Roland Emetaz lives by a simple philosophy.
“If you rest, you rust,” he said.
Spend some time with “Em,” as he’s known, and it doesn’t take long to realize he takes that mantra seriously. At 82, the retired U.S. Forest Service worker remains involved in a dizzying array of volunteer roles and service activities that take him all over the region. He regularly spends time at his two “office” locations — a Starbucks on East Mill Plain Boulevard, and Thatcher’s Coffee at the Grand Central shopping center — working on one task or another.
Often, Emetaz’s work takes him outdoors. His Fitbit device recently recorded more than 35,000 steps in one day. Still, Emetaz shrugs at his hectic schedule.
“The communities that I’ve been involved in have been good to me, and I want to give something back,” Emetaz said.
Emetaz isn’t the type to seek recognition for his efforts. But they haven’t gone unnoticed. The Forest Service plans to honor Emetaz this year with a regional Volunteer Award for Enduring Service. He’ll officially receive the award in September.
“He deserved it many years ago,” said Sue Ripp, a Forest Service public affairs officer.
Forest Service career
Emetaz spent a 38-year career with the Forest Service, working various positions on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument during that time. He never really wanted to retire, he said, but did so in 1993. He didn’t exactly stop working.
The following year, Emetaz was selected to travel to the Czech Republic to work with that country’s mountain service. An avalanche expert, Emetaz helped Czech officials establish and improve search-and-rescue programs. He spent two months there despite not speaking the language, he said.
Emetaz considers that adventure one of the high points of his life in service. He also formed lasting connections, and has returned to the country multiple times since the initial trip. He plans to travel to the Czech Republic again this fall to attend a wedding with a family he’s gotten to know there.
Emetaz also gives avalanche presentations in Washington and Oregon. He helped start the Northwest Avalanche Center, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to avalanche safety and education. Emetaz still serves the avalanche center as a board member. Benj Wadsworth, the avalanche center’s nonprofit executive director, called Emetaz “the grandfather of the organization.”
“He’s great, and we hope to have him around forever,” Wadsworth said. “He doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so we might.”
Emetaz’s other roles include working as a communication officer with incident management teams during wildfire season. Among the local organizations he’s involved with are Confluence and the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. For the Forest Service, Emetaz has contributed to projects with a group known as OGWBS — “Old Guys Who Build Stuff.” That group of forest service retirees maintains trails, shelters and other facilities.
“They’re the greatest group,” said Ripp, the forest service spokeswoman. “And they care so much about the land and the facilities.”
‘Doing good’
Emetaz spent a recent morning picking up trash on the Vancouver Land Bridge, something he regularly does during the warm-weather months. Confluence, formerly known as the Confluence Project, was a major force behind the structure that reconnected Fort Vancouver with the Columbia River.
The bridge has become a part of Emetaz’s routine. A typical Friday, for example, sees Emetaz rise at 3:30 a.m. to meet a walking group at 4 a.m. Their usual route goes across the land bridge. If Emetaz sees something simple that needs cleaning, he’ll return later to take care of it. If he sees something more significant, such as graffiti or a broken light, he’ll notify either the Washington State Department of Transportation or the city of Vancouver.
“They’re both amazing,” Emetaz said. “If I’ve seen it one day, reported it, it’s gone the next day.”
Though routine is part of Emetaz’s life, he has evolved in other ways. For years, Emetaz prided himself on being “cell-less,” “mouse-less” and “tube-less” long after those technologies became commonplace. Now, he totes an iPhone and pecks away at a laptop in his coffee-shop offices. (Though he still orders a coffee and a chocolate chip cookie upon every visit to Thatcher’s.)
Emetaz hasn’t relented on being “tube-less” — he doesn’t have a television. Instead, he’s a faithful newspaper reader.
A broad agreement with the Forest Service allows Emetaz to volunteer anywhere in Washington or Oregon. He logs and reports more than 400 hours per year, according to the forest service.
More than anything, Emetaz said, he’s driven by a service ethic to help people. He used his avalanche talks as an example: Twice, he said, he’s been told by people that something they learned from him saved their life.
“You feel you’re doing good,” Emetaz said. “That’s why I’m continuing.”
