That’s life and death.”

Lt. Wicus McGuffey, volunteer coordinator, Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue

Port Ludlow Fire Commissioner Raelene Rossart was told to return her firefighter gear after she was abruptly removed last week from the ranks of the volunteer firefighters for Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue.

Rossart has been a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the Port Ludlow fire department since moving to the area in 2003. She became a fire commissioner in 2012.

Rossart’s removal came via a single vote of opposition against her volunteer status was lodged at last week’s fire board meeting by Fire Commissioner Ed Davis.

Davis did not detail his reasons for wanting to stop Rossart from her volunteer role, and the suggestion was met with immediate criticism by Lt. Wicus McGuffey, the department’s volunteer coordinator.

With just four volunteers in the department, McGuffey said the loss of Rossart would cut volunteer staffing by 25 percent and leave no one to respond to calls from the Paradise Bay fire station.

“We have four volunteers that are response volunteers that actually reside in the jurisdiction,” McGuffey told commissioners after Davis asked for Rossart to be stricken from the volunteer ranks.

Without Rossart available to respond, the department would lose a volunteer who is typically the first on the scene of emergency calls, McGuffey said.

“That’s a pretty significant hit,” he said.

McGuffey recalled an emergency call from the week before when three people were on duty. The call prompted a transport to a hospital and took the driver out of service on other calls for nearly three hours.

“Raelene, in her role as a volunteer responder, responded and acted as the driver to the hospital on that transport,” McGuffey said. “She effectively doubled our response capability by keeping two responders in the station for another call.”

“That’s the most recent example and you don’t have to go back six months. That was, what? Three days ago,” he added.

McGuffey also stressed Rossart was essential to emergency calls in Paradise Bay.

“Raelene is the only volunteer that responds in that community and out of that fire station. I don’t have any replacements lined up,” McGuffey said.

“It’s frequent that Raelene is the first on-duty person five minutes and more before the on-duty crews are getting there. She’s there rendering critical aid, and in some cases, we’re talking cardiac arrest calls.”

A five-minute response time for a cardiac arrest call reduces the chance of death by 50 percent, he added.

“That’s life and death,” McGuffey said.

McGuffey didn’t mince words on why he was speaking out.

“If we are making decisions that negatively impact [response times] for the people that we are serving based on politics or personality I have an issue with that.”

“We might as well close that station if the board does this. Because there is nobody else,” he said.

Davis did not offer much of an explanation on why Rossart should not be a volunteer.

“I am objecting to any commissioner being a volunteer,” he told the board.

“We’re bringing on a new chief. And it’s really difficult for anybody to wear two hats,” Davis said.

He then told Rossart: “You need to turn in your stuff.”

When Rossart asked for an explanation, Davis then said, “I’m not going to debate you guys. This is on me. It’s not on the board. It’s just me.”

Rossart said it appeared Davis was reluctant to acknowledge the ongoing problems between the department’s leadership and its emergency responders.

“During our strategic plan it was brought up that there is a huge disconnect between our management and our line personnel,” Rossart said.

“So if you think for one second that me not being a volunteer is going to reduce me checking in with the guys to see how things are going — you are solely mistaken. That is my job,” she told Davis.

“That is what people elected me for, is to make sure this whole place has what it needs. And our greatest asset is our employees,” Rossart said.

She acknowledged that it took only one commissioner on the board to have a volunteer removed, and agreed to turn in her gear.

“But I will not stop checking in to see how our employees are doing — on a personal level, on a professional level — from time to time,” she added. “Because that’s what our strat plan says needs to happen across the board.”

McGuffey disputed Davis’ claim that his request was only a reflection on him.

“This reflects on the organization. When we have a delayed response, when we have delayed ability to deliver service — I’m the one that is on the call dealing with the repercussions of that,” McGuffey said.

“It does not just impact you,” he added. “It impacts the people who pay you to sit there and participate at this meeting.

“And from where I sit, this decision absolutely does not benefit them,” McGuffey said.