Snohomish fire district seeks levy increase to expand staffing
EVERETT — Emergency calls are rising, response times are slowing and Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 is still operating under staffing numbers set in 2009.
Now, fire officials are asking voters to approve an emergency medical services levy increase in the Aug. 5 primary election to help close the gap.
First responders, with advanced life-saving training, provide critical pre-hospital care and transportation for those experiencing medical emergencies. The measure would restore the EMS levy to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, up from the current 36 cents, to fund two additional firefighter/paramedics per shift and improve response times. The levy was originally approved by voters in 2019 at 50 cents per $1,000 but has since fallen due to statutory limits on revenue growth.
Since 2009, the district has operated with 10 firefighters each shift at any given time. Starting Aug. 1, that number will increase to 12, adding a fourth unit to respond to medical emergencies. Without the levy’s approval, staffing would likely remain at 10 firefighters per shift for the foreseeable future, according to Fire Chief Don Waller. Officials hope the levy will help them gradually increase staffing to 13-15 firefighters per day by 2031.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-fire-district-seeks-levy-increase-to-expand-staffing/