WA COVID-19 Spotlight

Consistently going above and beyond

Whatcom County Fire District 17 serves communities in Sandy Point Shores, Sandy Point Heights, Neptune Heights, Neptune Beach, and the western portions of the Lummi Indian Reservation. Chief Jim Petrie and Captain Robert Howery are the only two full time staff at WCFD17. They manage an amazing cadre of volunteer firefighters that serve 2,000 rooftops over a large area that requires emergency response via land and sea. Their community members are a bit older (50+ on average), so many are at higher risk for severe disease caused by respiratory viruses like COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, they’ve gone above and beyond to offer COVID-19 protection and mitigation tools to their community, including free testing and vaccine promotion and education. As the pandemic (and virus) evolved, so did their efforts to protect their volunteers and the communities they serve. 

We sat down (zoomed) with Chief Jim Petrie and Captain Robert Howery to learn more about Whatcom Fire District 17, their community, and all the services they provide, including free COVID-19 testing.

Here’s what we learned:

• • • • Chief Petrie and Captain Howery prioritized PPE early in the pandemic and continue to do so. Captain Howery told us that no one on their team got sick in the field during COVID-19 surges because they were so vigilant about PPE.

“I can remember the first call we went on that was COVID, three of us went in, everyone else stood outside, we went in looking like martians cuz we had all this gear on just to protect us. It changed the way we approach calls for sure.”

Captain Howery

• • • • COVID-19 testing was introduced last year when WCDF17 joined WA COVID-19. The population they serve is a bit older (50+ average), so many are at higher risk for severe disease caused by COVID-19. Chief Petrie and Captain Howery wanted their community to have the resources they needed to feel safe and take extra precautions, especially during surges. They’ve primarily distributed Clinitest but more recently started distributing InteliSwab as well.
      • They carry tests on their rigs, but most the time people come into the station to pick them up. If they’re sick or have been exposed, they can pick up their free tests just outside the door. There are signs on the station advertising the free testing, and they also put a blurb in their newsletter. But most of the promotion comes through word of mouth. As of February 2024, they’ve distributed 300-400 tests to their community.
      • Handing out tests and educating people about COVID-19 safety has given them more opportunities for face-to-face connections with the community. They use these interactions to teach people about other priority issues like open fire policy, tsunami preparedness, and smoke detector installation – a free service they provide.
      • Thanks to Chief Petrie’s efforts, the department has fostered a close relationship with the Lummi Tribal Council and has frequent meetings with them to make sure they have the resources they need for emergency response. WCFD17 provides fire protection to a large portion of the Lummi Reservation.
      • They respond to emergencies by land or sea. They have a brush truck for wildfires and a rescue boat for emergencies on the water.