Local emergency response volunteers will sport less gray hair if a recruitment drive by Skagit County Fire District 13 and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is successful.

An effort by the tribe and fire district to grow the ranks of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) was announced by Capt. Ted Taylor during the monthly District 13 hybrid meeting Friday morning, March 11.

Swinomish Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Geer is leading the effort.

“Brian is way out in front on this in terms of bringing more people, young people, into CERT,” Taylor said. “He is recruiting at Swinomish and the high school.”

CERT is comprised of volunteers who train in basic disaster response skills so they are able to supplement emergency responders during a major disaster such as an earthquake, tsunami or fast-spreading wildland fire.

Fire District 13 has a CERT trailer stocked with supplies and gear secured by the Swinomish Police Department at its office. The district holds regular drills and training to prepare for natural disaster responses, most notably participation in each October’s annual Great Shake Out, a day of community earthquake preparedness.

Taylor said Geer wants a joint oil spill training session at one of the local marinas to include the La Conner fire department.

“That would be a good opportunity to work with our neighbors,” said Fire District 13 Chief Wood Weiss.

At the March 8 town council meeting, La Conner Hook & Ladder Capt. Adam Avery said a fire boat is a reliable and essential tool when fighting a vessel fire.

Fires on land are also much on the district’s radar. Assistant chief Jamie Jurdi pointed out that wildland fire training is a spring priority.

In other District 13 business, Weiss predicted the fire district would receive more service calls from the Swinomish Casino with the lifting of the statewide indoor mask mandate.

Weiss said there were 87 positive cases of COVID-19 reported on Swinomish Reservation in February and 338 countywide.

“Those numbers,” he said, “are down from the previous month. We hope the numbers keep dropping.”

Commissioners voted to change their monthly meeting day and time to second Thursdays at 9 a.m. starting in May.