PRESS RELEASE

Yakima County Fire District 5 sent a letter to all residents in December outlining areas where improvements are needed to continue providing an adequate emergency response. District 5 covers 800 square miles from White Swan to Grandview making it the largest fire district in the state geographically.

“Based on the amount of area we cover, we require more stations, apparatus and firefighters compared to other fire districts,” said Chief Ken Shipman. “We have prided ourselves on never asking for a tax increase. Now we require additional funding to continue providing emergency services residents require.”

District 5 was formed in 1947. The Fire District is struggling to provide adequate facilities, apparatus and staffing to respond to call volumes. There is also the regular threat of wildland fires in both populated and unpopulated areas. Preparing to fight those natural disasters is expensive, requiring specialized apparatus and equipment.

In addition to full-time firefighters, the Fire District has a long tradition of relying on volunteers to respond to calls to cover its large service area. Recruiting and retaining volunteers is a huge challenge for most rural fire districts, including District 5. Volunteering requires a significant time commitment, and the Fire District is secondary to work, family and other commitments volunteers may have.

Adequate facilities are an important part of attracting and retaining volunteers. Current facilities do not allow firefighters to sleep overnight at a fire station, which delays the Fire District’s emergency response. Renovating some fire stations is a necessity to provide effective emergency services for residents.

In the past year, the Board of Fire Commissioners developed a Strategic Plan to address capital and operation needs. The goal was to identify challenges to service, needed revenue and develop a plan that would reduce impacts to taxpayers.

For capital items, the Strategic Plan calls for renovating fire stations in Harrah (Station 3), Parker (Station 5), and Zillah (Station 10) and expanding the emergency dispatch center (Station 13). It also includes replacing some fire engines and wildland fire apparatus that has reached the end of its usable life. These capital projects would require a bond that the fire district is considering placing in front of voters sometime in 2023.

For operations, the Fire District is considering a fire levy increase sometime in 2024 or later to hire additional emergency personnel. Volunteers require flexibility as they juggle family, full-time jobs and/or school. Fewer volunteers leave gaps in coverage for residents, which results in overtime costs for paid staff that is expensive for taxpayers.

It takes a few years to complete station renovation projects and take delivery of emergency apparatus from the time they are ordered. That’s why District 5 wants to stagger these funding requests so taxpayers aren’t paying for stations and firefighters that aren’t in service.

“Volunteers are the backbone of District 5. We couldn’t save lives and property without them,” said Chief Shipman. “This requires adequate facilities, apparatus and equipment to improve outcomes for the people we serve.”

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Yakima County Fire District 5 provides fire suppression, prevention, emergency medical service and a wildland fire response to 36,000 people over 800 square miles from. District 5 is proud to be a “combination department” relying on volunteers, part-time and full-time emergency personnel to respond to calls. Visit www.ycfd5.org to learn more about the fire district. We also welcome volunteer applications online or by contacting our main office at (509) 829-5111.

Anyone who has ever spec’d out a new apparatus knows there is more to spec’ing than just writing the specs and selecting a manufacturer. Assembling the apparatus purchasing committee and managing the myriad personalities that will exist can be as challenging as getting the specs ready. And, that’s long before a fire company has to approach it’s town council about funding the rig.

In this episode of Talking Trucks & Equipment, Editor in Chief Chris Mc Loone talks to Chief Michael Greco, Hasbrouck Heights (NJ) Fire Department about his department’s new rig (currently being spec’d), how to navigate justifying the expense of a new rig to civilians, the nuances of choosing his truck committee, and about some of the unique response considerations that went into the design of the new rescue-pumper. Mc Loone and Greco sum up the interview talking about Chief Greco’s bigger than life father, Tony Greco.

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Archived Episodes

Chris Mc Loone talks fire trucks with Mark Aronberg, assistant fire commissioner, Bureau of Fleet Services with the FDNY.

Chris Mc Loone and Ricky Riley talk about low hosebeds, fleet maintenance, and recent rigs and why they were impressive.

Chris Mc Loone talks to Bob Mitchell, owner-princpal of Mitchell Associates Architects, about where to start if you’re getting ready to design and build a new station.

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Fire Station 10 needed for ‘vertical neighborhoods’ downtown

PRESS RELEASE

Sun glints off gold shovels at @BvueFD Station 10 groundbreaking Wednesday! Mayor Robinson and Fire Chief Hagen are third and fourth from left respectively. Deputy Mayor Nieuwenhuis and councilmembers Lee, Robertson and Zahn also dig in. Photo by @firedogphotos. pic.twitter.com/WEaQX0YtOh

— Bellevue, Washington (@bellevuewa) March 23, 2023

Construction of Bellevue’s first new fire station in 29 years will begin later this month or in early April. The community is invited to a groundbreaking celebration at the construction site, Northeast 12th Street and 112th Avenue Northeast, on Wednesday, March 22, at 3:30 p.m. 

