Wheeler appointed full-time fire marshal

Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler reviews construction plans for new buildings, making recommendations for fire prevention and public safety. photo by Jim Fisher After more than six months of wearing two hats as both a shift captain and fire marshal for the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD), Dave Wheeler is now the full-time fire marshal for the district.

The appointment became official at a special evening ceremony for fire district employees and their families held January 3 at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Hall in Sisters. Wheeler was formally introduced as the fire marshal and given his badge. Also introduced and presented with a badge was Ben Bruegeman, a new probationary paramedic hired in November.

"I had helped former chief Don Rowe with some of the fire marshal duties and then took on the role when he retired last year," Wheeler said.

An 11-year veteran of the fire district, Wheeler still continued to serve as one of three shift captains supervising fire runs as needed. Working at the two roles did keep him from making as many fire marshal contacts as he would have liked, but that will change with the new assignment.

Wheeler's major duties as fire marshal will be making building inspections, reviewing new building construction and property development, and public education. During inspections of all commercial buildings in the district, maps are created to show the outline of each building and locations of major hazards.

"That way, when our crews go on fires in the middle of the night, they know what they are facing," Wheeler explained. "Each crew has a folder of maps with diagrams of the buildings together with names and phone numbers of key people to contact."

Wheeler added that the fire district already has this information for the high-hazard structures, including schools and buildings in the Sisters Industrial Park. Now he will be able to complete the survey for all commercial buildings.

Reviewing plans for new commercial construction and property developments is another major responsibility of the fire marshal. Wheeler works with the City of Sisters in this role as well as with Deschutes County in the rural areas of the fire district.

"It works best if we sit down with developers at the very beginning of a project and make suggestions as the plans move along, rather than stepping in at the last minute to require changes," he said.

Public education is a third major responsibility for Wheeler.

He has been going to the grade schools twice a year and now will be able to also make visits to Sisters Middle School and Sisters High School to present fire prevention and public safety programs.

He also plans to contact other groups including senior organizations, homeowner associations, and other community groups.

Wheeler grew up on the Oregon coast. He worked for the USDA Forest Service on the Siuslaw National Forest for a season.

He also was a volunteer fireman for the Nestucca Rural Fire District. In 1993, he enrolled at Central Oregon Community College as a student in their fire program.

At the same time, he started working as a firefighter for the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD.

"I chose COCC over other schools because they also had the wildland fire protection program combined with structural fire protection," Wheeler said. "That way, I would be prepared for either career or one combining both activities."

Following an internship as a paramedic back on the coast, he graduated from COCC in 1995. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD then hired him as a firefighter-paramedic.