The city of Sumner should annex into East Pierce Fire and Rescue. They’ve already made the first step by contracting with the department for fire and emergency medical services. This would simply continue in the direction Sumner is already moving.
Sumner’s size and budget crunch make it especially important for the city to join a larger fire department. Even if the annexation isn’t approved during Tuesday’s ballot, the city has a contract with East Pierce for the next 10 years. However, the amount taxpayers spend on these services doesn’t cover the whole cost of the contract. Each year the city has to dip into its own finances to cover the rest.
If Sumner’s fire department annexed into East Pierce Fire and Rescue, which already covers Bonney Lake, South Prairie and Buckley, taxpayers’ cost wouldn’t increase. Sumner, though, would save about $5 million in the city’s budget.
Additionally, annexing into East Pierce would allow for more training and better access to equipment and personnel during an emergency.
Some are worried about the negative affects of handing over control of the city’s fire department to a larger entity but that doesn’t outweigh the benefits of combining with East Pierce.
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