Moses Lake firefighter honored for 15 years

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake Assistant Fire Chief Brett Bastian was honored for more than 15 years of service by the City of Moses Lake.

He began as a fire inspector in April 1992 and gained the title of fire marshal in 1999. His third promotion was to be the assistant fire chief in October 2006.

"I've just enjoyed the camaraderie of the fire service," Bastian said about his favorite aspect of his career.

He also enjoys taking part in fire investigations.

"I like trying to figure why something happened and how to prevent it," he said.

The most difficult part of his career is contacting families who lost a loved one to a fire or vehicle collision. Contacting the families never gets easier with time, Bastian said.

He is a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). One of his most memorable calls for service as an EMT was in 1994 near Mardon.

A family allowed their child, estimated to be approximately 7 or 8 years old, to parasail, he said. The child was lifted close to 30 feet in the air and nose dived to the ground causing life-threatening injuries.

Bastian and one other person responded to the scene. It was unusual because there were only two people responding to the scene, he added.

He worked to stabilize the child, set up IVs and stabilized the neck and spine to prevent further injuries.

Bastian assisted transporting the child to Samaritan Healthcare for further treatment.

A worry to the entire department is the idea of a firefighter becoming trapped or injured during a fire, he said.

"We've been fairly fortunate in that area," Bastian said.

Once a firefighter enters a burning building their vision becomes impaired by smoke, leaving them to wander in the dark trying to locate victims. Typically they enter buildings in pairs and are guided by a hose to exit.

The department takes precautions through safety training and by outfitting themselves in safety gear, he said.

It costs $5,500 to $7,000 to clothe a firefighter in proper safety gear, Bastian said.

The cost includes fire resistant coats, pants, gloves, helmets, eye protection, radio communication devices and an air pack.

Bastian works to obtain grants for the fire department to fund some of the gear.

In 2007 the department received a $100,000 grant for communication needs, such as radios and $20,000 for fire prevention activities.

In 2006 the department was awarded a $40,000 grant to purchase air packs.

In 2005 the department received a grant to fund a portion of two additional positions for five years.

Bastian hopes to spend at least another 10 to 12 years in the fire service before he decides to retire and do some traveling.