I want to thank board members of King County Fire Districts 10 and 38 for coming up with a plan to protect emergency service levels for the rural and unincorporated areas where we live.

The fire districts have been losing large chunks of property to neighboring cities, which has impacted the amount of money available for emergency services. As a result, both boards recently passed a resolution asking voters to combine the fire districts into one fire authority.

Many fire districts are joining together to share costs and improve efficiencies for taxpayers. Long-term, this is more cost-effective and provides a higher level of emergency service than the fire districts could afford on their own.

The nature of emergencies is changing and firefighters are ready to respond. In addition to fire suppression for structures and wildland fires, we provide technical and water rescue, hazardous materials response, and emergency medical care, to name a few. Working together through a fire authority will ensure that these quality, effective emergency services are available for everyone long-term.

Jon Wiseman

Firefighter and Fire District 38 resident, Snoqualmie