LANGLEY, Wash. — Over the past year, officials with South Whidbey Fire/EMS had to take a hard look under the hood of their department.
What they saw needs repair, like the 28-year-old rig that's currently leaking oil from its main seal and has been sidelined for two months.
"What goes through my mind is the critical importance of us being able to arrive on the scene of calls and also for our firefighters to be able to arrive safely on the scene of those calls," said South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Nick Walsh.
The department serves between 15,000 and 25,000 people, depending on the time of year, over 66 square miles. The department has four full-time fire fighters on duty at any time. There are times two of them will have to transport a patient to the mainland, leaving the department alarmingly understaffed.
"If we were to get a rescue call and we needed to search inside a building to look for a victim, legally we would not be able to do that," said Walsh.
A shortage of volunteers means the department needs to add two full time firefighters. Five aging engines and water tenders also need to be replaced.
Meanwhile, calls are up 26%.
It all adds up to delays in response times - from about 10 minutes for arrival to 15 minutes.
"Fires double in size every minute or two," said Walsh. "If we can get water on the fire five minutes faster, it can really make all the difference in the world."
South Whidbey Fire is asking voters to increase their property taxes by 50%. That's an increase from 81 cents to $1.20 for every $1,000 of property value. For a $635,000 house that would be an additional $20 per month.
It can be a tough request in a county with a median age around 60, a poverty level at about 7% and prices for everything already very high.
Many on the island are retired and on a fixed income.
"It's an ask, but hopefully not too much of an ask for everybody to pitch in to provide an essential community service," said Fire Commissioner Savannah Erickson.
The fire department's fate will soon sit with voters. The tax increase is expected to be on the ballot in August.