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Our friend and colleague, Mike Colmant, was killed in a tragic crash on April 11. The news shocked and saddened all of us who worked with Mike at King County International Airport-Boeing Field over the past two decades. He leaves behind his wife, Dorie, and daughter, Sydney. Our deepest sympathies go out to both of them.
As many of you know, Mike was an avid cyclist, runner, and swimmer. He competed in a number of marathons and half-marathons, and was even a ten-time finisher in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Completing even one Ironman triathlon is an accomplishment in itself, as participants are challenged to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon of 26.2 miles, all in a single day. That Mike finished the Ironman ten times, not to mention all the qualifying competitions and training leading up to the championship event, speaks to his tenacity and ability to get a job done.
Mike was a native of Canada, and never forgot those roots. In fact, his wife and daughter still lived in British Columbia, and Mike would make a trip north every couple of weeks to be with his family. When the COVID pandemic closed the border more than a year ago, Mike found a way to stay in contact by meeting Dorie and Sydney at Peace Arch Park in Blaine. Only there were they still able to see each other without "officially" crossing the border.
Mike's co-workers at the airport shared these thoughts.
- John Parrott: "He was a great colleague and a dear friend. He will be sorely missed."
- Vanessa Chin: "Mike had this warmth to him. He took me under his wing and anytime I walked past his office, he would invite me in to have a conversation and hear my perspective."
- Raleigh Salazar: "Mike made me a better leader, a better professional and a better manager."
- Ellen Knowlen: "It was truly a privilege to work for [Mike] and I'll miss him stopping by my office to raid the office candy dish."
King County Executive Dow Constantine paid tribute to Mike in a statement:
"[Mike was] a tireless public servant, as deputy director at King County International Airport he worked on behalf of aviators, businesses, and our region as a whole."
Folks in the Puget Sound aviation community shared these memories of Mike on Facebook.
- Greg Phillips: "My experience of Mike was as a gentle soul who cared about everyone and was extremely conscientious in his work."
- Laurie Brown: "Mike was a true professional and a great person. You gave it your all and I will miss you."
- Don Garvett: "Mike was a fine man and a true professional. He will be missed in many ways."
- Susan McFee Anderson: "Michael was one of my first childhood friends. All of us remember him as one of the good guys. He was truly born to his profession."
- Brad Landreth: "It’s hard to find the right words to express the sorrow that all of us in the airport community feel right now. Rest in peace, my friend."
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Everyone is invited to a memorial bike ride and walk for Mike Colmant on Saturday, May 15 at 2 p.m., hosted by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. The bike ride will start at Be’er Sheva Park next to the intersection of Seward Park South and South Henderson Street. The walk will start at Seward Park, just north of the entry way traffic circle. Both the bike ride and walk will meet at the crash site where Mike’s family and friends will speak.
See the SNG Facebook page for additional details. We also hope to have a Zoom call from the gathering site for those who are unable to participate in person. Please contact Vanessa Chin for details about the Zoom call.
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About 25 airport employees, some with their kids in tow, participated in a cleanup of Airport Way South in mid-April. All together, they picked up nearly 2,300 pounds of trash, about 600 pounds more than during the 2019 effort.
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Among the trash collected, employees found credit cards, liquor bottles, car parts and wheels, lots of hardware, pallets, steel slabs and a freezer door.
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Seafair has announced that the Blue Angels will be participating virtually in The Boeing Air Show during this summer’s events, despite an earlier announcement that they would be returning live.
“Activities include a fully simulated performance by the U.S. Blue Angels – complete with narration and an appearance by the C-130 aircraft, Fat Albert,” Seafair said on their website.
The Blue Angels pilots will also participate in interviews during Fleet Week, Aug. 2-6.
Get more information about Seafair.
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Peter Powell and his family (including three year-old and 11-month old grandchildren) recently completed at 2.6 hour trip and landed at Boeing Field. After the long flight, they enjoyed a memorable encounter.
“Sheriff Herman arrived on the scene and brought out his firefighting helmet and placed it on my grandson’s (Rylan) head,” Powell said in an email of thanks to Chief Greg Thomas. “He was thrilled!!! This is all he talks about. He made a three year old ecstatic.”
“Please relay my thanks. It was a great experience for all!”
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Did you know that the King County Sherriff's deputies who staff the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) unit at the airport are also trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)?
As part of their initial training, deputies who join ARFF complete a four-week EMT school. They also take the national exam to obtain their EMT license. Once licensed, they operate under the guidelines established by Washington State and King County EMS. Continuing education for EMTs includes online training and hands-on skills sessions completed at least every quarter.
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Photo above: Deputy Matheson (ARFF) draws up Epinephrine for a simulated anaphylaxis patient while MPO Rains (ARFF) looks on.
A small group of ARFF EMT instructors coordinate and deliver medical training to the rest of the ARFF team. ARFF’s instructors also serve the entire Sheriff’s Office by providing the ongoing training for EMTs who are assigned elsewhere within the department, including EMTs assigned to SWAT, Metro, Roads Division, Court Security and Patrol.
Photo at right: Deputy McEvilly (Metro) and Deputy Sorrells (ARFF) practice Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
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