Alexa Rust was appointed to the Fire and Rescue District 3 commission, replacing Frank Cardinalli who stepped down in April of this year. Coming from a younger generation and one of the few women who have served on the commission, she brings new energy and a new perspective.

“Being new to the island, I was looking for a way to connect with the community,” Rust explained. She and her partner moved to the island from Seattle during the pandemic. Her grandparents bought property on Lopez in the 70s so she has a number of cherished childhood memories there. As a software engineer, she hadn’t had much experience with fire, but she was looking for an opportunity to meet people. When a flier about the Fire Academy appeared in her mailbox, she decided to try it.

“My grandmother served in the State House for 16 years, so I have always felt a calling for public service,” Rust explained. “I wanted to bring the younger perspective. I wanted to be a part of the change I wanted to see.”

The academy lasted three months including some computer classwork for students to familiarize themselves with the subject. The academy itself occurred over the weekend. Saturdays and Sundays were spent doing approximately four hours of classwork and four hours of physical training a day.

When asked what surprised her about the academy, Rust responded “I was surprised and delighted by how our fire department is inclusive, supportive, not macho, but more relatable than I expected.”

Rust also completed a three-month EMT training last year.

When the vacancy opened in the Fire Commission, Rust applied and was appointed by the Commission, Dwight Cooley and Warren Appleton, for the rest of Cardinalli’s term, which expires at the end of 2025. She has not decided whether she will run, however, she is seriously considering it.

The budget is of serious concern.

“We are at a really critical spot financially,” said Rust in a serious tone. During her term, she would like to help bring the department back to a more stable position so it may continue to meet the community’s needs. “I am concerned our ratings will slip, [due to an aging fleet and equipment] which could cause people’s fire insurance to drop, or increase, depending on where they live,” Rust explained, not to mention that aging equipment also poses a risk to the community and firefighters.

Chief Noel Monin has also done a good job, she said, creating a long-range budget. He is also working on a budget for next year that reflects the department’s finances without a levy lid lift and will be providing that to the commission during one of their upcoming meetings.

Wildfire Ready (To learn more visit https://wildfireready.dnr.wa.gov/.) has been a great program according to Rust, with lots of community interest and involvement. However, she said, “I am concerned about the department’s ability to continue being the essential service the community needs.”