To our Tulalip Bay Fire Community:

As a community, a state, a country – we cannot let our guard down. I cannot stress enough, the importance of wearing a mask, washing your hands, and maintaining social distance.

This is not about politics. COVID-19 in Washington is now spreading faster than before – especially among younger people.

While most people who get COVID-19 will recover, rising cases continue to strain our hospital capacity and burden all levels of government – including your local fire departments. This, in turn, has a direct effect on our economy and will lead us toward a downward spiral that will become exponentially more difficult to recover from. As individuals, we have a responsibility to help contain the rate of spread of COVID-19.

Not one of us wants to be part of the problem, right? No one wants to be the one who got someone else sick or made them deathly ill. If you get an unexpected call from the health department, answer the phone. If you miss a call, they will leave a voice mail or text you. Call them back. These are contact tracers, and they are calling because one of your friends has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

If we let up on the work we have done to date, we hold all of us back. Our future depends on everyone doing their part. Help your tribal community, city, county, state, and country be resilient and recover.

Wash your hands. Follow the guidelines. Wear a mask.

In solidarity,

Ryan G. Shaughnessy
District Fire Chief
Tulalip Bay Fire Department
SCFD #15