The weather outside was cool and crisp with a threat of rain, but inside the Skagit County Fire District 13 conference room at the Snee-Oosh Road station, a pressing concern was the pending summer wildland fire season.

During their April 23 public session, district commissioners and Emergency Management Coordinator Capt. Ted Taylor stressed the need for evacuation training should Swinomish Reservation be struck by a raging wildfire or other major emergency.

Taylor said the district plans to team with Swinomish Tribal Police and new Swinomish Emergency Management Director Eric Brooks for the training. The focus would be the safe evacuation of Swinomish Village and Shelter Bay, whose combined populations exceed 2,000 residents.

“We’re looking to meet with Eric Brooks, who’s anxious to have an evacuation drill ahead of what’s expected to be a longer, hotter and drier fire season,” said Taylor.

Commissioners endorsed prioritizing evacuation training.

“I think it’s critical to do that as soon as possible,” said Commissioner John Doyle, a former long-serving La Conner Town Administrator.

Commission Chair Bruce Shellhamer concurred.

“It’s always best to be prepared,” he said.

Taylor noted that emergency evacuations are stressful under the best of circumstances, thus making training all the more important.

“You’re trying to get in,” Taylor said of evacuations, “and they’re trying to get out.”

Taylor said evacuation planning requires much attention to detail and coordination among participating agencies. For instance, in an actual evacuation, Taylor said numerous well-trained traffic monitors will be needed.

“They’ll not just control traffic flow,” he said, “but they’ll have to be able to tell people where they need to go.”

While details of the proposed evacuation drill are up in the air, there is one thing of which district officials are certain. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, as it has for several years, has again committed $500,000 to the district, whose coverage area includes Swinomish Reservation and rural La Conner.

“We’re very grateful for this,” Shellhamer said of the current Swinomish contribution.

“It’s very generous,” Doyle added.

The Swinomish Senate authorized and appropriated this year’s allocation in February.

District commissioners will next meet at 9 a.m. May 14 at the Snee-Oosh Road station.

Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.