The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – At their Aug. 19 meeting, Waitsburg's City Council approved a pre-annexation agreement, subject to minor revisions, with Walla Walla County Fire Protection District No. 2 and passed a resolution to surplus the Waitsburg fire station and equipment, allowing for its eventual transfer to the District. Both the agreement and resolution are contingent on city and county voters passing the proposed annexation which will appear on November's special election ballot.

A top concern of council members was how to address the misperceptions held by city residents. Nearly all the councilors said they had received comments from people who are under the impression that the annexation means that Waitsburg will be left without a fire department and unprotected.

"I've had some weird comments from people who totally do not understand this," said council member Deb Callahan. "I had someone say, 'So we're not going to have any fire protection? What are we supposed to do if our house burns?'"

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city plans to send out a letter explaining how the annexation will work. The city and district also plan to hold open house meetings to help educate the community, as the election draws nearer.

Waitsburg's current fire protection is provided by three entities, all housed in the Waitsburg Fire Station on Main Street: the Waitsburg City Fire Department, Walla Walla County Fire Protection District No. 2 and Columbia County Fire Protection District No. 2. All three entities share equipment and personnel through a mutual aid agreement. The annexation would consolidate those services by bringing the city under district jurisdiction.

"Annexation of the City of Waitsburg Fire Department into Fire Protection District No. 2 has no negative impact on anyone in the City of Waitsburg," said Hinchliffe. "In reality, it will actually benefit them by only the district responding to emergencies in the city, rather than one of the three fire entities currently housed in the Waitsburg Fire Department Building," he added.

Hinchliffe said the District will eventually combine the City Fire Department and Waitsburg Ambulance Service into one entity what will be responsible for all emergency services.

"This consolidation will allow the District to better provide for emergency needs of the citizens of Waitsburg as well as the property owners in Fire District No. 2," he said.

Hinchliffe said the annexation will also remove the oversight responsibility from the city council and allow the fire district commissioners to focus efforts on the District (which includes the city) as a whole, to improve emergency response activities.

"Eventually, the annexation could lead to full-time staff at the fire department that would improve response time and lessen the overall need for volunteers, which have become harder to find as the city's population ages and long-term volunteers retire from the department," he said.

Hinchliffe also noted that eliminating the fire department from the city's budget will free up resources that can then be used in other departments like the city pool or library.

Waitsburg's city council and District fire commissioners plan to host one or more open house events in the coming months to address questions from the public. Plans are to have both Columbia County Fire District 3 Chief Rick Turner, who recently helped negotiate a similar successful consolidation in Dayton, and Roger Ferris from the Washington Fire Commissioner's Association, on hand to respond to concerns as well.