ARLINGTON — The Arlington Rural fire district wants to add around-the-clock staffing and build a second fire station to better protect people and property.
To do that, it is asking voters to approve a levy on the November general election ballot.
The levy would draw $1.50 per $1,000 of property value, meaning a $300 annual bill for the owner of a $200,000 house. That’s more than double the district’s current levy of 69 cents per $1,000.
“It is a more expensive service, but it’s a financial investment in your life, health and safety, and a financial investment in the potential savings in (home) insurance,” Fire Chief Travis Hots said.
The fire district relies primarily on volunteers to respond to emergency calls. Over time, it’s gotten harder and harder to recruit and retain volunteers and have them trained to state standards, Hots said.
In recent months, that’s meant as few as one or two volunteers are available at any given moment.
“The biggest thing is we want to guarantee a response, and we can’t do that anymore with the current makeup of the volunteers,” Hots said.
Arlington Rural, also known as Snohomish County Fire District 21, serves 8,214 people living in 68 square miles in the unincorporated areas of Arlington Heights, Trafton, Jim Creek, Jordan Road and Burn Road. The annual budget is about $883,600, and the crews get roughly 600 calls for help a year, mostly medical emergencies.
If approved by voters, the levy would draw about $590,000 a year.
The money also would be used for training on firefighting, medical skills and technical rescues, and replacing aging equipment, Hots said. The fire district is split in half by the South Fork Stillaguamish River, where water rescue calls and flooding are common.
The new fire station would be built in the south end of the district, perhaps in the McElroy Road or Burn Road area, Hots said.
The idea is to have fewer homes and buildings in the district that are farther than five miles from the nearest fire station, Hots said.
The proposed changes in the Arlington Rural district are similar to work Hots has done in Getchell, where he is also the fire chief. For example, making sure all his crews have basic medical training.
“We desire to provide the same services that everyone else is providing in the county, and we can’t do that anymore,” Hots said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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