SOFD to host annual pancake breakfast

Gather here; gather near!

Pancakes will be falling from the sky as firemen flip flapjacks as fast as they can on Saturday, July 27. The Sam Owen Fire District will be hosting its annual pancake breakfast, so take a break and forget about cooking. Start your day off right with a scenic drive along Highway 200 to Sam Owen Fire Station No. 1 at the junction of Peninsula Road and Highway 200 in Hope. A steaming hot breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, juice and coffee or tea breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The cost is $5.

After breakfast, take time to tour the station, meet the firefighters, EMTs, co-fire chiefs, Stu Eigler and Tim Scofield, as well as Smokey, the firedog. You can sit in the trucks and try on the equipment. It’s surprising how heavy it is. There will be free handouts and fire chief hats for the children.

This is the major community event and only fundraiser for the Sam Owen Fire District. The monies raised are used for supplies for the fire house, uniforms, communication devices, and important firefighting equipment. Over 60 volunteers, plus the firefighters and co-fire chiefs spend untold hours to collect donations, cook the meal and serve you a delicious breakfast.

The Sam Owen Fire District is committed to providing the highest level of fire protection and emergency services to all its residents, businesses and visitors. The district’s volunteer staff is made up of local residents of various ages and backgrounds, including CPAs, pilots, attorneys, medics, insurance brokers, stock brokers, builders, bakers and candlestick makers. They are trained and equipped for both structure and wildlands firefighting.

Firefighters train three times a month to hone their skills and keep up on the most current methods. The volunteers have either completed or are completing the nationally recognized Essentials 1 training course for fire personnel. In addition, a number of the volunteers are qualified EMTs and others have completed training in first aid, life support, rescue and extrication.

A number of the Sam Owen Fire and Rescue first responders also volunteer for Clark Fork Valley Ambulance. Eigler and Scofield are EMTs and first responders for both Sam Owen Fire and Clark Fork Valley Ambulance. SOFD firefighter Cecil Jensen volunteers as a driver for CFVA and as a firefighter for Clark Fork Fire. Jean and Austin Theander both serve as firefighters and EMTs for SOFD and as EMTs for CFVA. EMT Tatiana Holborn volunteers for both organizations.

This cross-agency collaboration maximizes the limited pool of volunteer personnel in our rural area. Clark Fork Valley Ambulance, under Chief Dimitry Borisov, is a volunteer organization whose headquarters and center of operation is in Clark Fork. They also maintain an additional ambulance at Sam Owen Fire Station 1. Being able to respond from two locations, depending on personnel available and the type and location of the incident provides efficiency and a rapid response time.

Sam Owen Fire District maintains two fire stations. Station 1 in Hope is the center of operations and a smaller Station 2 is in Trestle Creek. With several fully-equipped fire engines and rescue vehicles, the District is able to respond to any fire or emergency situation. The rescue vehicle has the latest in extrication, land and water rescue equipment. A type 5 wildland fire engine can reach our most remote areas, and many of the volunteers have completed intensive training in wildlands fire fighting.

To learn more about the Sam Owen Fire District, its services or volunteer opportunities, contact Co-Fire Chief Tim Scofield or Stu Eigler at 264-5745.

Eileen Klatt is the public information officer for the Sam Owen Fire District.