PERSONNEL

Chief Michael Schick is our new Fire & EMS Chief and oversees both Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and Western Lane Ambulance. He is coming to us from Washington State and has a plethora of experience in the Fire Service as well as in EMS. Chief Schick began his fire career as a volunteer firefighter in Louisville, Colorado and achieved the rank of Deputy Chief and EMS Chief while there and most recently was the Fire Chief for Camano Island Fire & Rescue. He holds certifications as an Executive Fire Officer, HazMat Technician, Incident Commander, and Paramedic. Chief Schick and his wife Diane, both Pacific Northwest natives, are excited to call Florence home along with their two dogs, Dax and Geordi. On many mornings you will see them on the beach chasing waves and crab shells. Chief Schick enjoys camping, gardening, fishing, golfing and chasing Dax and Geordi on the beach.

I have been with Western Lane Ambulance District for 20 years, starting as a part-time employee to recently being promoted to Operations Manager. Having been in every facet of the District has given me a great perspective of past, current and into the future for Western Lane Ambulance District. Most importantly, I have the pleasure of sharing life with Melissa, my lovely wife. For the past 18 years she has stood by my side and encouraged my professional growth and has been my biggest supporter.

I have been an emergency physician in Florence since 2003. Working in the emergency department, I have had numerous opportunities to observe the EMTs and paramedics of Western Lane Ambulance District. These providers have consistently demonstrated competence, efficiency, and a caring empathetic approach. These qualities have been very effective in alleviating much of the anxiety and concerns that patients under their care often have.

In 2008, I became the medical director of WLAD. In this role, I have witnessed the dedication of the ambulance crew, whether in maintaining quality assurance/quality improvement measures, community education, or in pursuing a higher lever of training. Florence has a large retirement community and, as such, its residents often have a medical complexity that belies the small size of the town. Many of the patients served by the district are critically ill and will eventually require transfer to a facility with more specialty services. Several of the paramedics at WLAD have become critical care certified. This certification requires intensive training in the evaluation and treatment of the most seriously ill patients. Having paramedics with these skills has been invaluable in best serving the needs of the district.

Western Lane Ambulance District has a knowledgeable, committed, and compassionate group of EMTs and paramedics. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as their medical director. Matt Danigelis, MD

I started part time with WLAD in March 1984 as an EMT I. I became an EMT 2, and in March of 1988, became a full time medic for WLAD. In the early 1990’s, I went to school and became an EMT 3 to Paramedic. I have been a Paramedic for over 20 years. While I am married to a wonderful wife for 38 years, we have been together for 44 years; and have 3 kids and 7 grandkids.

I have been happily married 23 years to my wife Therese, we have two daughters Gyllian 14 and Genevieve 17. In my free time, I teach and have taught, the paramedic labs at Lane Community College for the past 15 years. Also, I am actively involved with South Willamette Honor Flight as a volunteer which takes war time veterans to Washington DC, to visit their memorials and monuments. I will be going on my 7th and 8th trips in May and October this year. Please check out this very worth program www.swvhonorflight.com. Last year, I started volunteering for a drum and bugle corps, The Blue Devils from Concord California. This is a world class organization I marched with in my youth, and now I am a part of their Health and Wellness team. I provide CPR and first aid training for their staff, and touring with them in the summer as a medic for the 150 young adult members and staff. I feel so blessed to have found a career I love, in a town that appreciates and supports quality Emergency Medicine. Honestly, I don’t know if the community realizes the quality of service they have and support. You all should be extremely proud of your Emergency Medical Services.

My name is Ron. I started my career with Florence Fire Dept in 1984 as a volunteer and over the years worked my way through the medical field to become a paramedic for WLAD and an Emergency Department Tech at PHH. Happily married to my wife Kim with 2 grown children and grandchildren. I enjoy being with my family, in the outdoors, biking, scuba diving all kinds of fishing both salt and fresh water, and hunting.

I like to spend time with grandkids and ride Harleys with my wife.

I live in the Florence area with my beautiful wife and two children. We have lived here since 2008. As a family, we enjoy spending time together whether it’s watching movies or spending time outdoors, kayaking, swimming, fishing, or whatever we can to stay active. I have been a Paramedic since 1997 and Critical Care Trained Paramedic for 13 years.

I am a Siuslaw High School alumni. I graduated from Chemeketa Community College for my AAOS for my  Paramedic license. In my free time I like spending it with my family; husband Robert, and children Ryan, Hailey, Logan, Lila, and Gideon. I am also the head coach for Siuslaw High School JV Softball Team.

I became a board member at Mapleton Fire Department in 2002 and then a volunteer EMT/Firefighter in 2005. I was hired part-time with WLAD in 2006 and then upgraded to full time in 2008. I love volunteering in our communities and other cities to help with many varied needs and social programs.

I’m a father to an amazing boy and married to an incredible woman. It has been a great experience and honor serving WLAD and I look forward to many more years of service.

I have been with Western Lane Ambulance for 6 years. I am married to a wonderful and hard working woman and have a new baby. I enjoy the outdoors.

I am happily married with three children. We enjoy camping and fishing together and meeting new people.

I enjoy the outdoors. My girlfriend and I just recently had a baby, so we have been staying busy raising our daughter. I have enjoyed working for Western Lane Ambulance and serving our community. I look forward to continuing having a positive impact in our community and helping others.

