Smokey Point fire service changing
Published 10:39 am Friday, September 24, 2010
ARLINGTON — A federal grant will help the local fire department shoulder the cost of a new service area this fall.
Starting Oct. 1, the Arlington Fire Department will begin serving Smokey Point, which was annexed into the city years ago, city spokeswoman Chris Badger said.
Smokey Point previously received emergency and fire services primarily through the Marysville Fire District.
The grant, which will come in installments over a period of the next few years, will help pay for two of the four new staff members, Badger said. The department hired two new firefighters and two paramedics to staff the station serving Smokey Point.
Budget crunches forced the department to scrap its plan to build a brand-new station, Badger said. Instead, an industrial building on Smokey Point Boulevard was converted into a temporary fire station, complete with sleeping area for firefighters and a garage for the fire engine.
“It will do for a while, until the economy gets a little better,” Badger said.
A new station would have cost about $3.6 million, she said. The temporary solution cost about $250,000.
Like many rural fire departments, the Arlington Fire Department relies on grant funds to make ends meet, Badger said. The department has received almost $800,000 since 2005.
Arlington fire officials have been trying for a while to get the funds. They were next in line after more needy departments, Badger said. The department regularly applies for two other major federal grants, one to help buy equipment and the other to pay for fire prevention services.
After the economy turned sour, other departments that won the grant had to pass on the money because they couldn’t fulfill their obligation to hire, Badger explained. The new service area allowed Arlington to make a compelling case: New firefighters were needed no matter what.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
Meet firefighters
The public is invited to come by the temporary station and meet the firefighters on Oct. 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The station is at 18824 Smokey Point Blvd., unit 104, Arlington.
