It was a busy day — two fires and a life-threatening medical call on Black Mountain, all back to back and overlapping.

I want to thank my volunteers at Powder River Rural Fire and EMS, Mike Bogart, Mike Downing, Gary Applegate and Jan Boles.

I also want to thank Chief Kurt Clarke and the Sumpter Volunteer Fire Department, and Greater Bowen Valley Fire, our mutual aid to each other is invaluable!

I can’t say enough about Buzz Harper, Keating Rural Fire chief, he is always there! Thank you again, Buzz.

Baker County Sheriff’s Office, SAR Ryan Downing. Sheriff Ash you have the best dispatchers in the world, thank you Dawson Vanderwiele, and all the crew at dispatch — we couldn’t do it without you!

Metro West Ambulance, you have become a valuable partner and honored to work with you!

And of course Life Flight, as always, you are there for us.

So please, citizens of Baker County, you need to realize what and who you rely on in your time of need. Without your support we cannot keep our departments running. Our budgets are, like yours, tight.

So please consider supporting your local first responders, as many times our only pay is a thank you, and knowing we did our jobs. … not expecting anything more, but that doesn’t guarantee we can keep the doors open to answer the call.

Please consider this when you are deciding on how you will support your dedicated responders!

Wes Morgan, Chief

Powder River Rural Fire and EMS

Sumpter