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As the kids call it these days: Tillamook Fire District and Bay City Fire are soft launching.
During the City of Tillamook Light Parade on December 6, fire vehicles from both Tillamook and Bay City drove through the streets sporting banners reading “Tillamook Bay Fire & Rescue.”
The union is a proposal for both fire organizations to come together and form: Tillamook Bay Fire & Rescue Rural Fire Protection District.
The combined district would serve approximately 18,385 permanent residents in the Tillamook and Bay City areas. The new district would be overseen by five Board of Directors elected by the voters. The Board of Directors will be responsible for carrying out a hiring process for the selection of a new fire chief for the newly formed district.
Currently, the Bay City Fire Department operates as a municipal fire department under the authority of the Bay City Council. Tillamook Fire District operates under the governance of a five-member elected Board of Directors.
“I support the formation of a new fire district as it looks at the long-term sustainability of emergency and fire response to our communities,” Bay City Mayor Liane Welch said. “Currently, Bay City Fire Department has two full-time employees while Tillamook has one full-time and several part-time personnel. This is not sustainable for the multitude of calls for service, especially during tourism season. We heavily rely on volunteers to respond to emergencies, and we need full-time staff to provide support for volunteers, training, documentation, turnouts, and administration support.”
The unification of the two fire organizations will ultimately be decided by residents in Bay City and Tillamook with a measure on the May ballot.
“A ballot measure to unify the Tillamook Fire District and the Bay City Fire Department is a much-needed move for both of our two communities as the call volume and populations of both areas continues to increase,” Tillamook Fire District Board Director Casey Burden. “Each group has put in many hours (and continues to do so) of research and collaboration to come to the recommendation to bring both fire organizations together. In the coming months, the public will begin to see additional information regarding the measure, and we ask that you give it some thoughtful consideration.”
If passed in May, a unified tax rate of $1.49 per $1,000 assessed value would be imposed and generate approximately $2.45 million annually for district operations.
A resolution to support a petition and place the measure on the May ballot has unanimously been approved by the Bay City Council and Tillamook City Council. Tillamook County Commissioners will hear the petition on Wednesday, January 14.