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

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 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 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 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.

MacKenzie Jeffcott 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 originally from Pollock Pines, CA. I moved here with my girlfriend of 6 years last summer to be closer to family. I’m currently working at Western Lane Ambulance as an EMT and plan on furthering my career by going to school for an associate degree in paramedicine next year. When I am not at work, I spend my time with my girlfriend Carissa or in the garage working on projects.

Maxwell graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Human Physiology in 2018 and started his career in EMS shortly after. He started working at Western Lane Ambulance in 2021 as a part time paramedic and was promoted to full time paramedic in September 2022. He is currently in the process of being trained as a firefighter so that he can further serve the community. In his free time he likes to watch movies, hang out with my cats, and work on his fish tanks.

Hope is from Southern Oregon and graduated from UO with a Bachelor’s of Education in Family & Human Services in 2018. She has been in the fire service since 2019 and received her EMT-B in December 2019. She completed her paramedic program in 2022 and is really excited to get started with Western Lane Fire & EMS as a firefighter/paramedic.

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.

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.

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. 

I started out in emergency services in 2016 when I joined Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue. Since then I have found a love for firefighting and EMS. I obtained my EMT-B license in 2018 and am currently in school for my paramedic. I currently work at Western Lane Ambulance as an EMT, the fire department as a Resident Firefighter/EMT, and Peace Harbor as a Patient Access Representative. In my free time, I love to go hiking, work out, build computers and hang out with the other guys at the station. My goal is to become a career Firefighter/Paramedic.

Blair joined SVFR to serve his community and doing something that he loves. He enjoys spending time with his wife and son in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and camping. He has 4 dogs, 1 cat, and his son has 2 goats. Family is priority #1 for him.

Lindsay was recently hired with WLAD after completing the EMT Intermediate program at Lane Community College. Lindsay is also a tech in the Operating Room at Riverbend. In her off time, Lindsay enjoys backpacking and gold mining.

Tommy graduated from the University of Oregon in 2019, and has been working in EMS ever since. Tommy was recently hired with Western Lane and looks forward a career in EMS and Firefighting.

Nick is new to the area, and is looking forward to serving Florence and its surrounding communities. His hobbies include
music, fishing, hiking, and practicing fire skills with neighboring agencies.

Randall recently moved to Florence and was hired with Western Lane. Randall is eager to serve the community.

Geri is a college student at Lane Community College. During the 2021 fire season, she worked for the Forestry Department as a wildland fire suppression specialist.  Geri loves spending time outside with her boyfriend Nick and their dog Cruz. In her free time you will find her doing anything that allows her to be creative.

Aryeh received his EMT license in 2019 and has been a volunteer firefighter since 2016 in is hometown of Deadwood. He joined Western Lane Ambulance to gain more experience in patient care to better serve his community when responding to calls in the Swisshome Deadwood area before the paramedics arrive. He is also a consultant/owner operator in a business which he formed with a group of friends and past collegues.

Trevver is a volunteer firefighter with Mapleton fire department and Siuslaw Valley Fire. He recently joined Western Lane Ambulance as a part-time EMT after receiving his EMT license. He wants to gain experience in responding to calls as an EMT to help his community and his districts.

Caroline has lived in Oregon for over 10 years. She wons a small 2 acre homestead in Veneta where she enjoys gardening and other outdoor activities.

Berenger got into Firefighting and EMS to make a difference in his community. Outside of this line of work he loves spending time with his family and dog. 

Alfred has been a volunteer firefighter EMT since 2019 for Junction City Fire Department. He joined the department in JC and now Western Lane Ambulance to help his communities. Alfred likes long walks on the beach in his spare time.

Oaren is a volunteer firefighter/pumper operator and EMT. He joined the fire department to help his community, his country, and to have adventures. He has found nothing more rewarding than public service and the family he has gained working as a firefighter and now also as a part-time EMT at Western Lane Ambulance.

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.

Mary started volunteering in 2012 as a firefighter and as of 2015 began working as a full time Admin Assistant for WLFEA. Mary loves being a part of WLFEA and part of an organization that works together for her community. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends, her kids, and grandkids. She loves to kayak, paddle board, go hiking, and enjoys going to the beach.

Holly Lais has lived in Florence, OR for over eight years. She works as an Administrative Assistant for Western Lane Fire and EMS Authority. When she’s off the clock, you can often find her studying for her bachelor’s degree in business or responding to calls as a volunteer Firefighter/ EMT. She tries to stay active in her community and enjoys spending time with her husband and son, taking hikes with her dog, and working out at the gym with friends.

Lara joined the Administrative team of WLAD and SVFR in February of 2018 and enjoys serving this community and its friendly people. In her spare time, she and her husband 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. Lara and her husband visit her daughter who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she was raised and now has her own growing family, as well as visit his son and daughter in Southern California where they currently live and work.