Dear Chairperson Fuller, Secretary Kimple, and the Orcas Island Community:

This letter is my resignation, effective upon receipt, from the Board of Fire Commissioners, San Juan County Fire Protection District #2. (Orcas Island Fire & Rescue, OIFR).

I wish success to my two former coworkers who remain with the department and to the dedicated volunteers who have kept their heads down, and minds focused on the Mission. I also want success for the new department members as they learn to overcome the challenges of this unique practice environment.

Most importantly, I thank the Island Community and the many Orcas voters who elected me. I truly believed I could make a difference.

I do not understand the trajectory of the fire department and have been excluded from the decision-making process. That is an untenable position.

I hope the Orcas community, as stakeholders in your new OIFR, continue to watch closely and demand your rights to transparency and effective leadership.

Sincerely,

Patrick Shepler

Orcas Island