CAMANO ISLAND FIRE AND RESCUE DISTRICT: Camano Fire department facing staffing, funding challenges (SCN)
Izzie Lund reports in the Stanwood Camano News on a press release from the Camano Island Fire and Rescue District.
Camano Island Fire and Rescue reports that it is struggling to keep up with an increasing number of emergency medical calls.
Volumes have increased 28% in the past five years, and staffing and funding are too low for the rising demand, according to a news release. Each year, the department responds to about 2,300 calls, with 66% requiring emergency medical services.
“We want to be more transparent with our community,” Chief Levon Yengoyan said in the release. “Right now, we are struggling to keep up with the demand for service. We need more firefighters.”
They Said It
The department is considering a proposal asking voters to lift the primary levy rate from 83 cents per $1,000 (which for a homeowner translates to $83 per $100,000 in house value) to $1.25 per $1,000 (which is $125 per $100,000 in value.) An increase to $1.25 would bring in about $7.5 million compared to the current $5 million, [Camano Fire Chief Levon] Yengoyan said.
“It’s about hiring additional firefighters and paramedics,” the chief said.” We need to staff up an additional paramedic unit on the island (and) increase some of our daytime staffing because that is when most of our calls occur.”
“That’s not even enough to maintain our service. We couldn’t even hire one additional firefighter,” Yengoyan said [referring to the roughly $50,000 additional revenue the district can add via taxes on its own each year]. “Without the levy lift, we can’t do what we’re currently doing well, meet the additional demand we have now and the future demand we’re expecting as the island continues to grow.”
Cuts would start with “not replacing firefighters that are planning on retiring and potentially looking at shutting down some of the units,” Yengoyan said [about the budget cuts the district would have to make without a levy lift]. “And if we’re not able to pass a lift in the future, that will lead to layoffs.”
“We want our community to understand how we are funded, what our limitations are and how we use their tax dollars to protect lives and property,” Yengoyan said. “We … look forward to having this important conversation.”
