SEQUIM — Clallam County Fire District 3 is moving forward with hiring its first community paramedic.
Fire commissioners agreed on July 9 to a memorandum of understanding with firefighters union IAFF Local 2933 to create the position and hire someone for a minimum two years at 40 hours a week.
They’ll also receive a district vehicle to respond to incidents from home.
Commissioners approved the contract after an executive session at their board meeting.
Fire chief Justin Grider said in an interview the district will open the position to current staff and possibly hire someone within the next month.
Jeff Nicholas, the chair of the fire district’s board, said in an interview the district is on track to respond to a record number of 9-1-1 calls this year.
“A lot of those calls are repeat callers with repeat problems, like a fall or they’re not taking medications, and a community paramedic will help with those recurring problems,” he said.
Help could include connecting patients with local organizations for transportation, medication, mental health and other services.
“This prevents things that could become an emergency,” Nicholas said.
District board documents state the position will help non-emergent calls be efficiently addressed, enabling emergency responders to focus on emergencies.
“This role helps optimize resources, provides citizens with guidance for navigating the medical system, and reduces unnecessary 9-1-1 calls, ultimately enhancing emergency response times, and educating the community,” the documents state.
Fire district officials previously reported about 21 percent of calls in a year are less dangerous.
As of June 30, district staff report the district has received 349 more 9-1-1 calls than through this time last year, up about 8.5 percent (from 4,092 calls to 4,441).
“We definitely have a need for someone to be out there to help take the load off the 9-1-1 system, especially when it’s something that could be handled by a single medic,” Grider said.
The community paramedic position will shift from the district’s low acuity unit of one staffer formerly held by now-retired firefighter/EMT Scott Dickson.
District officials have said the role would be similar to the Port Angeles Fire Department’s Community Paramedicine program that started in 2019.
Grider said Port Angeles has a different demographic than Sequim, and he said there are a lot of unknowns to discover with the new role.
“Truly, we’re going into uncharted waters here,” Grider said. “We have an idea of what we could be serving, but that could change rapidly.
“We’re positioning ourselves to adapt to changes for what the position could be.”
He said he feels the position will help skilled nursing facilities, doctors’ offices and more.
“We’ll be monitoring the program to see how it grows,” Grider said. “It’s for individuals using 9-1-1 in excess, and hopefully we can put them on a path to healing.”
Nicholas said districts with similar programs report it’s helped eliminate a lot of 9-1-1 calls.
Clallam County Fire District 3 operates with 50 firefighters, including the community paramedic position.
Work schedule
Fire commissioners also unanimously agreed on July 10 to continue a 48- and 96-hour shift schedule for firefighters. They’ll continue to work two consecutive 24-hour shifts (48 hours total) and have four days (96 consecutive hours) off duty through the new contract agreement of Sept. 30, 2025.
The schedule initially was approved on a trial basis in September 2023 after IAFF Local 2933 leaders sought to promote a better work/life balance and help staff be well-rested.
Nicholas said he’s on board with the schedule because staff likes it and are having fewer fatigue issues.
For more information about Clallam County Fire District 3, visit ccfd3.org.
________
Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.
