Lopez Island Property Owners & Residents we need your help. Many of your driveways and private roads have become too narrow and low, due to encroaching trees and brush and are damaging your fire and emergency aid vehicles. A minimum of 12 feet horizontal & vertical clearance is needed. Also the lack of an address at the entrance to your driveway is causing delay.

We, your Lopez Island Firefighters and EMTs are neighbors helping neighbors.

We are ready to respond to your emergencies. We carry pagers, so that during the day or in the middle of the night can respond to help you, our neighbors. Lopezians, using the tax dollars you have generously provided to Lopez Island Fire & EMS, we have purchased vehicles & equipment to render assistance in your time of emergency.

Your Firefighters & EMTs respond safely and try to reach you with a minimum of delay. Minutes are precious to us when trying to save a life or stop a fire. Your firefighters and EMTs need your help to avoid delays in reaching you with your emergency equipment.

Our aid vehicles and fire apparatus are 8 feet wide, have extended wheelbases and are 10 feet high. 12 foot wide and 12 foot high driveways provide a minimum 2 foot clearance for your emergency vehicles. These vehicles carry your life saving medical supplies and firefighting water & equipment. Many of the private roads and driveways we respond on are too narrow, have overhanging tree limbs and/or sharp turns and are causing delays and damage to your emergency vehicles enroute to help you in your time of greatest need.

As spring approaches we are asking you to keep your roads a minimum of 12 feet wide and 12 feet high and if there are sharp turns to widen the drive at that point to 14 feet. Clearly marking the entrance to your driveway with the house numbers a minimum of 4 inches high on signs with a background different than the color of the numbers allows us to quickly identify that we have reached the correct driveway.

In severe medical, trauma or fire emergencies these simple steps can mean the difference between life and death.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please help us by maintaining your roads and driveways so we can reach you without delay.

Jim Ghiglione, Fire Chief

Lopez Island