Police Chief Vesco and fire chief outline busy May, South Station opening and donated mobile command vehicle

Ocean Shores’ public safety leaders told the City’s June 16 public safety meeting that both the police and fire/EMS departments were busy in May and are preparing for a high-demand Independence Day weekend.

Police Chief Vesco said May was “our busiest month of the year so far with 904 incidents.” He reported officers conducted 226 traffic stops — “I believe it was a 204% increase from this time last year” — and listed enforcement outcomes for May: 138 citations, 88 warnings, 20 criminal traffic offenses, 12 warrant arrests and 12 total arrests. Vesco said those monthly statistics are hyperlinked in the meeting agenda and posted on the city’s website and social pages.

Vesco also said the department currently has 12 applicants in its recruitment portal and is focused on hiring and retention. On equipment, he said instructor training for new Axon-issued tasers and body cameras is complete; deployment is awaiting resolution of some networking issues before officers receive training and equipment.

The city’s fire and EMS lead reported the department ran 218 calls in May, including 170 medical calls, four fire calls, one hazardous situation, 26 public service calls and 11 walk-in patients. He explained the department handled 38 “doubles” (two calls at once) and 10 “triples” (three concurrent calls), and said the city transported patients to the hospital 75 times during the month.

Staffing and readiness were addressed in detail. The fire chief announced one new firefighter-paramedic (named Kyle) will start July 6 and that three medic positions remain open with testing scheduled July 17; the department is building a candidate list for lateral and entry-level EMTs in August to maintain staffing continuity.

On facilities, the fire lead said South Station has received a new paint job and donated furniture and that the department is aiming to open the South Station around July 22, while noting some ancillary communications work (antennas and network hookups) may not be finished by that date. He said some temporary handheld radio procedures could be used until full base-station connectivity with Grays Harbor 911 is completed.

The fire department described two equipment acquisitions donated at no cost by the military: a newer Hummer (2014 engine) suited for dune operations, and a mobile command vehicle with built-in power and heating and about 1,900 miles on the odometer. The chief said both vehicles will require painting, radio integration, antenna installation and other outfitting; he intends to request conversion and equipment funding in his budget to bring the command vehicle into service and meet the military’s one-year-in-service reporting requirement.

Regarding the holiday weekend, the chiefs said 4th of July operational planning is underway with north and south divisions active July 3–4 and increased beach patrols to protect dunes and visitors. The fire lead reported county fire marshals indicated a burn ban is likely before July 4 (which would close beach campfires); local chiefs plan to coordinate a consistent public message and said they intend to allow pellet-style grills despite the ban.

Other topics included department community engagement (events paused through the summer busy season with possible resumption in late August or early September), officers’ recent outreach at Ocean Shores Elementary and North Beach Junior Senior High, and vehicle maintenance: a medic unit currently in 'limp mode' with a computer issue and a pre-ordered replacement due between August and October. The fire chief said the department plans to reuse a $45,000 power-loader from the failing unit to reduce replacement costs and will bring requests for equipment upgrades identified by a recent rating-bureau visit to council.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the meeting; the public comment period included a brief comment from Don William before adjournment.