The recent articles on Community Transit and the Lynnwood Fire Department have prompted me to write. As a fire captain at Fire District 1, I have an up-close view of the detriment to service that in-fighting among similar agencies causes. It is clear to me that the only ones who lose in these turf wars are the customers – the citizens who use these services.
The best solution for delivering these services, whether fire or transportation, is regionalization. One need only look to the Sno-Isle Library System for a local success story on regionalizing a service. Cities like Everett and Lynnwood, with their arrogant “I’ve gotta have my own” attitudes towards their neighbors, stand firmly in the way of cost-effective, customer-focused services like fire, library and transportation. CT should take a cue from Fire District 1, and expend more energy looking for win-win situations, and less energy posturing. Lynnwood should realize that they’ve been left behind and are now the tail trying to wag the dog of southwest Snohomish County emergency services.
Everett
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