Over the past year, officials with South Whidbey Fire/EMS had to take a hard look under the hood of their department. What they saw needs repair, like the 28-year-old rig that's currently leaking oil from its main seal and has been sidelined for two months. "What goes through my mind is the critical importance of us being able to arrive on the scene of calls and also for our firefighters to be able to arrive safely on the scene of those calls," said South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Nick Walsh. The department serves between 15,000 and 25,000 people, depending on the time of year, over 66 square miles. The department has four full-time fire fighters on duty at any time. There are times two of them will have to transport a patient to the mainland, leaving the department alarmingly understaffed. Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/south-whidbey-fire-taxes/281-de89c4fb-8012-45a9-989b-305f3c9568c6