Girdwood Fire Department hosts online Silent Auction for water and mud rescue

By Hannah Dillon

TNews Associate Editor

A jet ski ride, artwork and a five-course dinner for six at Birch and Alder were among items in a recent Girdwood Fire Department silent auction.

The online silent auction was held on June 19 through June 26.

According to the silent auction website, bidders were also able to bid on Kenai River scenic rafting, a ride on a fire command vehicle that will lead the Forest Fair parade and a first-hand experience with Kobuk the black bear.

Girdwood Fire Department’s Chief Michelle Weston said the Girdwood Fire Department received around $8,000 worth of donations from over 30 different local businesses.

All donations go towards fire and mud rescue conducted along the Turnagain Arm. Weston said some donations have contributed to the fundraising for a rescue boat as the department does not receive any funding for rescue efforts.

Weston said she has had to fundraise for all of the highway extraction, water and mud rescue equipment over the last five years.

Dry suits and rope bag equipment used for saving those who become trapped in the mudflats have all been replaced using donated money from the community.

Weston said the lack of federal assistance stems from the available range of services the Girdwood Fire Department covers in a vast area. The department’s EMS service area extends further than their fire services, causing issues with the ability to financially support the department.

“We initially had a commitment from the municipality approved by the assembly to donate $20,000 to us but then there came problems in the transferring of the money. So that's why we're now fundraising extra,” said Weston.

Weston said the fire department responds to around 14 calls a year which does not include recreation evaluations – where fire department personnel will go out to assess if a 911 call regarding a struggling or stuck person is “not having a good day” on the mudflats.

Most incidents of people getting stuck on the mudflats are because of fishing or because they are tourists and do not know to stay off of the mudflats.

“And then we'll usually have two or three mud rescues a year. We got through hooligan fishing season this year without one, that usually generates one or two people stuck in the mud. We did have that weird one where we had a mud rescue in October, because there was a surveyor out there surveying. And he was stuck up to his chest, which was very stuck,” said Weston.

To help people out of dangerous situations, Weston said all firefighters are cross trained. “So not only do you have to know how to be a firefighter, you also have to know how to do some basic water rescue and then also EMS. So it's kind of a jack of all trades.”

 The jack of all trades fire department crew has received multiple grants to help fund rescue equipment that needed to be modernized to meet current standards.

“And so this year, we're focusing on workforce development, and investing more time into training our firefighters in that and we have a grant to do firefighter one and firefighter two, and then the grant also includes getting a $41,000 EMS mannequin to come in.”

Weston said she also believes that a grant the department just received for Rapid Extraction Module Support – or REMS – training is the first to be issued in Alaska. REMS training involves backcountry, remote medical work which can include EMS experience and how to descend into “tricky situations” by rope.

Weston shared her gratitude for the Girdwood and surrounding community. “I mean, it's wonderful. I think we all feel the support of the community. And it's wonderful to work in a community where we have such positive support, and we're here to serve them.”

(Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the fire department recieved $8,000 in bids on donations. In fact, the department had $8,000 worth of donations by businesses and had not yet met its fundraising goal by the expiration of the auction date.)