Among 30 new graduates of the Washington State Patrol Fire Training Academy, eight have joined the Redmond Fire Department.
The Redmond Reporter met Scott Carlson, David Cobb, Daniel Ford, Joshua Frei, Thomas Norton, Juan Sandoval, David Watson and Timothy Wilson during a lunch break at the Regional Fire Training Department in Woodinville.
Training at the state academy was focused entirely on firefighting. This phase of training was devoted to EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certification, explained firefighter/paramedic Mark Donnell of Redmond Medic One.
To make the new recruits “battle-ready,” they will now complete 110-120 hours of EMT instruction plus “ride time” with seasoned EMTs for a total of about 160 hours. Seventy to 80 percent of Redmond Fire’s calls are for emergency medical services.
The new Redmond firefighters are a diverse group but collectively, “a pretty motivated bunch,” said Donnell.
“We look for people with some worldly experience. Firefighting has become a very competitive field, with an associate’s degree being the minimum expectation and many candidates with four-year degrees,” he said. “The rookie year, they always come in ready to stay late, do the bulk of the housekeeping … and it takes a couple of years to be 100 percent competent, but new guys will always be paired with more experienced.”
All Redmond Fire personnel, whether new or established, are held to high standards of customer service.
“We are required to do more and more with the dollar getting tighter and tighter,” Donnell noted. “We tell the public, ‘This is YOUR fire department. You own this equipment.'”
When not out on calls, the firefighters are encouraged to attend community events and to welcome school or Scout groups to their stations. In return, the recruits said the way they’ve already been treated by their colleagues in Redmond Fire is unparalleled.
“We already belong,” they emphatically agreed: “The better you work as a family, the better it is for the community.”
The new Redmond firefighters are eager to make your acquaintance. Here’s a brief introduction.
• Scott Carlson: Age 31, formerly of Vancouver, Wash., just moved to Redmond. His father was in the military and “I always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” he said. Did some volunteer work as a firefighter before going to the academy. Described himself as “a practical joker,” who loves cooking Mexican food, sports and family.
• David Cobb: Age 39, Snohomish resident. Formerly repaired pleasure boats and learned about EMT duties as a scuba rescue diver. Enjoys motorcycle riding, hiking, pheasant-hunting and spending time with his wife and four kids (ages 7, 4 and 10-month-old twins).
• Daniel Ford: Age 43, lives in Leavenworth. (Note: Firefighters work two 24-hour shifts and have four days off; therefore, commuting from Eastern Washington is do-able.) A former whitewater rafting guide, his brother and many of his rafting employees are/were firefighters.
• Joshua Frei: Age 23, lives in Redmond, graduated from Juanita High School. Had NEVAC training in firefighting and served four years in the Navy. An avid outdoorsman, he likes backpacking, wakeboarding and longboarding on the Sammamish River Trail.
• Thomas Norton: Age 23, Woodinville resident. Went to Cedar Park Christian School and Trinity Western University. Wanted to be “part of a team whose primary goal is to touch lives in the community.” Son of Deputy Fire Chief Tom Norton, engaged to be married. Loves “to cut grass in the summer while listening to music.”
• Juan Sandoval: Age 32, hometown is Austin, Tex. but now lives in Gig Harbor. Served in the Army eight-and-a-half years. Enjoys Parkour, gymnastics, hiking and biking and has done some YMCA coaching.
• David Watson: Age 29, Tacoma resident. Interests have included commercial photography and physics. His father was a firefighter/paramedic and his mom a nurse, so he started volunteering in high school. Likes camping, fishing and cooking.
• Timothy Wilson: Age 36, grew up in Bellevue, now a Burlington resident. Had a family business, a coffee shop, where he met lots of firefighters and started volunteering. “Belonging to a brotherhood, working on a team of highly trained professionals” motivated him. Enjoys the outdoors, camping with his family, cycling and running.
