Nickels proposes $229-M fire, emergency response levy

SEATTLE—Mayor Greg Nickels last week proposed a $229-million Fire and Emergency Response Levy to modernize the Seattle Fire Department’s emergency response capabilities.

The levy, which needs the approval of the Seattle City Council, would cost owners of an average home about $199 per year over nine years. If approved by the Council, it could be placed on the November ballot.

Nickels said the level would allow the city to:

• Expand and upgrade 20 of the city's 33 fire stations

• Replace 13 of the city's most outdated fire stations

• Obtain a new large saltwater fireboat, rehabilitate a freshwater fireboat and obtain a new fast attack small fire rescue boat

• Create a new training facility for firefighters

• Build a new fire command center

• Build a modern emergency operations center

• Provide community disaster response supplies and shelter infrastructure, and

• Obtain new specialized fire hydrants that can be used after an earthquake.

Nickels said the city’s firefighters are operating in facilities that are too small and are seismically week. He noted that some fire stations are more than 75 years old, with the last new fire station built when Gerald Ford was president.

Fire Chief Gary Morris said two-thirds of the city’s fire stations would be damaged in a major earthquake.

“This levy is long overdue,” Nickels said.

“Our first responders have a much different mission today—dealing with terrorist threats, hazardous materials and other calls requiring specialized equipment. We can’t ask our firefighters to handle today’s emergencies with yesterday’s equipment,” he added, referring to the city’s firefighters.

Office of the City Mayor release, May 9

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