A Chehalis Fire Department truck is parked outside, while a Lewis County Fire District 6 truck is parked inside the Fire District 6 station on Jackson Highway in May.
The City of Chehalis is still looking for a location for an emergency fire station and has until July 5 to move out of Lewis County Fire District 6’s fire station after LCFD6 terminated the interlocal fire station sharing agreement.
The City of Chehalis has been in the process of finding a new fire station since the old fire station was deemed unsafe after asbestos was found and the Chehalis firefighters moved into LCFD6 station in August of 2018.
The reasons for the termination of the interlocal station sharing agreement are unclear. LCFD6 Board Chair Jim Martin stated in the letter that gave notice of the end of the agreement that he is looking forward to a “cooperative and seamless transition” as they wind down the current relationship between the two fire departments.
Chehalis City Manager Jill Anderson said that the city is still exploring options and will present emergency fire station recommendations and a request for budget authority to the council at the next meeting which is at 5 p.m. on June 8.
“It’s actually quite a complex process,” said Anderson.
Anderson said that some of the issues that make the process of finding a new fire station more challenging are finding a site large enough for portable housing and equipment as well as finding a way to protect millions of dollars worth of equipment from vandalism, theft and the weather. Avoiding an area that is susceptible to flooding is also a priority.
“The ability to respond and move these large vehicles into traffic in an emergency situation without creating a threat to the firefighters, the equipment and the traveling public — either cars or pedestrians,” said Anderson.
Anderson said another concern is the city having ownership and control over the site.
“To date, we have not been able to find a location that meets all of those criteria so we are trying to find a site that meets most of those criteria. That has been challenging,” said Anderson.
The old Chehalis fire station is not an option because of water damage, structural instability, and the presence of asbestos.
Anderson said that the restrictions Gov. Inslee has placed on open meetings due to COVID-19 have made working through complicated issues such as finding an emergency fire station location much more challenging.
