Last week’s paper included a report on the unfortunate incident when a local man threatened our community with a homemade bomb. I was so impressed with the response of various agencies, I want to further acknowledge them.

I arrived at the scene about an hour after Marshal Lenny Marlborough established command. I was amazed to find how much had already happened. The street was closed, fire engines and ambulances were on the ready, people were being evacuated from their homes, an emergency shelter was set up. In addition to all of the Town’s deputy marshals reporting to duty, we had assistance from other agencies. Within one hour, the Town of Coupeville, Island County Sheriff’s Department, Oak Harbor Police Department, WA State Patrol, Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue, Whidbey General EMS, Island Transit and the Red Cross were on the scene.

Under Marshal Marlborough’s command, the scene was stabilized and people in the immediate vicinity were out of harm’s way in short order. Oak Harbor Police Department Sgt. Shawn Magorrian used his specialized training and established telephone contact with the highly agitated suspect, and maintained it for hours.

Members of the State Patrol SWAT team arrived at 2 a.m. I was surprised to learn that these highly trained officers had driven from Everett, Olympia, Moses Lake, Kennewick and Tri-Cities. The team was active within minutes of their arrival.

Fortunately, the situation was resolved peacefully. The suspect was in custody shortly after 5 a.m. and the makeshift bomb removed and the scene cleared shortly after.

While most of Coupeville slept, eight agencies kept them safe through a serious threat. I watched the entire process, and want to commend every person involved. Professionals and volunteers worked together in a seamless way — no egos, no territorial conflicts — every person focused on resolving the conflict and keeping the community safe. More than 50 people were involved in one way or another.

Emergency services of this type are rarely appreciated until the need for them occurs. Thankfully, we don’t need them often. When we did, they were great. Thank you to the individuals and agencies who took care of Coupeville that night.

Nancy Conard, mayor

Town of Coupeville