Four Washington Depts. Consider Consolidation

Nov. 02--As calls for emergency health services increase and tax bases decrease in a down economy, four fire departments in central Lewis County are currently studying the feasibility of consolidating.

To make it work, the single large fire authority would have to be more efficient with fewer costs.

"The tax resources aren't there, so you have got to be innovative," Riverside Fire Authority Chief Jim Walkowski said Wednesday.

The Chehalis Fire Department, RFA and Lewis County Fire districts Nos. 5 and 6 -- of south Chehalis and Napavine -- began a collective feasibility study last March to look at ways of consolidating much the same way the Centralia Fire Department and Fire District 12 had consolidated in 2008.

"We're in the crawling, starting-to-walk phase of that," said Chehalis Councilman Dennis Dawes, chair of the North Lewis Regional Fire Authority Planning Committee, which got the study underway.

Walkowski, a representative of the fire departments on the committee, said the study itself could take 18 months to two years to complete.

If it's a go, final approval would be up to voters.

Originally, the Chehalis Fire Department and districts 5 and 6 were in consolidation talks. But with no positive outlook on the economy, and more citizens relying on fire department services for medical treatment, Walkowski said the RFA joined the talks.

When it comes to large structure fires, Dawes said consolidation would make sense since all four departments are responding at the same time.

After the RFA joined talks, Dawes said invites were sent to other bordering fire departments -- but all declined.

Walkowsi stressed consolidation is workable only if it improves service levels and cuts costs, which can be effective by reducing equipment, satellite firehouses and management positions.

"We all have the same issues, we all have the same deficiencies," Walkowski said.

When the RFA was formed, it was the first fire authority in the state to consolidate a city fire department and district fire department.

Walkowski said there are currently more than half a dozen fire authorities in the state in the planning stage, including the North Lewis Regional Fire Authority.

"This is a very common thing now that fire services are looking at," Dawes said.

For more information, visit www.northlewisrfa.org.

Adam Pearson can be reached at (360) 807-8224.