Council Approves Agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue

At the July 5 Council Meeting, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 1645 approving an interlocal agreement with Eastside Fire and Rescue to provide fire services on Mercer Island. This agreement will now be reviewed by the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board, and upon their approval, the City of Mercer Island will formally enter into an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue for fire and emergency medical services.

Adopting a regional fire services model allows the City to offer even stronger fire and emergency medical services to the Mercer Island community and better support the Island’s fire staff with more cohesion, more consistent leadership, and a deeper bench of resources, specialty services, and growth opportunities. Over a period of several months starting in March, the City Council and City leadership thoroughly examined and evaluated the advantages of this model, ultimately selecting Eastside Fire & Rescue as the agency that best meets the needs of Mercer Island. You can learn more about this determination by reading City Manager Bon’s letter to the community issued last week.

Upon approval by the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board, Mercer Island and Eastside Fire & Rescue personnel will work collaboratively to transition operations and administration in preparation for the January 1 effective date. Islanders can count on regular updates throughout the process and are encouraged to stay engaged and ask questions on Let’s Talk.