March 22, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 8 (8 of 22 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
March 22, 2012 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty.com
I
Shelton High chool graduates
Grog Howe and Andy Graham left
today, March 22, for a two-week
trip to Cambodia, to teach life-
saving skills to law enforcement
and firefighters.
Howe, who graduated from
SHS in 1982, and Graham, who
graduated two years earlier, both
worked at Mason County Ambu-
lance and later Mason County
Medic One as paramedics and
EMTs.
Now, Graham works as an EMT
in Gig Harbor, and Howe lives in
Ireland, but the two men get to-
gether every year to travel with
the Outreach Emergency Service
Program (OESP), a 501(c)3 non-
profit, to Cambodia each year.
"I was involved from the very
beginning," Howe said.
The program was founded in
2001 by Puget Sound residents
Sos Ouch, a Cambodian immi-
grant, and his nephew Vu Rouen.
Howe went with them on OESP's
first trip in 2001.
That year, the group went to
observe what work needed to be
done to improve responses to fire
and medical emergencies in the
country.
"We had a grandiose idea of
starting a 911 system," Howe
said. "We got there and realized
none of that was going to happen
as soon as we wanted."
In 2001 Cambodia did not have
a standardized emergency phone
number. Instead, a person could
call the fire department's number
to report a fire. That department
ason
Solar panels,
geothermal heat
among features
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@rnasoncounty.corm
The brand new Mason
County PUD 3 operations
center on Johns Prairie is
scheduled to open on April
2. and when it does, it will
be green.
Along with more space
and up-to-date offices, ga-
rages and warehouses for
the utility's staff, it will
also achieve new heights in
green building technology,
said Joel Myer, PUD 3 pub-
lic information and govern-
ment relations manager.
For example, the new
buildings are heated with
radiant floor heat powered
by geothermal heat pumps.
Geothermal heat pumps
provide a more stable
source of heat than tradi-
tional pumps, which pull
warmth out of air, because
ground temperatures are
more stable, he said.
"It's much more effi-
cient," Myer said.
The geothermal heat
pumps send water through
Journa pnoto By ~latalle Johnson
Grog Howe, left, and Andy Graham, both Shelton High School graduates, left for
Cambodia today with a group of paramedics and firefighters in the Outreach
Emergency Service Program.
would then have to coordinate
with other emergency service
groups. This caused long response
times, Howe said.
Fires are a huge problem in
Cambodia, Howe said, not only be-
cause of response times, but also
because as many as 500 buildings
can fill a city block there.
In 2002, the group began work-
ing to train law enforcement and
emergency services in Cambodia.
Now Cambodia has three stan-
dardized emergency phone num-
bers - 117 for police, 118 for an
ambulance and 119 for fire.
Over time. OESP expanded its
training services.
"We train their ambulance
workers to be more along the
lines of our EMT level." Howe
said. "We brought them two fire
engines and in a few years nine
ambulances."
This year, OESP plans to give
firefighting lessons to crews at
~wo major airports in the country.
OESP volunteers have worked
to bring western and eastern phi-
losophies on medicine together
gol
Journal 3noto oy Natahe Johnson
Joel Myer, public information and government relations manager for Mason County PUD 3, said
the new PUD operations center should be open for business on April 2
The PUD built the new
buildings to be certified
under the Leadership m
pipes deep in the ground,
then circulate the heated
water in radiant floor heat-
ing in the complex's build-
ing's.
Engineering and Environ-
mental" Design (LEED)
inc.
Serving Western Washington for 41 years
Superior quality workmanship at an affordable price!
RESIDENTIAL . COMMERCIAL • MOBILE HOMES
• * Our Roofs Are Hand Nailed **
31) YEAR WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY
TODAY AND
program, he said.
The utility hopes to get
a Gold rating from the or-
ganization for its efforts.
The highest ranking is
Platinum, but because the
PUD is a public entity,
Myer said the utility felt it
couldn't justify the added
expense.
The most visible exam-
ples of the operations con-
ter's green design are the
rain gardens that spot its
landscape. The rain gar-
dens help deal with storm-
water that falls on the
property.
"We have about 8 acres
of impervious surface,"
Myer said.
The utility partnered
with the Mason Conserva-
tion District to put in the
rain gardens. All of the
complex's landscaping is
done with native plants
provided with help from
/
• to teach Cambodian EMTs about
lifesaving techniques. |
"Their ways are not ogr ways,,'
Howe said. |
Graham, who is tra, eling to
Cambodia for the fifth ime this
year, said his backgrour d in wil-
derness medicine and
skills helped him ad
medical aid to residents
villages.
"They're way off the
said.
Graham spoke of one
in particular when he h~
minister medical care t~
in a remote village. T
burned her arm, and the
smothered it in toothpast
ing the only medicine
would help her.
Graham and the otb
cleaned up the girl's arm
for her to be taken to a h(
a neighboring city.
"It still gives me the
think about that. I and o
other medics on the tri
weren't prepared to do tI
medicine," he said. "It pu
in perspective."
OESP has also insta
wells in remote villages.
zations like the North M
tary have donated money
this possible. Graham al
said
OESP operates mair
donations and from th
teer's own pockets, Howe
"We used to get matchi
from Microsoft - all t~
lars are gone," he said.
for ourselves. We work
shifts."
For more informati
oesp.net.
in gre
the district.
"We figure got:
the conservation
saved us about ha
lion bucks," Myer
The new operati
ter also includes I
est solar array in
Washington. on t(
Building D. The a:
produce up to 21
wa~s of electricil
sunny day.
That electricity
back into the gl
helps power the
in the complex.
When the PUD
tions center opel
tomers in the lol
be able to see a r
digital read out of
tricity produced
ray.
Also, the
main admini
building has a cL,
its roof designed
rainwater.
This water will
to flush toilets and
plants at the comp
As part of the
certification, the
complex also has
spaces designated
efficient cars.
Overall, Myer ~'
$34.5 million doll
oct has provided 1
ity with a set of b
big enough and
enough to allow
to grow into the ful
"This facility w
with the idea tha
take us out 50
growth," he said.
Myer expects
tours of the new op
center to begin in
survival
minister
,f remote
Fid," he
instance
td to ad-
, a child
ae child
villagers
e, think-
hey had
.'r medic
and paid
spital in
chills to
ae of the
p -- we
at much
things
lled 188
Organi-
ason Ro-
to make
ld Howe
ly from
volun-
said.
ag funds
ose dol-
'We pay
)vertime
n, visit
lg with
district
If a mil-
aid.
ons con-
he larg-
Western
p of its
• ray can
]5 kilo-
yon a
is fed
id, and
uildings
3 opera-
IS. COS-
,by will
~al-time
;he elec-
the ar-
mplex's
stration
tern on
;o catch
be used
irrigate
ex.
LEED
PUD
parking
For fuel-
aid the
ar proj-
he util-
aildings
efficient
ae PUD
ure.
~s built
it will
ears in
public
~rations
Iay.
A COMPLETE ROOF SYSTEM
(1500 sq. ft. minimum)
Not valid with any other offer
ooo FREE Estimates ... --- Saturday & Evening Appointments Available
Call today to schedule your appointment • Local
• 24-hour
emergency service
.0% FinancingOAC
......... Lic.# A1ROOI*111PR ~ • Senior discount
...................................
PageA:8-2Sh-e[t6n-M (on-C o-u ty-]-our-naiL Thursday, March 22, 2012