Funding Town fireboat

Last July, Adam Avery made an excellent pitch for a new fireboat to the La Conner Town Council. The old one doesn’t work well. Adam said that a new boat would cost between $275,000 and $375,000. The administrator referred to grants that might help and stated that we are more at risk than anyone in the county for fires such as what we might face. Adam said that he and his team would seek out the perfect boat for our needs and Mayor Ramon Hayes “pledged that the Town would help with a strategy for bringing on project partners.” ‘

That was then and this is now.

Avery, along with Aaron Reinstra, the fire department’s chief, came back to the town recently after searching for the perfect boat within the range of cost first suggested. It has everything we need. It is a from a local company looking to make their name as a fireboat building firm. Adam found supporters for this project but they won’t commit unless the town commits first. Inflation is not on our side with the cost of this boat.

But the town will not commit unless Adam can find supporters first. (The Town suggested that Adam secure partners.) Why not the mayor – or the administrator – who is paid well to do just such a job? What about the mayor, who pledged to find partners. six short months ago? Why not trust our volunteer firefighters (who paid off their fire truck in three short years through a tiny tax during a time of good revenues) and let volunteers resume doing what they do best – analyzing our needs and helping us day and night?

We need a fireboat to protect our old wooden waterfront, perform water rescues and enable the volunteers to do their firefighter jobs – helping the people of La Conner. Our firefighters risk their lives for us. The least we can do is give them good equipment.

Linda Talman

La Conner