The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

Questions for Cathlamet Fire Department/Emergency Medical Service managers and staff

The citizens of Cathlamet and Wahkiakum County are and will always be indebted to its volunteer Fire Department (FD) and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) members. They have our continued thanks. However, some serious questions need to be asked of FD/EMS managers and their immediate staff.

1. Should City Council members and citizens be insulted by being giving a 1932 document by FD/EMS managers as justification for their managing these entities? The WA State Auditor’s Office informed the EMS/FD managers in 2005 that the accounting of these entities is a municipal responsibility.

2. Two individuals of the FD are alleged to have inappropriately used credit cards. Is it appropriate for the current FD/EMS managers who are lawyers, one being the District Court Judge, to investigate these allegations and possibly compromise evidence before reporting these incidents to the police?

3. The out-going bookkeeper of the EMS expenditures acknowledges to having received $6,000/year for the last 7-years:

a) Where/when was any internal auditing done to prevent these possible inappropriate uses of credit cards?

b) Since the EMS managers saw fit to avoid WA State Auditors directives to transfer these accounting responsibilities to the City, should all or part of these monies be returned to the City?

4. Is there some joint responsibility between County Commissioners and City Council members to address these issues as the FD/EMS serves most citizens of the county?

5. Would it be possible to have the two managers of our FD/EMS provide public comment to the Editors of the Eagle and The Daily News as frequently requested?

I have more questions.

Dennis T. Gordon

Puget Island