Goal for Station Renovations
Improve response times and firefighter health and safety
COUPEVILLE, WASH. – Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue is considering asking voters to approve a bond this fall to renovate a fire station and replace three engines. Fire Chief Ed Hartin says the goal for the station renovation project is to improve response times as well as firefighter health and safety inside the facility.
Station 53 on Race Road in Coupeville was built 25 years ago when the fire district was a largely volunteer fire department serving 6,700 people and responding to 408 calls that year. Today Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue still has volunteer firefighters, but also full-time and part-time emergency personnel. The agency provides fire suppression and emergency medical services to 10,000 people and responded to 1,312 calls in 2016. (Emergency call volumes have increased 30.68% in the past seven years alone.)