News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Chief Tay Robertson. photo provided
Sisters Fire Chief Taylor Robertson is hanging up his turnout gear.
"I will retire from PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) the 1st of December 2011," Robertson told The Nugget last week. "The (fire district) board has signed a contract for me to work till the 1st of June on an interim basis while they hire a new fire chief."
The move marks the end of a 45-year career in the fire service, the last eight-and-a-half spent in Sisters. Robertson's tenure as Sisters Fire Chief saw the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District build and move into new facilities, establish a new training facility and expand its fleet and its service capabilities.
District board of directors president Chuck Newport said that Robertson and the staff have transitioned the department into a modern fire and emergency service - without losing the character of a small-town, close-knit department.
"I think that the thing I'm proudest of is that we've been able to stay a family," Robertson said. "It's been a group of people who have pulled together, and I just feel fortunate to have been a part of it."
Robertson, the staff and the board agreed on three main goals: to create a high level of professionalism; enhance the ability to deliver emergency services; and to provide excellent customer service.
"The feedback we get from the community indicates that we do (deliver) those things," Newport said.
Newport noted that Robertson, in additions to his regular duties as fire chief, served ably as a construction project manager when the district built a new fire hall, which came on line in August 2008. Managing the project in-house saved taxpayers money.
"The construction of the fire hall fell a lot on his shoulders, and he managed that extremely well," Newport said.
The district added equipment - often building vehicles from scratch and with in-house expertise to save money. The district has also maintained staff levels and kept its volunteers - always a challenge for a modernizing department.
Robertson has seen profound changes in the fire service over the past four decades.
"The job has become much more complicated and much more diverse than when I started," he said.
It's a much more "professional" job now, and there's far more emphasis placed on safety than there used to be, he said. The fire service is run more and more like a business - with risk management at the forefront of its concerns.
The modern firefighter must be skilled in interpersonal relations; chemical-savvy regarding hazardous materials; an educator and a planner. Perhaps the biggest change has come in the area of emergency medical services.
At the start of Robertson's career, firefighters had comparatively little training in emergency medicine.
"We showed up on an engine and didn't know what to do, really," he recalled.
Today, much of a fire department's work involves EMTs, and they must be well-trained both in medicine and in sophisticated technologies. And compliance requirements and the need to plan for service delivery and for response to community-wide emergencies have increased the paperwork load considerably.
Technology like thermal imaging has also changed the way fires are fought, and fire departments are more involved than ever in educating the public on fire prevention.
Robertson believes he is leaving the district with a strong foundation for his successor to build upon.
"I think we have created all the basic systems that make up a modern fire department," Robertson said.
That doesn't mean the job will be easy.
"Probably the biggest challenges are going to be budget issues because of the economy," Newport said.
There will be a formal search process to find a new chief.
"We will keep all of the staff involved in the hiring process," Newport said. "We expect that we'll have a lot of applications, because this is a desirable position."
While applications will be accepted from current staff, there is no "designated successor," Newport said.
What will the board be looking for?
"Leadership and being a good communicator will be key things," Newport said. "We'll look for someone who has wildland firefighting experience."
Capability in delivery of emergency medical services will also be an important factor.
Robertson told The Nugget that he believes integrity is the key quality of a leader.
"For me, integrity is being good to your word," he said. "Being honest and forthright and basically, say what you do and do what you say."
On a personal level, Robertson is looking forward to the next phase.
"I'm really looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Sharon," he said. "I'll be doing a lot more fly fishing, running rivers, travel. We plan to stay in Sisters and be part of the community and be involved."
He leaves his tenure as Sisters Fire Chief with a sense of satisfaction and fond memories.
"I had the best time," he said. "What a wonderful way to end a career. It's been the best eight-plus years of my working life. It's the people here who make the difference. We are so blessed with (our) staff and volunteers and such a great community."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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