Pacific City
SUN
Local schools to debut distance learning programs.................................6 County, YMCA coordinating a COVID-19 donation effort............... 8 Food pantries respond to growing needs
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Oregon closes hunting, fishing to non-residents......................................9
Vol. 14, No. 340 • April 10, 2020 • FREE!
Flying the Colors Fire District is raising flags on Beachy Bridge every Friday in effort to lift community spirit
Photo by Tim Hirsch
Sheriff’s Office maintains service levels despite COVID-19 concerns
Despite the challenges created by health concerns around the COVID-19 coronavirus as well as the state-mandated restrictions, Tillamook County Sheriff Jim Horton said providing quality protection for the residents of the county continues to be a high priority. Though the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office is closed to the public, patrols and law enforcement efforts continue — albeit with a slightly different mode of operation for non-emergency calls. The TCSO did spend two weeks during which it increased its patrol hours to 24 hours, but Horton told the Sun that effective April 6, patrol would return to its normal operating hours. He added that the decision to return to the normal schedule was based on a high level of community compliance towards COVID-19 restrictions. Another change within the TCSO is its jail operation. As of April 6, the number of prisoners jailed at the facility had been reduced to approximately 30 — down from an average of 70. “We identified inmates who (present) a lower safety threat,” Horton said. “We didn’t send any major public safety threat out to the public. We identified lower risk inmates and are taking measures to continue to track those that have been released.” Officers are handling calls in a slightly different way as well. “In the past, it’s been our expectation that deputies answer calls in person, but that has sometimes not been possible (even) in normal circumstances,” Horton said. “In light (of the COVID-19 restrictions and health concerns), we’re encouraging our deputies to handle as much business as possible by telephone. However, that doesn’t change how we respond to emergencies.”
Nestucca Fire eyes online training due to COVID-19 restrictions By TIM HIRSCH of the Sun
Photo by Tim Hirsch
NESTUCCA FIRE CHIEF JAMES OEDER is looking into training alternatives as COVID-19 restrictions mean no Monday drill nights.
Life in a world with COVID-19 restrictions and caution is different for all and that includes emergency responders at the Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District. NRFPD Chief James Oeder said the key change the district has made is in their initial approach when out on a call. “We’re taking some precautions, but we’re not stopping providing care,” he said. “We’re sending full crews — it’s just (different in terms of) how we approach the initial contact.” He said just how they respond is dictated by information they get from dispatchers.
“If someone is having breathing difficulty, has a fever, then we’re only going to have one person go up (on initial contact),” he explained. “They’ll take precautions with masks and gloves, do a brief interview with someone outside and then make a decision on how to handle the rest of the call.” Oeder said that the district remains somewhat busy, but calls have decreased from about four or five a day to two or three a day since COVID-19 restrictions have been put in place. The other area where firefighters and EMS providers are being affected is training. While the district does offer training to its shift staff, other firefighters and EMTs normally train on Monday nights.
we will see you soon!
We believe the right thing to do is to close all Pelican Brewing locations to help control the spread of COVID-19 and protect our employees, our community, and the greater good. If everyone does their part, this will more likely be short-lived and that is the reason we’ve made this decision—we want to be part of the solution.
“We’re trying to come up with new ideas on how to keep our people proficient — and safe,” Oeder told the Sun. He added that the good news is that the state has given extensions for recertifying responders for both EMS and firefighting. “If (the restrictions go a month) without us being able to drill, we will implement (an alternative),” Oeder said. “There’s a lot of online training that we can put out to our members. It’s not as good as having everybody here — especially the fire side working with equipment and engines — but it’s something that we can document that can still help keep their knowledge up.”
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