Earl Johnson has learned two things in his career: how to deal with money, and how much society depends on emergency service workers like firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
To combine that knowledge and interest, he is seeking a seat on the Bainbridge Island Fire District’s board of directors, hoping to replace Doug Johnson, who is stepping down after serving a six-year term.
“My financial background is something that will be useful, something value-added,” Earl Johnson said.
He is the first announced candidate for the lone open seat on the three-person board. Glen Tyrrell and James Johnson are the holdover members.
Earl Johnson’s admiration for the fire service comes literally from Ground Zero – he was at his office on the 51st floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower when the first aircraft hit on Sept. 11, 2001. Watching firefighters race up the stairs as he and others scrambled down was a transformative experience.
“The honor and commitment I witnessed in that experience has changed me forever,” Johnson said in a news release announcing his candidacy.
“I saw these men and women running past me into the building who never made it back out. It made me realize what deep service our firefighters and EMTs give us every day.”
The experience also ended the Johnson family’s brief relocation to the New York area, and brought him, wife Arlene and their three children back to their yet-unsold West Port Madison home.
“We phoned a couple of our neighbors and told them we were coming home,” he said. “They knew our furniture wouldn’t be back for a few weeks, so they looked in their attics and second-hand stores, and had a furnished place waiting for us when we got back. That shows you what kind of community this is.”
A 1974 graduate of Bainbridge High School, Johnson spent two years at the University of Oregon, then graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics.
He has worked in a number of capacities in finance – as an institutional investment manager, a financial consultant and a bond expert, the last of which he believes is particularly germane to the fire commission.
“We’re going to need to be very cognizant of growth on the island, how the department will plan for that, and the sources of money to pay for it,” he said.
While not sure at this point what he thinks is the best mix of options between tax levies and bond sales, Johnson said he is philosophically skeptical of user fees.
“People have paid property taxes for years, and if they call 911, they shouldn’t get a bill for $300,” he said. “The fact that homeowners’ insurance will pay doesn’t make it right.”
Johnson believes the mix of departmental work will continue to shift towards medical calls, particularly if the island continues to attract retirees.
But because some of the retirement facilities are mid-rise buildings, he said the department may need to bring on additional equipment to respond adequately.
Johnson likes the mix between career and volunteer firefighters on the island’s force, but to retain it, he believes the department needs to accommodate the needs of the volunteers better.
“We need to create more sleeping space and office space so that the volunteers can spend more time at the station,” he said.
Johnson said the best part of working with the fire department is that the community clearly understands the need, and tends to be supportive.
“The fire district tax is actually the smallest levy we pay, and it’s for the essential service of protecting life and property,” he said. “The fire department always seems to have the support of the people.”
