Emergency Calls On The Rise, Eastside Fire & Rescue Says

ISSAQUAH, WA — Emergency call volumes are up significantly compared to last year, increasing nearly 20 percent in Fire District 10 and more than 25 percent across all Eastside Fire & Rescue jurisdictions, officials said Monday.

The agency provides fire and medic services for Sammamish, Issaquah and North Bend, and two neighboring fire districts.

Firefighters say the jump in emergency calls coincides with easing COVID-19 restrictions and more socializing, including a lot more time outside as the weather warms. Officials said technical rescue calls for hikers are up 107 percent, with medical calls associated with outdoor activities in general soaring 400 percent from the same time last year.

"We anticipate call volumes will climb even higher by the end of the year," said Eastside Fire Chief Jeff Clark. "It's good to see people returning to their version of normal, and emergency services [are] an important safety net to have in place while this happens. Fortunately, we're able to keep up with the calls thanks to community support."

Fire District 10, one of Eastside Fire & Rescue's partner agencies, is funded separately, and voters within its boundaries will see a proposed renewal of the "fire benefit charge" on their August primary ballots. Somewhat different than a traditional levy, officials said the benefit charges calculate fees based on the size and type of the structure on each property. The fees provide about 23 percent of the district's funding.

"Smaller structures (such as single-family homes) are charged less than larger buildings (such as office buildings or shopping malls) because it takes fewer resources to defend them in a fire," officials wrote.

The current benefit charge is 29 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from 68 cents in 2017. Voters have approved the emergency services funding every six years since 2003.