I am an avid reader and have a plethora of hobbies that vary from racing sailboats to cooking to snowboarding. I particularly love travelling the world, whether on a motorcycle or out of a small backpack.

I am married with two teenage children. I enjoy hiking, camping, going to baseball games, and taking little wekeend trips with my family. I really enjoy working in Florence, and I really appreciate the support we get from the communities.

Tom Kozlowski has worked in Fire/EMS since 2012 when he started as a volunteer firefighter with Lane Fire Authority. He started with WLAD in January 2017 as a part time employee and was brought on full time with B shift in May 2017. He also works as a lab instructor with the Lane Community College Paramedicine program and brings experience from the Oregon Army National Guard where he serves as a Combat Medic NCO with 1-82 Cavalry Squadron based in Bend, Or. Tom is married to an amazing woman and they have three brilliant and beautiful teenage daughters.

Wendy Sullivan did her paramedic internship with Western Lane Ambulance almost 10 years ago, and she is very excited to be back as the Community Paramedic (MIH). Her education is in engineering, and past work has been in that field, the US Navy and as a math instructor. Since getting her paramedic certification she has worked at Peace Harbor Emergency Department, either full or part time, for the last 8 years and full time at a Eugene-area urgent care. Outside of work Wendy is an avid hiker, backpacker, knitter and baker of cookies.

Happily married for 47 years and have two children and am a proud grandpa. I was in the US Army from 1965-1968. Before working for Western Lane Ambulance I worked in the Timber industry most of my life.

MacKenzie Jeffcott recently graduated from Lane Community College where she earned her Paramedic License. Before working with WLAD, she worked as a clinical Paramedic in Eugene. She looks forward to a career of meaningful service to the community. MacKenzie grew up in Bend, OR before moving to Eugene for school. In her off time, she is a PNW scuba diving enthusiast and Divemaster for the U of O dive program, where she helps teach college students how to dive and lead excursions both locally and to the Puget Sound.

I am married to Craig since 1992, we have 1 son, Joshua, 1 dog, 1 cat. We enjoy fishing, ATV riding, long hikes with the dog. I am loving what I get to do, and doing what I love. Being a part of such a professional, educated, talented team is such a pleasure. Enjoying all the training and continued education. I also enjoy working at Western Lane Ambulance with a program, Safe Kids Northwest, to provide a safe ride for all children, by providing education, instruction, and yes, some car seats, and to assure the car seats are installed safely, and the child’s fit is correct. When I am not at WLAD, you may find me working in the Emergency Department of Peace Harbor Hospital, or working/volunteering at Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue, where I am a Captain and Duty Chief. Together we are making a difference. I have been with Western Lane Ambulance for four years.

I am a proud father of four, part-time student pursuing a degree in Paramedicine. I am an avid outdoorsman, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, bush craft and riding my motorcycle. 

Along with working at Western Lane Ambulance, I work as a Career Firefighter/EMT at Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue. I  believe that working for both entities helps me to perform as well rounded employee. I have been involved in Fire & EMS since 2010 prior to graduating high school from Siuslaw High School in 2011. Since joining the ranks of public service I have received a significant amount of training including technical vehicle rescue and graduating from the Washington State Fire Training Academy in 2018. In addition to working two jobs, I am also a part-time student at Southwestern Oregon Community College. When I’m not working or going to school, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors with my dog, and my lovely girlfriend. I also enjoy competitive physical activities such as CrossFit, charity stair climbs, and other competition. I love to travel and I’m a huge sports fan. 

As a part-time critical care paramedic, Jim brings over 30 years of experience in critical care, 9-1-1 and medevac experience to the District. He holds a BS in Community Health and an MA in Higher Education Administration with decades of experience as a practitioner, educator and administrator. His areas of expertise include trauma and pediatrics. Jim works full-time as a Regional EMS Coordinator for PeaceHealth here in Oregon and serves at the Chair of the Oregon State EMS Committee. Jim has been with Western Lane Ambulance for almost 2 years.

Bio to come soon

I am a Colorado transplant with a passion for the outdoors and the Pacific Northwest.  I am an Army veteran with six years as an Infantryman and two deployments. I moved to Florence in early 2018 with my better half, Vivian, and our three dogs. We enjoy all the outdoor sports, hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking etc. I am a volunteer firefighter at Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue, part-time EMT for WLAD and a wildland firefighter in the Fall. I really enjoy being a part of this organization and making a difference in the community.

A native Oregonian, I moved to Florence 17 years ago with my husband Jim and son Ryan. I started working for SVFR and WLAD in March 2018. Prior to that, I worked for Three Rivers Casino and the Port of Siuslaw. I’m a Florence Master Recycler, and in my spare time I enjoy gardening and travel.

I have called Florence home since 2011. Since then, I have come to love the people that make up my community, and I want to be there for them. I joined Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue (SVFR) in 2017 and I work full-time in the Administrative department for both SVFR and Western Lane Ambulance District (WLAD). When I’m out of the office, I am a volunteer firefighter and EMT. My husband and I enjoy the outdoors, kayaking and hiking, and working on our home. I like chocolate!

I joined the Admin team of Western Lane Ambulance and Siuslaw Valley Fire in February 2018 and enjoy serving this community and its friendly people. In my spare time my husband and I love to go out into nature, walk in the woods, search the beaches for shells and unusual rocks, paddle kayaks in the lakes or ride through town on bikes. When we can we visit my daughter, who still lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she was raised and now has her own growing family or his son and daughter in Southern California where they currently live and work.