Commissioner Neil Doherty moved to stop the merger talks. Commissioner Roy Waugh was in Alaska on business and did not attend the meeting.
"There was hardly any discussion on it," Commissioner Gregg Knapp said.
District 7's commissioners notified their counterparts of the decision in a memo.
"We appreciate the time spent considering this matter, and look forward to discussing future areas of cooperative endeavors," the memo said.
Had District 7 voted to continue the process, it would have selected two members to oversee a joint study between the two departments of what a post-merger organizational structure would look like, Knapp said. District 1 would have done the same.
"It was a little surprising, but not that surprising," said Jim Kenny, a commissioner for Fire District 1.
District 7 earlier had expressed concern about a merger. In a previous memo, District 7 listed several reasons why a merger was not in its best interests.
District 7 cited a population imbalance with District 1, which serves three times as many residents. District 7 also pointed to concerns about possible city annexations in District 1 and the impact of service contracts with cities the two agencies serve if they were to become one department.
In addition, differences in operational philosophies became clear. For example, District 7, which largely serves rural areas east of Mill Creek, has numerous volunteer firefighters, which save the district approximately $2.5 million per year, Waugh said.
"Our volunteers get the same training our paid personnel have," District 7 Commissioner Gunther Hausmann said. "We're getting the best bang for our buck."
District 1's firefighters, meanwhile, are full-time employees serving an urban population, including Brier and Mountlake Terrace. District 1 Commissioner Larry Hadland said having volunteer firefighters would be "going backward" since District 1 is a "career" department.
Merger talks began in December.
"It just didn't fit us at this time," Knapp said.
