Mercer Island’s potential adoption of a regional fire services model rolled back onto the city council’s docket at its May 2 hybrid meeting.
After the city received a pair of proposals from the Bellevue Fire Department and Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) this month, the city council formed an ad-hoc committee to assist City Manager Jessi Bon review and evaluate the documents over the next two months.
Council unanimously approved the development of the committee, which will consist of Mayor Salim Nice and councilmembers Lisa Anderl and Craig Reynolds.
“The city looks forward to a thorough discussion of the various paths forward, as well as input from residents of the Mercer Island community,” reads a city report, adding that the committee will impart a presentation and update to council in June.
Following the issuance of Bon’s recommendation letter to the community to move toward a regional route, city council authorized and directed Bon at its April 4 meeting to seek proposals. Bon announced at that meeting that she believes adopting a regional model “will provide opportunities for a more cohesive, efficient and cost-effective fire service on Mercer Island.”
If the transition occurs, both Island fire stations 91 and 92 would remain open and staffed and residents’ taxes would not be impacted, said Bon, adding that safety remains the city’s No. 1 priority.
Bellevue Fire Chief Jay Hagen submitted his department’s five-pronged proposal of effectiveness to Bon and noted that through his collaboration with the Mercer Island Fire Department over the years, “I am impressed by your department’s professionalism, staff, and dedication to teamwork and customer service.”
Hagen feels the partnership would be an ideal fit because Bellevue and Mercer Island share similar assessed values, demographics, natural hazards and community risks. On the successful collaboration front, he said that in 2022 alone, the two departments partnered on 418 responses. Also a plus is the Bellevue department’s close proximity to the Island and it can provide immediate support and resources.
Further in the advantage column, Hagen said that consolidation of resources and specialized services — including a public information officer, a data and system division and more — will come into play as a personalized service will remain intact.
Over at EF&R, Fire Chief Ben Lane — who is also contracted to serve as the Island’s interim fire chief — wrote to Bon that his agency values the relationship it has built with the city.
In his robust proposal, Lane said that EF&R displays pride in providing an all-hazards response to its partners and contract agencies, including the city of Woodinville and the Snoqualmie Tribe. Also through its contract with the Island, EF&R’s Doug McDonald serves as the city’s interim deputy fire chief.
According to a previous Reporter article, Bon said the city saves about $100,000 a year with Lane and McDonald on board, and that leadership structure would remain intact if the city adopts a regional model.
In part, Lane said that the Island will see an enhancement in technical rescue services by EF&R’s strategically located specialty stations; stations 91 and 92 will each have a captain, lieutenants, engineers and firefighters; the city won’t experience a reduction in response times as current staffing levels and the resource deployment model will remain the same; a 28-member suppression staff will be assigned equally across four shifts; and there will be an improvement in hazardous materials response capabilities since the agency is part of an Eastside consortium and staffs haz-mat technician level certified firefighters.
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