07/01/2007: "F H Fire Department Rescues Flag"

ig_FD-Flag_Rescue-1 (57k image)

While it does not rise to the level of the Iwo Jima photo, or the Twin Towers flag raising, the photo above shows that Fire Fighters are always on hand to solve a problem. In this case thanks are also due to the National Park Staff to have had the good sense to ask for assistance from the Friday Harbor Fire Department in solving a problem with the flag pole, in what would could have been a Independence Day embarrassment for the staff at American Camp..

According to Assistant Town Fire Chief Tom Eades, the crew at American Camp were raising their American flag up the 90-foot wooden flag pole, when the halyard slipped off the pulley at the top; leaving the flag flying a little above half staff.

A quick call was made to Fire District 3, to advise them of the need for a response in their area, and a decision was made to request Friday Harbor's Engine 7, with it's 65-foot aerial ladder, to attempt to remove the flag from the pole.

Six Town personnel responded, with a four man crew driving the heavy engine the wrong way through the visitor center parking lot; then 600-feet down a gravel trail, before backing another 70-feet through tall grass, through a hole in the fence to get to the base of the flag pole. A firefighter was assigned to follow the engine with a water extinguisher, in case the hot exhaust were to start a fire.

Eades says with the aerial fully extended, at near-vertical elevation, the flag was still out of reach. A two person crew was finally able to cut the halyard and lower the flag after approximately 30 minutes, using a Park Service gas-powered pole saw. The flag was slowly lowered into it's carrying bin, having never touched the ground.