For the April 28 special election, the Mirror recommends voting “yes” on South King Fire and Rescue’s bond measure, Proposition 1.
The fire district is asking voters to approve a bond that will fund the replacement of 27 vehicles and one boat, upgrade all eight of the district’s fire stations and build a new one in south Federal Way.
The bond will also upgrade the district’s training campus, allow them to build a new vehicle maintenance fleet facility, replace equipment and upgrade information systems and technology.
A fundamental goal of the fire district is to provide fast emergency response. The district’s average response time is three minutes and 39 seconds; this measure would maintain this fast response.
In just four years, the district’s calls for service have increased by 14 percent with 15,500 emergency calls in 2010 to 17,695 calls in 2014.
That number is expected to only go up.
Federal Way’s population is expected to rise, as three apartment complexes, two senior living centers, one town home complex, a school and two businesses are currently in the works.
Coupled with the rising population, the district’s aging fire engines that need to be replaced pose a potential barrier to fast emergency response.
Maintaining aging fire engines is also costly as parts that wear down need to be replaced.
In addition, the district needs upgrades to its existing fire stations. Most of the agency’s stations are over 40 years old, and because they are not retrofitted for earthquakes, the facilities could collapse during such a disaster.
A “yes” vote would ensure that the fire district has top-notch equipment and facilities to be able to provide us with the best service as possible. Not only do firefighters respond to calls for fire, they also provide emergency medical help.
In fact, 80 percent of the calls South King Fire receives are from people who need emergency medical assistance. This includes when a senior falls down and needs help getting up or when someone is having a heart attack.
The last bond measure that voters in the district approved was in 1992. The district held off on asking voters to approve another bond in 2006, when the recession impacted the economy.
Now is the time.
The bond measure comes with a hefty price tag — $53.7 million over 20 years. But the cost for the average homeowner of a $250,000 home would only be about $78 per year, or $6.50 per month. District officials say that cost is equivalent to two lattes a month. The life-saving benefits the bond would provide far outweigh that cost. This bond measure represents an investment in not only our firefighters, but in our safety. Vote “yes” for South King Fire and Rescue’s bond measure.
Contact the Mirror’s editorial board at editorialboard@federalwaymirror.com
