Harland is Medical Lake SCOPE volunteer of the year

Officials at the Medical Lake-Espanola SCOPE (Sheriff's Community Oriented Policing Effort) office have selected Frances Harland as the office's volunteer of the year.

Harland has been a part of the Medical Lake-Espanola SCOPE for nine years.

"The volunteers here are a lot of fun to work with," Harland said. "They make it worthwhile."

Prior to volunteering with SCOPE, Harland said she was a prison chaplain and has worked at several facilities, including the Pine Lodge Corrections Center in Medical Lake, the Airway Heights Correctional Center and the McNeil Island Correctional Center. During her time as a chaplain, Harland said her main duties included providing counseling to prisoners and making sure their "needs were met."

"There's a transformation in prisoners when they find religion," Harland said. "(As a chaplain) I've met many nice men through the prison system."

Harland has lived in Medical Lake for 30 years and was the first woman chaplain for the Medical Lake Fire Department.

"I even played Santa Claus one year," Harland said with a laugh. "None of the men wanted to do it, so I said 'I'll do it.'"

Harland performs many of the duties as other SCOPE volunteers, including fingerprinting children and taking their pictures for Operation Family Identification. She's also volunteered as crowd control at events like the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival and the Special Olympics Polar Plunge. However, Harland said her favorite part of her SCOPE duties is patrolling the streets because it allows her to "get out into the community" and interact with residents.

Harland recalled one incident where she and her son Keith were on patrol one day and a man pulled over next to them. He explained he had chest pains and could not drive. After the Harlands contacted 911, they stayed with the man, who they learned was in the U.S. Air Force and was going to be deployed that day.

"People ask questions and they are happy to see us," Frances Harland said. "We've helped prevent tragedies. If we see something that is amiss, we'll call the deputy and they'll show up and take care of it."

Keith Harland, who has been with SCOPE since 2004, said he enjoys going out on patrol with his mother and working with her at the office.

"It's kind of neat, I'm very proud of her," he said of his mother receiving Volunteer of the Year.

When asked how long she would like to continue volunteering with SCOPE, Frances Harland said, "As long as I can."

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].