As expected, King County officials took action last week to change the name of the local fire department.

It had been suggested locally that Fire District 28 be re-named Enumclaw Fire Department and legislation was proposed at the county level. The full Metropolitan King County Council made it official.

It was felt the Enumclaw name better reflected the community served by the department and avoids confusion, a critical element during a time of emergency.

“By changing Fire District 28 to the Enumclaw Fire Department, our citizens will know this is their fire department and we are here to serve this community,” Fire Chief Randy Fehr said.

“A large percentage of voters in and around Enumclaw think of Fire District 28 as the Enumclaw Fire Department,” added Stan McCall, chair of King County Fire District 28 board of commissioners. “This name change is important in order to avoid confusion and to get back to our roots as a community.”

The local department serves as the first response for residents of Enumclaw as well as 80 square miles of unincorporated King County surrounding the city.