Fire District 13's 2024 budget includes levy hike

Faced with rising costs across the board – from insurance to equipment – Skagit County Fire District 13 commissioners approved a resolution Thursday authorizing a one percent levy increase for 2024.

The fire district, whose coverage includes Swinomish Reservation and the rural area around La Conner, realized $528,936 from its levy collection over the past year based on a $0.62 per $1,000 assessed property value.

The action, coming during its Nov. 9 hybrid meeting at the Snee Oosh Road fire station, will result in an increased dollar amount of $5,289 to the district.

Commissioners approved the 2024 operating and capital budgets. It projects $1.6 million in both revenues and operating expenses.

Proposed capital budget expenditures hover just under $474,000, bringing the total 2024 district budget to $2.06 million.

District officials repeatedly referred to these as “challenging times.”

“This is the most challenging budget season of my brief tenure here,” confirmed commission chair Bruce Shellhamer. “Expenses keep going up and we’re squeezed between revenue and the needs of our people. It’s challenging to make it all balance out.”

Fire Chief Wood Weiss echoed that sentiment.

“I’ve had to cut back every place I can,” Weiss said. “We’re trying to run as lean as we can.”

Weiss said a new tender truck is needed to replace a 30-year-old rig. Water tenders are specialized vehicles that bring water, foam, or dry chemicals to fire trucks in the field, including to wildland blazes.

“We want to grow the wildland fire program,” said Weiss.

Recently, the tender was dispatched six hours to a fire in Edison that Weiss said was linked to lithium-ion batteries.

Increased technology expenses have likewise been felt, Weiss said.

“Our IT (information technology) costs have risen,” he said, “but we’ll make it. We’ll adapt.”

Meanwhile, service calls have trended up in 2023. Weiss said the district fielded 115 calls in October, 10 more than in 2022. Ninety-seven calls for service were received in October 2021.

“These are mostly medical and we’re seeing a fair amount of fires,” Weiss said.

The district is continuing efforts to align more closely with Skagit Bay Search and Rescue.

“I’ve sent a letter to the lawyer for an MOU (memorandum of understanding) between us and Skagit Bay Search and Rescue so their boat can be part of our fleet,” said Weiss.

Battalion Chief Jamie Jurdi and Medical Officer Drew Farrell, recently reached out to the Helping Hands Food Bank to obtain materials for construction of a ramp at the home of a local couple whose mobility is limited.

“They delivered those materials on Tuesday,” Weiss said. “So, I want to give a shoutout to Jurdi, Farrell and Helping Hands.”

Farrell administers the district’s CARES program, which now oversees the ‘Good Morning, District 13’ initiative and other proactive community health projects. Commissioners approved the hiring of two CARES staff members at their meeting.

Training Officer Chris Olbu reported that rapid intervention, forcible entry and live burn training has been a focus of firefighter training, with members of the La Conner and Mount Erie departments invited to participate.

Capt. Ted Taylor, the district’s emergency management coordinator, told commissioners that recruiting and training of HAM radio operators and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and non-CERT volunteers is ongoing. They will serve as “an auxiliary force,” Taylor said, in the event of a natural disaster, such as a major earthquake.

“Earthquakes are rare and random,” Taylor noted. “We encourage people to think about having a plan when – not if – it happens. It’s important that people have some idea of what to do.”

Taylor is leading by example by setting up a HAM station at his home.

“The longer you wait,” Taylor said, citing the nature of earthquakes, “the more likely it will happen.”