• Community growth and the associated 32% increase in call volume for fire and EMS services since 2016 has resulted in a decline in fire and EMS response times
• Since 2016, the Vancouver Fire Department has not met the adopted response time standard for priority 1 and 2 EMS calls and full alarm structure fires.
• The increased call volume and associated decline in response times has also combined to limit surge capacity and reliability of these emergency response resources; there is an insufficient effective firefighting force to meet demand and insufficient truck apparatus coverage.
• In addition to the operational gaps, five of the City’s current 10 fire stations are functionally obsolete or structurally unable to withstand a moderate seismic event.
• Staff has developed a staffing, equipment, and facility investment plan to address these gaps, to be funded by a levy lid lift dedicated to these purposes.

Goal 2: Provide effective, innovative and well-resourced police, fire and emergency medical services.

Goal 2, Objective 2.1: Provide reliable and responsive police, fire and EMS service.

Since 2016, the Vancouver Fire Department (VFD) has been unable to achieve the response time level of service in the City’s adopted standard of cover, particularly for priority 1 and 2 calls. This performance shortfall is a result of community growth, which has resulted in increased calls for service while staffing has remained static at a level below that before the great recession of 2008. In 2020, the total call volume was 32% higher than 2016, with 8 fewer firefighter line staff than 2008. In recent years, the City has relied on seeking system efficiencies as well as call prioritization to address these growth pressures.

Currently, VFD is not meeting adopted service level standards for response times to priority 1 and 2 EMS calls and response times to full alarm structure fires. In addition, level of service gaps include limited surge capacity and system response resiliency, firefighting effective force and truck apparatus coverage.

To address this, Vancouver Fire has outlined a proposal to the City Council to help address deficiencies in response times by adding one new fully staffed ladder truck, staffing one new and two existing squad vehicles on a 24/7 schedule, and fortifying staffing at the new Fire Station 11. Over the last several years, several workshops were held with City Council outlining the capital needs of the city’s fire and emergency capital facilities. City Council voiced its desire to add a request to the voters to address the fire and emergency operating and capital facility needs on a pay-as-you-go basis on the ballot proposition with the goal of improving fire response times.

Specifically, current needs include:

• Adding 5.0 FTE Fire Captains, 11.0 Fire Medics, 24.0 FTE Fire Fighters and 3.0 FTE support staff, to staff one new and two existing squad apparatus and one new truck engine on a 24/7 shift schedule;
• Acquire one new squad apparatus and one new truck apparatus;
• Fund 4.0 Captains and 9 Fire Fighters to staff Fire Station 11 on a permanent basis beginning in 2025;
• Replace Fire Stations 3 and 6;
• Seismically improve, expand, and/or renovate existing Fire Stations 4, 5, 8;
  Fund other necessary administrative costs in other departments to support investments outlined above;
• Fund additional operating, maintenance, vehicle and capital expenses to provide enhanced public safety services as determined by the Council should anticipated investments become unfeasible or City public safety needs significantly change.

The City of Vancouver also provides fire and emergency services to the Fire District 5 residents under an interlocal fire services contract. Fire District 5 has indicated its interest in the City increasing the service level to the incorporated and unincorporated area and indicated its desire to proportionately fund the outlined increases above.

At the November 22, 2021, Council meeting, City Council directed staff to prepare a resolution to put a permanent levy lid lift request before voters during the February 2022 special election to increase the City regular levy by $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value in addition to the annual increase of 1% authorized by the Washington State law.

The City’s preliminary levy rate for 2022 taxes is $2.0585 per $1,000 in assessed value, including a $0.2061 per $1,000 in assessed value affordable housing levy. With the proposed levy rate increase of $0.50 per $1,000 in assessed value, the estimated combined City levy rate will not exceed $2.56 per $1,000 for taxes levied in 2023. The 2023 levy amount, less any expiring levies, will be used as the basis to calculate subsequent levy limits in future years.

If approved by voters, the proposed levy lid lift increase is anticipated to cost an owner of a $440,000 house a total of $220 more per year in City taxes, or approximately $18 more per month.

1. If the resolution is approved by Council, the levy measure would be placed on the February 8, 2022 ballot.
2. If approved by a majority of voters, additional property tax revenues will increase the City’s resources to provide fire and emergency services and allow the City to relocate/rebuild two fire stations and seismically remodel three additional stations on a pay-as-you go basis.