Date: July 14, 2022
Contact: Fire Chief Randy Fehr O (360) 825-5544 C (253) 561-2630 rfehr@enumclawfire.org
Public Invited to Learn More About Enumclaw Fire Department’s Levy Lid Lift
Measure on August 2 Primary Election ballot will increase staffing and unit reliability
ENUMCLAW, WASH. – The Enumclaw Fire Department (EFD) invites residents to learn more about a proposed fire levy lid lift on the August 2, 2022 Primary Election ballot. If approved by voters, EFD would hire three additional firefighter/emergency medical technicians to keep a fire engine and medical aid unit in service 24-hours a day, increasing reliability during 911 calls.
The meetings will take place on July 21 (7 p.m.) and July 30 (10 a.m.) at the Enumclaw Fire Department’s Headquarters Station located at 1330 Wells Street, Enumclaw, WA 98022. The public is encouraged to attend and learn more.
With a 12.6% increase in emergency call volumes in the last year, these new hires would ensure that EFD can quickly respond to emergencies with a higher likelihood of success. In addition to higher call volumes as the local population grows, overlapping calls account for nearly 20% of all emergencies – and that number is increasing.
Fire District staff are concerned that this issue is one of safety for Enumclaw residents and its firefighters. Additional personnel will enable the agency to keep both a medical aid unit and a fire engine in service 24 hours a day. At present, a fire engine must be taken out of service when overlapping calls occur.
“I was a full-time firefighter before I became a fire chief. We worked hard, but not to the point that our firefighters are doing now,” says Fire Chief Randy Fehr. “We’re filling shifts with overtime at this point. Our firefighters are stepping up, but this is exhausting for them and is not financially sustainable for our taxpayers. We require additional emergency personnel for the safety of our community and its firefighters.” Enumclaw firefighters have publicly stated that they support the fire levy lid lift.
The Fire District is asking voters to return the fire levy from $1.36 to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The 14-cent lid lift would cost $5.83 per month ($70 a year) for the owner of a $500,000 home. (The assessed value of a property is lower than its market value.)
More information on the fire levy lid lift can be found on the Fire District’s website at www.enumclawfire.org. Chief Fehr welcomes questions at (360) 825-5544 or rfehr@enumclawfire.org.
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The Enumclaw Fire Department provides fire and life safety services to 22,500 people over 56 square miles. EFD relies on full-time and volunteer emergency personnel to respond to an average of 2,500 calls a year, 74% of which are for emergency medical service. Firefighters are highly trained to provide quality emergency services often found in larger communities, such as technical rescue, hazardous material spills, auto extrication, fire prevention and life safety programs.