EVERETT—The South County Fire Board of Commissioners voted 4-2 to restore paramedic staffing to Station 76 in Mill Creek following public and city backlash, lack of transparency and public outreach, as well as recent allegations of OPMA violations brought forth by a fellow board member. Fire Chief Bob Eastman expects the transfer to take place either today, September 3, or tomorrow at the latest.
The decision took place at the board’s Tuesday, September 2, meeting – a week after the Board’s intergovernmental committee met with Mill Creek Mayor Brian Holtzclaw, Mayor Pro-Tem Stephanie Vignal, and Council member Sean Paddock. Also at that meeting were South County Board members Edward Widdis, Micah Rowland, and David Chan who discussed issues the RFA has had, the decision behind the redeployment, and why, ultimately, they did the things they did.
After a heated public comment section, Commissioner Widdis made a motion to move A21 back to Station 76 as well as a paramedic, transferred in from somewhere else (decided at a later date), which would restore staffing service levels back to where it was prior to the annex. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Chan.
Widdis explained that the decision to transfer out Medic 76 was that it was out of the response area about 76% of the time. Also, seeing as Station 76 is not centrally located within the City of Mill Creek, Medic 76 is not first on call in the north end of the City or the east end. Still, transferring back the paramedic would restore service levels to pre-annex levels pursuant of the promise South County Fire made to voters leading up to the approval of the annex, according to him.
Commissioner Laurence, who voted no, called the public and city uproar a “political move,” that their comments were “embarrassing” and that the public is unknowledgeable of the operations of the fire authority. He added that their criticisms of the board were “insulting.”
Commissioner Rowland called Laurence’s comments “disturbing,” adding that calling the public “hairbrained” and that “people are whispering in their ears” is demeaning to those who put them in office.
“To insinuate that the public is being manipulated and is doing anything other than looking out for their community is wrong and we can do better,” said Rowland. “We’re elected to represent the people. We’re not elected to defend the staff if they’ve made mistakes. We’re elected to make sure they don’t happen again and hold them accountable.”
Rowland concluded by apologizing to the public, on behalf of the board, for letting them down.
Chair Jim Kenny, who also voted no, added that the board needs to follow the recommendations of their experts and make data-driven decisions.
South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman said, now that the motion to restore service has passed, he expects A21 and Paramedic staffing transfer to take place either today, September 3, or Thursday at the latest.
Public Comment
Leading up to the vote, Mill Creek residents came in force to express their disapproval of the Board’s decisions and perceived dismissiveness of the public and City of Mill Creek’s concerns.
Mill Creek resident and retired labor lawyer Carolyn Drake criticized Chair Kenny while commending Commissioner Rowland for his “commitment, courage, and integrity,” adding that the reduction in paramedic staffing at Station 76 is “putting [her] life in jeopardy” given her family’s propensity for stroke.
“You are the one responsible for the reduction in force at Station 76. It is your job to save lives not put them in jeopardy. You have betrayed the people who have elected you and I’m here tonight to tell you, face-to-face, that we put you in and we can take you out,” said Drake. “I personally have lost all confidence in your leadership ability. You don’t have the power nor authority to unilaterally break your promise to voters.”
Audrey Johnson, another Mill Creek resident, who shared that she had to reach out for paramedic services when her newborn son turned blue in her arms, also bashed Chair Kenny for adjusting the RFA’s allowable response times for medics, not disclosing potential staffing cuts during annexation, failing to consult with the fire fighters union (which has opposed the change), and not offering residents the opportunity to ask questions or engage in dialogue.
“I’ve respected this agency for over 25 years. I urge you tonight to reflect honestly if this is really the best deployment model for the people you serve. Lowering standards to fit reduced service is not leadership,” said Johnson. “Placing a paramedic on a fire engine and adding an aid unit does not provide the ALS transport service this area needs.”
Jeff Miller, Mill Creek resident, shared a story about his daughter suffering from cardiac arrest and being safely transported to the hospital. He feared now, with current staffing levels, that the outcome of that emergency could have gone differently. He added that the Board’s “dismissiveness towards the citizens of Mill Creek” is “appalling” and will work as hard as he can to replace every Commissioner who voted in favor of the paramedic transfer.
Nancy Balthazar, another Mill Creek resident, echoed many of the former residents’ concerns – mainly about Mill Creek traffic and lack of faith that paramedic service coming from Martha Lake would be able to respond to the southern, and eastern, parts of the city adequately.
Fire Commissioner Micah Rowland also spoke at public comment because he believes the public deserve “more than just technical justifications and closed-door deliberations” – “they deserve honesty, humility, and accountability,” adding that when the Board removed paramedic services from Station 76 they did so without public engagement.
Not only that, Rowland continued, but when the Board was met with backlash from City leadership and citizens it “acted not with reflection but with criticism.” What’s more, the Board deliberated in Executive Session shielded from public view, Rowland said, in what he believes to be a violation of the Open Public Meetings Act.
“Transparency isn’t optional, it’s foundational,” said Rowland. “We were elected to represent our districts. That means showing up with humility, not hubris, it means respecting our city partners, not undermining them, and it means listening to the people we serve even when it’s uncomfortable.”
Connor Holttunn, Political Director for Local 1828 union, during his union report, also stood in solidarity with the residents of Mill Creek stating that he, and other union members, “feel like liars” after door knocking on resident’s doors asking them to support the annexation.
Background of annex, paramedic transfer, and Board controversies
In 2021 the City was faced with a tough decision to either extend its contract with SRFR (Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue) or look for other fire service options. Fire service costs for residents would jump in every option but, due to negotiations with SRFR falling through and promising conversations with South County, the city ultimately decided an annex to South County was best for residents and urged their voters to support it.
A main factor in that decision was South County Fire’s promise, and commitment, to maintaining staffing levels at Station 76 which was even engrained in the fire authority and city’s contract. Despite these promises and contractual obligations, South County Fire — without a majority vote of approval by the board, and without any public outreach or communication with city staff — relocated Station 76’s paramedics to Station 21 in Martha Lake, as part of a new Redeployment Plan.
Back in 2011 Mill Creek residents approved an EMS levy proving additional funding of fire and emergency services. Part of the justification for that increased funding was to hire a paramedic position for Station 76.
Since then, both the City of Mill Creek and Mill Creek residents have been vocal about their disapproval of both the paramedic transfer as well as the Board’s handling of the situation.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
