In Their Own Words: Meet King County Fire Protection District No. 16 Position 1 Challenger Eric Adman

CANDIDATE PROFILE INFORMATION:

What is your full, legal name?

Eric Lance Adman

Where do you work and what is your job title?

Shoreline Fire Department, Firefighter/Paramedic

When and Where Were You Born?

October 19, 1965, Boston, Mass.

Where do you live now and  how long have you lived there?

Kenmore, Wash. since 1998

Spouse or domestic partner if any:

Staci Adman

Children:

Nicholas (19) and Benjamin (16)

Education (include graduation date(s), if any):

University of Washington, BA, Economics, 1988

University of Washington School of Medicine / Harborview Paramedic Training Class, 2006

Military Service (include year(s) of discharge, if any):

None

Memberships and affiliations with clubs and other organizations:

Chair, Sno-King Watershed Council

Board Member, Adopt-A-Stream Foundation

Volunteer, EMPACT Northwest / Port-Au-Prince Medic One Pilot Program, teaching EMT’s in Haiti in August 2011

Member, IAFF Union Local 1760 Shoreline Firefighters

Have you or a business you owned (or had principal interest in) ever filed bankruptcy?

No

As an adult, have you been convicted or charged with a crime other than a minor traffic violation?

No

CAMPAIGN INFORMATION:

Email address: EricAdmanFireCommissioner@gmail.com

Phone number: 425-780-9731

Campaign manager: Self 

PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE(S):

None.

Other campaigns for public office:

None

THIS CAMPAIGN:

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

While the Northshore Fire Department (also known as King County Fire Protection District # 16) provides excellent service, it faces some challenges right now, which I have a unique ability to address. 

The challenges include maintaining service levels despite decreasing revenues, and replacement of a retiring fire chief.

With these challenges, we need to look closely at the concepts of functional consolidations and regionalization of service.  This means sharing resources and personnel among local departments where possible without reducing our staffing on the street.  This could include simply sharing training and inspection resources or even more formal agreements among departments locally.

What will be your top three priorities if you get elected and why?

1. Maintaining excellent levels of service and response times
2. Exploring ways to partner with neighboring fire departments
3. Ensuring a careful process including all stakeholders to replace the retiring fire chief

What sets you apart from the other candidates and/or previous office holders?

While the incumbent has a long record of community service, he has been a commissioner since 1988, and sometimes a fresh perspective is good for the group. 

I have first-hand experience working on the front line of the fire department, which neither of the other candidates, nor any of the existing commission members possess.  As a paramedic employed by the Shoreline Fire Department, I literally work side-by-side on emergency calls with the Northshore firefighters.  That gives me a chance to see what works and what doesn’t, and hear what’s happening inside the department.

I have extensive experience in volunteer leadership positions and boards.  I currently chair a local environmental group, the Sno-King Watershed Council, and I am on the board of the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation.  I am also assisting a local grassroots medical relief group, EMPACT Northwest, to establish a pilot EMS system in Haiti.  I will be there teaching EMT’s in August.

I have many connections in all of Northshore’s neighboring departments, which will help with building relationships and having discussions about possible regionalization or joint operations.

The third candidate running in this election has no fire service background or connections whatsoever to my knowledge and will have to climb a steep learning curve to become literate on fire service issues.  I will be able to “hit the ground running.”

How much money do you expect your campaign to spend on this election?

Approximately $1,500

What groups or individuals are your major endorsers?

Shoreline Firefighters, Northshore Firefighters, and Bothell Firefighters have all contributed to my campaign either financially or in-kind.