Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 11, November 2003

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City asks for $167 million for fire stations

By JAMES BUSH

Repairing aging facilities and preparing for possible future disasters are the focus of the proposed $167 million Seattle fire services levy.

City residents will vote Nov. 4 on the nine-year levy, which would cost the owner of a $300,000 home an average of $73 per year.

"About 1996 or so, we noticed that some fire stations in Seattle were not up to code, they were seismically vulnerable," says Lt. Paul Atwater, president of the Seattle Firefighters Union, Local 27. "In 2001, we had the Nisqually earthquake and that was our wake up call."

The levy is built around four areas of emergency preparedness: renovations to fire stations, better marine firefighting capabilities, a new training facility, and an improved emergency operations center.

All of Seattle's 33 fire stations are at least 25 years old, and more than half were built before 1954, says Atwater. The levy would fund the replacement of 13 stations and renovations at all but one of the remaining 20. The major emphasis will be seismic safety, with firefighter safety following close behind. The older stations lack adequate cleaning facilities for firefighting gear, notes Atwater, who says that the toxic chemical residue caused by burning plastics can be a health risk if not removed immediately.

Seattle's fireboat fleet would remain at two, but the aging Alki would be retired, while the Chief Sealth would be moved from Elliott Bay to Lake Union. A brand-new boat designed for salt water would take over the waterfront firefighting duties. The new boat would have a large foam capacity (required for fighting oil fires) and the ability to pump 20,000 gallons of water per minute.

Atwater says the Alki recently lost power in both its onboard engines and had to turn its water cannons into the water to propel it back to the dock. "Which is entertaining to watch," he says, "but inadequate for fire protection."

Seattle's current firefighting training facility is so inadequate that firefighters don't see much of it, says Atwater. "We have to send our firefighters outside the city on a regular basis to get training."

The emergency operations center is located in the basement of a seismically vulnerable downtown fire station, he continues. The levy would fund the construction of a $15 million facility intended as the command center in a major disaster.

City Council member Jim Compton has spoken on the levy proposal at many community group meetings. He told members of the Ballard District Council at an Aug. 13 meeting that the levy, which the council created by trimming Mayor Greg Nickels' original $229 million proposal, is a "lean and mean package." Seattle is specifically looking to improve its preparedness in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, adds Compton. "9/11 changed everything. We've had to go back and [ask] 'How well are we prepared?'"

There is no formal opposition to the levy, even to the point where no one stepped forward to write a "No" statement in the voters pamphlet. Bob Hegamin, a longtime critic of city bonds and levies, argues that most of the items covered in the proposal are basic services which should have been paid for from the city's general fund. "They haven't made a compelling case for the additional dollars," he says.

The following North End fire stations would be renovated or replaced using levy funds (listed with year built, work planned, and total cost):

Ballard Station #18

1521 NW Market St. (1974) Safety improvements, remodeling, $1 million.

Broadview Station #24

401 N 130th St. (1975) Seismic and safety upgrade, $1.2 million.

Crown Hill Station #35

8729 15th Ave. NW (1920) Full replacement, $4.2 million.

Fremont Station #9

3829 Linden Ave. N. (1954) Full replacement, $4.4 million.

Green Lake Station #16

6846 Oswego Pl. NE (1927) Seismic and safety upgrade, $922,000.

Greenwood Station #21

7304 Greenwood Ave. N. (1951) Full replacement, $4 million.

Lake City Station #39

12705 30th Ave. NE (1949) Full replacement, $5.8 million.

Meadowbrook Station #40

9401 35th Ave. NE (1965) Seismic and safety upgrade, $1.2 million.

Northgate Station #31

1319 N Northgate Way (1973) Seismic and safety upgrade, $2.1 million.

University Station #17

1050 NE 50th St. (1929) Renovation, $4.1 million.

Wedgwood Station #38

5503 33rd Ave. NE (1925) Full replacement, $4 million.