The state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a House bill that ensures firefighting resources can be mobilized statewide in response to disasters such as the Oso mudslide.
House Bill 1389 makes clear that a 20-year-old state law for wildfire mobilizations also applies to non-fire incidents such as landslides, earthquakes and floods.
But the Senate amended the bill to bar fire department resources from being deployed to assist law enforcement during a civil protest or demonstration other than to provide medical care or aid.
The Legislature has been working for several years to change this law that complicated response to the mudslide when a request from fire officials for a statewide mobilization was denied because it was a non-fire emergency.
The bill now returns to the House for what should be a final vote before being sent to Gov. Jay Inslee for his expected signature.
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