Wes Wallace, Michelle Wallace

ROYAL CITY - Wes and Michelle Wallace are the only father-and-daughter team to share a Grant County Fire District volunteer spotlight.

Michelle has been an EMT for two of her three years as a member of the Grant County Fire District No. 11. 

Wes has been a volunteer for more than six years as a District No. 11 firefighter and District No. 10/11 EMT.

Michelle just likes to help people. 

"I'm on the way to becoming a nurse, and being an EMT covers much of the same ground," she said.

The Wallaces moved to the Royal Slope seven years ago from Federal Way. Wes had no previous experience with a fire department.  

"Being on the fire department and ambulance is not always enjoyable," he said. "We're often helping someone who we may know as a neighbor who is having the worst day of their life.

"I fear the community takes for granted that we will always be here for them," he added.

"We are here to help," Michelle said. "Everyone has rough times.  All of us on the fire department are here to help."

"It's what we can do to support our community, to provide the level of service and patient care the community is accustomed to," Wes added. "We need to pass the EMS levy renewal to continue to do this."

Michelle understands rough times. She is a Leukemia survivor of six years who had a less than 10 percent chance of survival, and Wes was her bone marrow donor during her treatment. 

"The cancer came into our lives uninvited, and it determined who we were," Wes said.

"It gave life direction," Michelle added.

"The most challenging part of Michelle's illness was balancing my work schedule around her medical schedule," Wes recalled.

Compared to Federal Way, Wes noted, it doesn't rain on the Royal Slope. It just sprinkles. It's hotter and it's colder too. 

"The people here are friendlier," he said. "My acceptance experience with the move from Federal Way has been that the more I get involved with the community the more people accept me for who I am."

According to Wes, there was no opportunity to be a part of a fire department in Federal Way. Michelle's illness was the catalyst for him to join here.

The Wallaces are often the whole crew on an ambulance call, and that's okay.

"We work together perfectly," Michelle said."How can I fail with him always telling me what to do?"

Wes considers one call at which the patient survived six gunshot wounds as one of his most interesting. The worst calls, not surprisingly, involve children.

"We need more people to volunteer their time as we do, for their community," Wes said. "We need more volunteers to help out."