Lewis County Fire District #5 Truck
Lewis County Fire District 5, Napavine, is looking for voters to pass a levy to purchase new fire equipment. The fire district has not passed a fire equipment levy in over 20 years, even though they recently approved an EMS Levy for a new ambulance. Lewis County Fire District 5 is in need of some attention to keep the emergency services at the level they are used to providing.
District 5 had five stations a few years ago, now they are down to four. The station was sold to make payroll. The main station in Napavine is where the administration is housed as well as their fire engine and ambulance that is in use. Just before the interview, Fire District 5 discovered an issue with one of their pumpers on one of the fire engines, leaving only one fire engine in service. The problems with not passing a levy in 20 years is definitely showing.
The reason for the levy is to start rotating newer equipment in and rotating the older equipment out. Napavine Interim Chidef Gregg Peterson stated, "if the levy fails, we will continue on with degradation and continual decline of facilities and equipment." Recently, Napavine received a donation of 2,000 feet of fire hoses because they simply ran out of hoses.
"Lack of planning will cause the Washington Surveying Rating Bureau to downgrade FD5 and residents in the area could potentially see an increase in their fire insurance," said Peterson. "Not all insurance agencies use Washington Surveying Rating Bureau, but they are authorized by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner to rate all fire districts." The rate of increase is not known at this time.
Peterson talked about what a small community fire department should do, he continued, "We replace a fire engine every five years. As of July 10, 2023, Napavine only has one certified truck in operation." The newer fire engine currently needs a new pump and this was the primary fire engine in use at the time. If they were to have a large structure fire, they would have to depend on neighboring fire departments to assist, causing delays.
"They also have a fire station called the Forest Station that seriously needs to be manned to efficiently serve the community," said Peterson. "We are paying 10% more for a fire engine and everything else to run this business and it should be run like a business." Peterson is about providing the best service he can to property owners, he does not want to see service impacted due to failing equipment.
Gregg Peterson definitely understands what it takes to run a fire department. He has been in the business since 1969. He stated, "The most important aspect of this role is planning for the current and planned growth." Indeed it is, without reliable equipment, it is impossible to keep the standards the property owners are used to.
Peterson discussed the worst case scenario, he stated, "If we can't replace the fire engines, there is no way to keep the facilities open and the same with volunteers. We will not be able to keep stations open for quicker response."
Currently, the Lewis County Fire District 5 has fire engines that are from 2008, 1998 and 2006, with only one in service. They also have brush and wildfire tenders, those are either retrofitted or older in the years, 2001 to 2017. They also have a 2022 and a 2019 ambulance, since EMS levy's have passed. The age of the equipment is definitely older if planning could have been done.
Lewis County Fire District 5 is in a tough situation, the property owners don't want to see an increase in their property taxes, but without it, the services offered could be delayed or worse, other agencies have to respond. A 10 minute difference can save a building or more importantly a life of someone you know and love. This is a big increase, but with the increase in population, this increase appears to be needed.
If you have any questions about what this levy is about, please reach out to Interim Chief Gregg Peterson, he will be happy to answer any of your questions.