The level of fire service in Mill Creek has been debated for months.
The city since January has been in negotiations with Snohomish County Fire District 7 over how many firefighters and medics should be on shift at any time in Mill Creek and how much the city should pay for them.
It’s one of those things I check on every few weeks to make sure we don’t miss an important story.
There was an update this month.
The city’s contract with the fire district originally allotted them three emergency personnel at Fire Station 76, on 153rd Street SE off the Bothell-Everett Highway. That’s the only fire station in town.
Three crew members weren’t enough to cover all the calls for help in the city, Mill Creek City Manager Tim Burns said Monday. That meant other stations had to send backup units more often than preferred.
Since January, the fire district agreed to provide five people at Station 76 while they work out an agreement. People who live in town also passed an emergency medical services levy to help, Burns said.
Recently, the city and the fire district agreed to keep the station’s staffing at five people. What they haven’t agreed on is how much the city should pay for two more bodies.
When they do agree, that number will have to be approved by both City Council and the fire district’s board of commissioners, district spokeswoman Autumn Waite said earlier this month.
The City Council doesn’t meet in August, so it’s not clear when that might happen, she said.
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