SHELTON, Wash. — Rising costs and federal cuts are prompting fire departments across our state to tighten budgets, and some are facing layoffs.
“As a union, we just want to make sure that we are able to keep enough people on the line every day- that we can respond,” said Jacob Schreiber, a firefighter and President of Mason County Professional Firefighters Local 2394.
Firefighters, with Central Mason Fire and EMS, fight fires across 186 square miles and provide emergency medical services for most of Mason County.
But facing a budget shortfall, the elected board of the Central Mason Fire & EMS Board of Commissions says 17 firefighters may be laid off, according to the union.
“17 members is 25% of our effective response force. So we’d be going from 68 down to 51,” Schreiber said. “The public will very likely see a decrease in the service that our agency is able to provide.”
In August, residents voted to lift the lid on property taxes to generate more money for the fire department.
But in a letter to the public, Fire Chief Brandon Searles said later that same month, the department was notified it would receive less federal funding than expected. KIRO7 has reached out for specifics. Neither the chair of the board of commissions was available for comment Friday.
In the letter, Searles also mentioned increased costs, which are more apparent.
“They run on diesel,” said Todd Ward, a firefighter and Vice President of Local 2394, as he walked alongside a fire engine. He explained that it takes a lot to keep fire rigs and fire houses operating. “We have to put fuel in our apparatus; we have to buy supplies to operate; we’ve got to keep the lights on; we pay for water,” Ward said.
The price of medical supplies is up, too, including the needle on a special drill that Schreiber says allows EMT’s to administer medicine directly into the bone marrow. “Roughly 125 dollars now and I believe a couple of years ago they were about 80,” he said.
Firefighters KIRO 7 spoke with say communities may need to consider more reliable ways of funding fire departments.
In the meantime, the union says it’s negotiating concessions to try and reduce the number of layoffs, while also working to verify that fire district money is being handled wisely
“I think the commissioners have some answering to do on how we wound up in this position,” said Donnie Rooks, a firefighter and trustee of Local 2394.
The Board of Commissioners is set to meet October 20th, from 5 to 6:30 pm at Station 5-8, 122 W. Franklin St. in Shelton, according to the union.
Central Mason Fire & EMS is not the only fire district facing cuts. In a social media post, Pasco Fire IAFF Local 1433 warned that the city’s proposed budget could eliminate 14 firefighters and close one station.
And as KIRO 7 has reported previously, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed budget would eliminate more than $7 million dollars of firefighter overtime, which would essentially mean 13 fewer firefighters on the job each day.