Key Information about the District

Organized: 1950 under Title 52 Revised Code of Washington
Elected Board of Fire Commissioners: Bob Elliot, Mike Helland, and Kenon Simmons (District Secretary Cindy Rehberg)

Administrative Staff

Fire Chief: H.L. “Rusty” Palmer
Assistant Chief/Operations: Paul Busch
Deputy Chief/Training: Mike Cotton
Deputy Chief/Resources: Jon Beck

Administrative Assistants: Cindy Rehberg and Vicki Lange

Emergency Phone Number: 9 1 1
Radio Frequency: Channel 1 = 154.430 Channel 2 = 154.75
Dispatch: I-COM
Board meets: 2nd Thursday each month, 5:30PM, Station 31, 5535Cameron Road
District Area: – 66 Sq. Miles, 57 Miles of shoreline
Station locations: #31-Freeland, #32-Clinton, #33-Maxwelton, #34-Langley, #35-Saratoga, #36-Bayview
Personnel Assignment: 14 members per station (Max.)
Firefighter/EMT’s: 46 Members
Firefighters: 12 Members
EMTs: 14 Members
District Population: Permanent = 15,000 Daily Effective Population = 25,000 (est.) 9,940 Registered Voters
Assessed Valuation of property within District: $3,719,956,307.00
District Funding: Regular tax levy
Levy rate: $0.61 per $1,000 of assessed value
Emergency Apparatus: 9 Engines and 5 Water Tenders. The District also operates 1 Medical Support Vehicle, 1 Light-Rescue, 3 EMS Response Vehicles, 1 Rescue Boat, 1 personal watercraft, 3 support vehicles, 3 utility vehicles, and 5 staff vehicles.
Total Pumping Capacity: 11,250 GPM from rated engines and 3,000 GPM from rated tenders.
WSRB Fire Insurance Rating: Class 7, with hydrant credit on residential structures.

Washington State Audit

Click to Download: About the State Auditor’s Office

Click to Download: Accountability Audit Report

Click to Download: Financial Statments Audit Report

Customer Survey 2008-2009

Click to Download: Final Results

Emergency Medical System Evaluation

Click to Download: Final Report

Strategic Plan

Click to Download: Our Plan

Click to Download: Our Strategic Plan Timeline & Progress Report

2008 Fire in Washington

Click to Download: Annual Report

We are constantly reviewing and applying for federal grants to provide funding for additional equipment or services to help save our local taxpayers’ money. Here is news on grants we’ve recently been awarded:

FEMA AWARDED A $147,246 SAFER GRANT TO Island County Fire District #3

SEATTLE – April 12th 2008, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a $147,246 ‘Staffing-for-Adequate-Fire-and-Emergency-Response’ (SAFER) grant to the Island County Fire District #3. Nationally, the fiscal year (FY) 2007 AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide over $490 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country.

Click to Download: Press Release

FEMA PRESENTED A $269,155 GRANT TO Island County Fire District #3

SEATTLE – Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger presented a fire grant check for $269,155, as part of FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, to the Island County Fire District #3 on Whidbey Island, on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 3PM. The presentation was made at the Fire Station at 5535 Cameron Road in Freeland.