By Kevin Hanson
The Courier-Herald
Those whose lives, homes and property are protected by local firefighters probably haven't noticed, but a power struggle is quietly being waged.
For years, local fire and emergency medical efforts have operated under the joint banner of Enumclaw/District 28. The city and the rural King County Fire Protection District 28 have jointly funded the department, which is headquartered in town and includes two outlying stations.
Despite the fact each puts in the same amount of money to support fire and EMT operations, the city has been the lead agency when it comes to administration. And that's where the current trouble originates.
The three-member District 28 board of commissioners has proposed a change in the way business is done, something the city initially balked at. The commissioners and Enumclaw City Council members, plus city administration, sat down for a face-to-face meeting in early August, with nothing resolved.
The proposal now on the table was offered by the city, a suggestion that both sides contribute to a feasibility study that would, hopefully, determine how the joint operation can best be administered.
City Administrator Mark Bauer said such a study would likely examine current levels of service, the cost of those services, the potential of adding facilities and future department personnel needs.
As of press time, the board of commissioners had not responded to the city's idea.
“We believe we're providing a good product for the citizens” of both the city and the district, Bauer said. “If we're going to change things dramatically, we need a plan that prepares us to continue that.”
David Hannity, who chairs the District 28 board, said the primary issue is fairness. “We don't have half the say over how the department is run,” he said, despite contributing half the money.
Aside from that, he notes the department responds to many more calls in the city than in the rural area.
The trend throughout the region, Hannity said, is for a complete and equitable merger of city and rural departments, where each has equal power. Under the current arrangement, district commissioners write a check each month to the city.
Hannity points out the city has myriad responsibilities - everything from police protection to library services and senior citizen programs - so “it seems to be a smart way of doing business” to turn over fire operation to the fire district. The district currently boasts a wealth of experience, he said, as all three commissioners are professional firefighters (current or retired).
While negotiations continue, the work done by paid staff and volunteers continues as normal. Randy Fehr, president of the local firefighter union, confirmed the current situation “is not really affecting the day-to-day operation of the department.”
The union isn't taking a position. Fehr said the union has had informal discussions with each side and, from his vantage point, “the bottom line is, whatever's in the best interest of the citizens.”
That's not to say the union is a disinterested third party. “We hope to become more active as things progress,” Fehr said.
But, for now, he added, “We just want it to get resolved, one way or the other.”
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.
