As we enter the holiday season, all of us at Clallam County Fire District 3 want to extend our sincere gratitude to the people of Sequim and Clallam County. This community has always stood behind its fire district, and your support for the 2025 Operations and Maintenance Levy is a clear reminder that we serve alongside you. Your trust strengthens every part of our mission, and during this season of reflection, we want to thank you for the confidence you continue to place in us.
Your support has also enabled the district to modernize a critical part of our fleet. Thanks to voter approval and ongoing community partnerships, we are welcoming two new replacement fire engines that will go into service this month. These engines replace the aging Spartan units placed into service in 2008 and were purpose-built to meet the topography, weather conditions, and operational needs unique to the district.
A third new engine is expected to arrive in January. These units will enhance our emergency response capabilities for years to come, serving all areas of your fire district. Our community demonstrated commitment and understanding of the necessity of funding emergency response equipment that safeguards people and their belongings.
The organization will implement several personnel changes during the upcoming year to achieve proper shift leadership and maintain equal personnel distribution. Two members from C-shift will join A-shift in 2026. While these changes support district-wide readiness, they also mean saying heartfelt thanks to two outstanding firefighter/paramedics, Jeremy Church and Bryant Kroh, for their dedicated service on C-shift.
Both have been anchors on the shift. They provided comprehensive training on your newly delivered fire engines to ensure safe, competent district-wide operation, and they played a central role in shaping our probationary firefighters’ progress in EMS and fire district, knowledge, skills, and abilities training.
Their contributions have strengthened our agency in measurable ways, and they will be difficult to replace. We are grateful for all they have given to C-shift and look forward to their continued impact on A-shift and the district as a whole.
I also want to extend a thank-you to firefighter Tyler Campbell, who volunteered to move to B-shift to help balance our staffing. Decisions like this are quiet, humble, and rooted in the “see a problem, fix a problem” mentality. His willingness to adjust for the good of the whole reflects our mission: to protect lives, property, and the environment through professional emergency response, fire prevention, and community risk reduction.
During this season, we hope everyone has an opportunity to slow down, enjoy time with loved ones, and take care of one another. As always, we encourage our community to stay aware of seasonal hazards common across the Olympic Peninsula, including winter driving conditions, power outages, and increased use of heating sources during cold spells. A few moments of preparation can help ensure a safe and peaceful holiday season for all.
Thank you again for your trust, your partnership, and your continued support. On behalf of all of us at Clallam County Fire District 3, we wish you a safe, healthy, and joyful holiday season.
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Elliott C. Jones is battalion chief for C-shift.
