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Edmonds could jettison fire department

• Advocates say regional fire authority would be cheaper, better, but critics are worried about costs

By Chris Fyall
Enterprise editor

For 104 years, the city of Edmonds has had its own fire department, with its own fire trucks, fire stations and fire chief.

That could soon change, however, as city officials cope with a $5.4 million shortfall between 2009 and 2010.

In 2008 alone, the city's fire department will siphon $4 million from the general fund, officials said.

To combat the rising cost of fire protection, Edmonds' fire department and three other fire departments across south Snohomish County began discussions in August that could create a regional fire protection authority that would handle fires and medical emergencies with one fire chief, and no jurisdictional boundaries.

A fire authority would be able to levy its own property taxes, which could mean an increased tax bill for Edmonds residents, critics of the plan said.

Two meetings have been held, and discussions are ongoing, with officials with Edmonds, Mukilteo, Woodway, Mountlake Terrace, Brier, Mill Creek and Fire District 1 and Fire District 7 participating, Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson said Sept. 15.

Fire District 1 covers about 150,000 people in a district that includes unincorporated Snohomish County, and the cities of Woodway, Mountlake Terrace and Brier. Fire District 7 covers 50,000 people mostly in Mill Creek and surrounding areas.

Fire District 1 commissioners are scheduled to vote Friday, Sept. 19, to hire a consultant to study the issue.

The city of Lynnwood is open to discusing the issue but is busy preparing for annexations, said Fire Chief Gary Larson.

Still, officials are pushing ahead, despite pointed questions from skeptics.

Councilmember Ron Wambolt said even if Edmonds' city government would save money with a fire authority, its residents probably would not.

Edmonds' fire department gets about $8 million a year, according to Fire Chief Tom Tomberg. About $4 million comes from the city's general fund, and the rest is from other sources like the Emergency Management Services levy Edmonds taxpayers approved in May.

If Edmonds' general fund stopped supporting the fire department, taxpayers would likely be asked to step in, Wambolt said during a city retreat in August.

"The efficiencies are going to take a while. This is a long-term solution," he said. "I would rather be up front and say to the voters, 'We need more tax dollars,' and ask for that."

Despite those concerns, fire authorities are increasingly popular.

"Right now, there's an opportunity to provide better service," said Jim Kenny, who chairs the Snohomish County Fire District 1 board of directors. "There are administrative savings you'd generate by having, essentially, one fire department for all of southwest Snohomish County."

Fire authorities are like fire districts, but cities can create them. A city like Edmonds could annex into a fire district, like Fire District 1, but it could not help create its own.

The Washington Legislature opened the door to fire authorities when it approved a law creating them in 2004.

In Snohomish County, Fire Districts 14 and 18 combined to form the North County Fire Authority in the Stanwood area.

Last year, the city of Auburn jettisoned its long-standing fire department of 80 employees to become part of the Valley Regional Fire Authority with the cities of Algona and Pacific in south King County, serving some 77,000 residents. Kent also has been considering abolishing its fire department.

"When you're talking about delivering training to firefighters, about delivering unique equipment … there's really no need for every city to put together training materials that may or may not be used all that often," said Eric Robertson, Valley Regional Fire Authority administrator.

Other successful departments give officials here hope.

The possibility of annexing into a district or merging has been explored eight times in the past 20 years, but it doesn't work for Edmonds, Haakenson said.

But a fire authority could change the equation, he said.

"One regional fire department makes a lot of sense," Haakenson said. "There is less equipment, there is less management, and there is less administration.

"There are a lot more positives at this point than there negatives," he said.

Lynnwood editor Oscar Halpert contributed to this report

Reporter Chris Fyall: 425-673-6525 or cfyall@heraldnet.com