By Nathan Isaacs
Tri-City Herald
Copyright 2007 Tri-City Herald
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Fire chiefs from Kennewick, Richland and three Benton County fire districts want to get the community talking about how best to offer fire and paramedic services in the future.
All five agencies are looking at either building new fire stations or moving or expanding existing stations as each tries to deliver prompt service to a growing community.
One idea shared by the fire chiefs is to have a shared administrative building to serve as a fire authority headquarters.
The chiefs suggest the building could be built on 2.5 acres Richland already owns near the Richland Wal-Mart. It also could have space for a fire station — maybe one shared by Richland and Benton Fire District 4, which serves West Richland.
Firefighters and paramedics could have easy access to West Richland and south Richland from that site.
The building also would be a great location if Richland moves forward in the next five to 10 years with building a Duportail Street bridge.
The fire chiefs want the community and decision makers to consider some options. They could build an administrative office all at once, build it ready for expansion or just build a shell for conversion down the road.
“You only get one shot at this,” said Grant Baynes, Richland’s fire chief.
The five agencies already have been working together more than a year on various other issues, such as standardized breathing equipment that firefighters use inside burning buildings and agreements that would automatically send the closest fire truck or ambulance, no matter what jurisdiction, to an emergency.
The combined districts and departments cover about 560 square miles and protect about 150,000 people with 16 fire stations, about 100 full-time firefighters and about 200 volunteer firefighters.
One benefit from a joint headquarters could be having shared ambulance billing and having one employee doing the work instead of several part-timers.
Another idea being tossed about is to have separate fire dispatchers who could work out of the building. The dispatch system could serve as a backup to the Benton County Emergency Services center.
And the chiefs, who spend hours each week traveling to meetings they all attend, could be more efficient with their time. “We do the same stuff five times in a row,” explained Mike Spring, District 4’s fire chief.
A shared headquarters, said District 1 Fire Chief Bob Gear, would allow the agencies to be more effective and more efficient.
“The more we can share in the office, the more firefighters we can put on the street,” he said.
The agencies also are in the process of examining their capital needs and how they reach people in the quickest time possible.
Richland is looking at building a new station in the developing City View neighborhood, as well as along Highway 240 as it heads toward Vantage. Kennewick is looking at building in the southeast and west.
District 1 is looking at its resources to include manning full-time the station near the Highway 395 and Interstate 82 interchange, as well as adding people to its Finley station.
The district may close stations that served rural islands within Kennewick and which the city continues to annex.
District 4, which covers West Richland, is looking at whether a new station is needed near the Red Mountain wineries and its developing southwest flank.
The chiefs said their discussions are about the next 20 years.
Kennewick Chief Neil Hines said their respective city councils and fire district commission boards haven’t decided whether to pursue a shared administrative building, but they support the idea of a regional fire service network.