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Burien annexation of North Highline on August ballot
The King County Council has put on the Aug. 18 ballot a proposal for Burien to annex the southern part of North Highline.

The annexation has been discussed for several years. Residents of the area proposed for annexation will decide whether they want to join Burien or remain in unincorporated King County.

The area is bordered by Seattle on the west, South and Southwest 128th streets on the south, Tukwila on the east and a boundary formed by South and Southwest 107th to 116th streets on the north.

It contains 1,679 acres and about 14,100 people. Its assessed valuation is $1.16 billion.

That annexation--if approved by the citizens (and it looks like it will)--would include North Highline's Station 19 (located on Des Moines Memorial Drive and So. 128th Street.

This would be a sizeable chunk of the North Highline Fire Department that would then become Fire District 2. This is because the City of Burien's geographical borders are annexed in the borders of Fire District 2. So where the cities boundaries go--so do the fire districts.

Fire District 2 already contracts back with North Highline to provide service to the NW part of Burien (Shorewood, etc). I heard that Fire District 2 would also contract with North Highline to continue to provide service to the annexed area (if approved) for up to 2011. After that, I suppose Fire District 2 would transfer employees or something alongs those lines.

No telling what the small remaining portion of the North Highline Fire Dept. would do. I've heard they rely heavily on the contract money that Fire District 2 pays them now to subsidize their entire operation. Perhaps they would simply contract with Fire District 2 to provide coverage to any remaining unincorporated areas...

Who knows though....

This annexation vote passed. North Highline fire just lost over 40% of their area to Burien fire.

I read a document from the city of Burien website that showed both fire departments agree to be "status quo" until the end of 2010 or 2001 (can't remember which), and that district 2 would contract the newly annexed portion back to North Highline.

So I guess that means nothing will change for a bit. After that, perhaps the two departments will join up and North Highline will disolve. Maybe it'll be just like the Renton/District 40 scenario.

Also, heard that Federal Way and Kent have been talking about a fire authority together.

Looks like mergers/fire authorities are catching on around south King County...

Has anyone heard any reports that Tukwila and City of SeaTac were intalks about merging? Like CAR said, "mergers/fire authorities are catching on in and around South King County". Thought I read about Tukwila and SeaTac in talks a few months back in the little local newspaper, but haven't really heard much more.

Merger scenarios:

North Highline merging with Burien/Normandy Park (King Co. Dist. 2)
Tukwila merging with SeaTac
Kent merging with South King Fire (Federal Way - KCFD 39 and Des Moines - KCFD 26)

...And the MTM's dream of a countywide fire district will be closer to reality.

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Sean's dream also. Makes for fewer templates

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I generate Board Warnings

I know of several in the south end that have had voter approved mergers. Dists 1 and 11 just merged in Thurston Co last week. The voters seem ok with the new idea. Oddly, Lacey wants it's own fire dept, closing out a 40 year Dist 3 contract after a contentious issue over a fire station closing and other drama.

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"I was installing un-programmed radios"

"Safety/ops": Actually, there was a meeting two or so weeks ago with Renton, Tukwila, Seatac, District 20, and North Highline in attendance.

The meeting was to discuss the concept of a fire authority. The basis of the meeting (so I'm told) was not to only include those departments, but to simply discuss the workings of a fire authority and to share information between interested fire agencies.

There are other interested departments, like District 2 and other Zone-3 agencies, but they simply were not at the meeting.

So, I guess the take-home message is to not jump to any conclussions, as this was simply a sharing meeting amongst those departments.

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DE K7MHI

I haven't heard anything about Kent and Federal Way merging. I have heard talks of a regional fire authority with Kent and King County Fire District #37.

Edgewood has signed a contract for command services with East Pierce Fire and Rescue with the eventual talks of a full merger that will eventually include Milton also.

Nick

Seems Like South King Fire and Rescue would eventually like to see a merger creating a true South King Fire Department covering all of Zone 3.

They have worked up a plan that would include Burien becoming part of South King. They even went as far as figuring out stations for that model.

:beer: :beer: :beer:

Had too many beers tonite (3)

saw http://www. go vo teno .com

time for bed

Yes, Kent and Fire District 37 are discussing a regional fire authority, but in the end, it'll still be the City of Kent who operated the fire department.

Regarding South King, yes, I'm sure their chief (Al Church) would love to merge all of Zone-3 if he could, as he believes strongly in a regional approach to fire/EMS. My theory is that you will see District 2 and Seatac eventually become part of South King, and potentially VRFA. Maybe even Kent. In any case, if South King gets bigger by merging or creating a fire authority with District 2 and Seatac, you could expect them to try and absorb the entire South King County Medic One ALS group. This would rid KC Health of this program, and put it squarly as a true fire-based ALS provider.

Just a theory though...

Mergers are good, and over time they will take place.