of weeks ago, Cortes Currents ran a story about an emergency preparedness workshop offered on Cortes Island by SRD staffer Sarah Rosen. In the course of that workshop, volunteer firefighter Mike Brown and Fire Chief Eli McKenty made some comments about wildfire risk on the island, which they saw as the biggest potential emergency islanders face.

In early July, I conducted an in-depth interview with Eli, in which we discussed wildfire risk in greater detail. I had a lot of questions: Why and how has this risk intensified over the last twenty years? How is our fire department responding to the growing hazard? What can Cortes Islanders do to protect themselves and their homes?

Continue reading Wildfire Risk on Cortes: interview with Fire Chief Eli McKenty →