On fire

One of the best parts of my job as County Executive is getting out and about to learn more about what you do in service to our residents. I’ve watched you and your colleagues chip-seal our roads, make Sound Gro, conduct autopsies, open new parks, operate ferries, repair vehicles, arrest bad guys and much more.

Last month, I had an opportunity to spend time with another co-worker doing especially fascinating and critically important work on behalf of our residents.

Cole Roberts is the County’s Deputy Fire Marshal, and his work takes him all over the region investigating and determining the causes of fires. It is highly technical work and draws upon his extensive training and years of experience.

As we approached the scene of a recent fire, I was amazed that anyone could make sense of the devastation – let alone determine a cause of the blaze. Even with my technical background, as I looked at the charred trailer up close, I was at a loss as to where to even start asking questions of Cole.  And, to know that a person died in the fire was especially troubling.

As Cole mentions in the video below, he investigates roughly 200 fires a year – or every 35 hours or so.  That’s remarkable!

I’m grateful to Cole for taking the time to share how he unravels mysteries and brings closure to such tragic events.  I hope you will heed his advice and double-check the smoke detectors in your home.

Thanks for reading,

 

 

 

Bruce