PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Fire District 2 commissioners will consider asking voters for a levy lid lift to improve west side response times and to replace aging vehicles and equipment.
District Chief Jake Patterson said Friday the proposed 50-cent levy lid lift, if approved by commissioners March 17, would go before voters in a special election Aug. 6.
It would raise about $660,000 per year for two full-time firefighters to cover the area west of Port Angeles during weekday work hours and to implement the district’s equipment and vehicle replacement plan.
“We want to let the public know what we’re thinking,” Patterson said in a Friday interview.
“We’ve been informing our Board of Commissioners about our process, and ultimately it will be their decision.”
Patterson said the proposal would raise the levy rate from 86 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $1.36 per $1,000.
District commissioners are expected to consider the levy lid lift at their next regular meeting March 17.
The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the district’s administrative office at 1212 E. First St. in Port Angeles.
Patterson said a committee was formed last September to evaluate district’s staffing, resources deployment and equipment needs.
The committee identified a need to add full-time firefighters to cover the west side of the district from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Currently the fire district only has two firefighters on duty 24/7 each day and they are housed at the fire station in Gales Addition, which creates long response times to the western portion of the district,” Patterson said in a Friday news release.
“The on-duty staff is joined by volunteer firefighters and EMT’s who still represent the majority of the fire district responders.”
The proposed levy would fund one firefighter/EMT and one firefighter/paramedic to staff the Dry Creek station during the day Monday through Friday, Patterson said in an email.
Clallam County Fire District 2 covers 85 square miles of unincorporated area outside of the city of Port Angeles from east of Deer Park Road to west of Lake Sutherland.
Port Angeles has its own fire department.
The second need identified by the committee was to implement a fully-funded equipment and vehicle replacement plan, Patterson said.
“There are several fire engines and water tenders in the district which need to be removed from service in the next one to five years and there is not enough current revenue to fund their replacement,” Patterson said.
Patterson said one of the engines being used by the district was put into service in 1991.
The committee, which was composed of Patterson and a deputy chief, administrative supervisor, labor union representative, volunteer firefighter and two at-large citizens, reached a consensus to recommend the levy lid lift.
Patterson said about 60 percent of the district’s calls originate on the east side of Port Angeles and 40 percent are west-side calls.
Clallam County Fire District No. 2 received 1,664 calls for service in 2019, according to its website, www.clallamfire2.org.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
