In the next few days Edmonds voters will be asked to decide whether the City should annex into South County Fire (SCF). We have been contracting for fire and emergency services to our city for 15 years. It’s a decision that impacts public safety, service quality, and long-term financial sustainability for the city. As you gather information to decide how you will vote, I thought it might be helpful to provide answers to some of the questions that I get asked more frequently.
What specifically is impacted by this decision?
Known stable funding to provide:
- Emergency response in a medical crisis
- Emergency response to a fire
- Emergency response on Puget Sound
- Rescue response for trapped individuals
- Hazardous material response
- Community paramedic support designed to reduce the need for emergency response
- Access to home safety visits
- Community training in CPR
Why are we being asked to decide now?
Our current fire and emergency services contract with SCF expires at the end of 2025. Since we do not operate our own fire department, we must choose how to continue delivering these services after the contract ends. Our city council voted to place annexation on the ballot after careful review of the viable options available to us and determining that annexation provides the lowest cost option to maintain the same level and quality of service.
Does South County Fire provide appropriate levels of service?
They respond to more than 6,000 calls annually, more than 80% of which are medical in nature. Their cardiac arrest survival rate is more than double the national average.
Do we have other options?
Yes. The city studied a wide range of alternatives: restarting our own department, contracting with a different provider, or forming a new fire partnership with another city. Each of these options would require major upfront investment that the city does not have, new infrastructure, and extensive hiring - along with the need for long-term financial support. During the time we are ramping up we would also need to continue to pay for contracted services with South County Fire at the new contract rate, which is much higher.
Contracting with SCF was also explored. A new contract would cost the same as annexation but make the city’s financial crisis worse. Many other cities in our region have considered these same options and decided to annex into an RFA.
What has the city done to mitigate its budget crisis?
Will voting no buy us more time?
No. Regardless of the vote, fire services will need to be paid for. For the last two years the city has used one-time money to help cover the cost of the contract. There is no less-costly option available to us in the short term.
Is annexation going to cost me more?
Yes. The cost of fire service will cost more than we are paying now regardless of the outcome of the vote. We have created an annexation calculator so you can see how annexation would affect your property.
How do we know this is the lowest cost option to maintain the current level and quality of service?
The city secured Fitch and Associates to provide one component of the analysis process. For more than 30 years they have helped analyze fire departments, EMS services, dispatch centers, and regional air medical services across North America and the globe. The city also explored alternatives, discussed this on numerous occasions during open council meetings, took public comments, held a series of town hall meetings, participated as guests at multiple community group meetings, and developed online resources to help residents understand the options.
I encourage you to ask questions, seek out facts, and make the choice that reflects your values and priorities.
To find out when a future meeting is happening, please visit our website: Fire/EMS Annexation Ballot Info - City of Edmonds, WA.