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Lakewood Fire District #2 will be having an election in February to allow voters to decide whether or not they want to merge into University Place Fire District #3. If approved the new district would be called West Pierce Fire and Rescue.

Milton fire department entered into an agreement with East Pierce which started January 1, 2011. East Pierce will provide service until a annexation vote which could come as early as March 2011.

Orting Valley Fire and Rescue are entering talks with East Pierce Fire and Rescue again to discuss merging into the larger district.

The SeaTac City Council approved an Interlocal Agreement with the Kent Regional Fire Authority (RFA) for specific services, which will take effect January 1, 2011.

“The single most important aspect of SeaTac’s partnership with the Kent RFA is that our city maintains the same Captains, Battalion Chiefs and Firefighters at the same neighborhood stations,” said Todd Cutts, interim city manager. “We lose nothing in service to the community but gain everything in expertise, economies of scale and public education.”

The City of SeaTac will benefit from a team of full time experts serving the Kent RFA including a Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, Fire Inspector, emergency management specialists, fire investigators and full-time public educators teaching fire prevention in the community, especially in the schools.

“Our day-to-day operation will not be any different under this agreement than it is today with the same firefighters providing the same services at the same stations,” said Brian Wiwel, Acting Fire Chief. “I will be the Assistant Fire Chief for the City working with the exact same team of firefighters as before.”

Under the terms of the agreement either party may cancel the partnership with 60 days written notice. Likewise, the agreement can be extended as the parties mutually agree.

The City of SeaTac has recently convened an exploratory committee to study whether the City’s Fire Department should merge with the RFA on a permanent basis. The results of the committee’s work will be presented to the City Council in 2011.

The biggest question of course is: which logo is cooler?

I'm just waiting for the day that all the fire departments in the Seattle/Tacoma area merge together to become the Puget Sound Regional Fire Service :P

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Tukwila seems to be looking to join or start a regional fire authority. Maple Valley may also be looking at joining the Kent RFA.

Keep an eye on KCFD 28 and 44...

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I was real surprised to hear about the SeaTac / Kent deal instead of SeaTac / Tukwila or Tukwila / Kent. Maybe Tukwila should start talking to Renton. In the long run, they will all probably merge and become a Fire Authority just like Orange County did in California.

I figured it would eventually be a South King Fire and Rescue which included Federal Way, Des Moines, Burien, North Highline, Seatac and Tukwila.