Fire Station 10 will make it easier for firefighters to respond quickly to fires and medical emergencies in Bellevue’s “vertical neighborhoods” downtown and in BelRed. 

Bellevue (WA) to Buy First Electric Fire Engine with Help from $649K Grant

The Bellevue Fire Department is rated among the top 1% of fire departments in the U.S., but high-rise apartment and condominium complexes downtown and going up in BelRed make it harder for firefighters to continue to respond to calls within the department’s target of four minutes, from time of call to the arrival of the first unit. Traffic congestion, other incidents and the additional time required to move staff and equipment up 60+ stories can slow response. 

Currently, Northtowne, Wilburton and West Bellevue (including downtown) are served by fire stations in Clyde Hill, West Bellevue and BelRed. 

Cornerstone General Contractor will build Fire Station 10 on the 1200 block of 112th Avenue Northeast, just north of McCormick Park. The $32 million building will be a two-story, approximately 20,000-foot building with three drive-through bays for fire engines and other apparatus.

The project meets numerous firefighter health and wellness requirements, and has eco-friendly features including solar and groundwater heating and cooling. A wetland on the property will be restored, and many trees on the site will be preserved during construction. New trees will be planted to help screen the station from houses in the surrounding neighborhood.

Construction of Fire Station 10 has been delayed due to the pandemic and other reasons. The station is expected to be completed by the spring of 2025.

Rick McCrabb
Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
(TNS)

Mar. 23—MIDDLETOWN — The cost of building and furnishing four fire stations in Middletown is burning out of control.

Originally thought to cost $16.9 million, the cost to construct fire stations has increased to $19.8 million in January and now the total cost, including “soft costs,” is estimated at $26.6 million, according to firms that made presentations Tuesday night during the City Council meeting.

The increases are being blamed due to inflation and cost of building materials, according to projections from App Architecture, the Englewood firm hired to perform the designs.

In May 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-mill property tax levy to fund the building of the fire stations. At the time, the levy was expected to generate enough revenue to replace the city’s aging fire stations and headquarters.

The city was always going to pay for furnishing the fire stations.

In the last 12 to 18 months, the cost of goods has continued to rise and the inflation is impacting the cost of the fire stations that are expected to last 50 to 60 years.

City Council agreed to spend about $5 million out of its capital reserve budget at its January work session, but it’s unclear how the city will fund the additional $5 million to construct and equip the four stations.

These estimates include construction costs ($23.4 million), construction contingencies ($617,000) and “soft costs” ($2.6 million), according to the presenters.

City Manager Paul Lolli said once the city has received “more concrete, exact numbers” on total construction costs, City Council will hold a work session to discuss possible solutions.

“We will make this work,” said Lolli, the city’s former fire chief.

He promised residents the city would make “good, informed decisions.”

City leaders, including Fire Chief Tom Snively, said they’re considering ways to offset the funding gap. Snively said the department has applied for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, but those funds are only eligible for personnel.

The Middletown Division of Fire, which is responding to more calls for service with fewer firefighters, hopes to receive a to fund the hiring of eight firefighters and one lieutenant.

Council member Rodney Muterspaw, the city’s former police chief, said he wanted to assure residents who supported the fire levy that “extravagant” fire stations aren’t being built.

Mayor Nicole Condrey said it makes her “sick to my stomach” when she thinks about the rising costs of everything, not just the fire stations, at a time when employees are receiving small percentage raises.

Tim Bement from App Architecture said his firm also is working on building four stations in Springfield. Like Middletown, that city is dealing with rising construction costs, he said.

Handling construction costs is “a real challenge,” he said.

In January, City Council approved an agreement with Pepper Construction Co. of Ohio to serve as construction manager at-risk. The company will be paid no more than $2,984,000 out of the fire levy fund, according to the staff report.

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ESTIMATED COSTS OF MIDDLETOWN’S FOUR FIRE STATIONS — New fire headquarters location replacing the 1.38-acre site on Roosevelt Boulevard: A 3.6-acre site at Yankee Road and Cherry Street owned by the city as acquired from the Middletown City Schools and former site of Garfield school. Size: 24,300 square feet. Total cost: $10.5 million. — Station No. 81 loc