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Updated
Earlier this year, the Mercer Island City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) to provide fire and emergency medical services on Mercer Island. Eastside Fire & Rescue will begin as Mercer Island’s provider of fire and emergency medical services on January 1, 2024. While this is an official transition for the City and fire personnel behind the scenes, Islanders can expect the same level of service. Both Mercer Island Fire Stations (Station 91 and Station 92) will remain open and operational.
The Mercer Island community is invited to two Fire Station Open Houses in January, where you can meet your firefighters, explore the stations, see equipment, and learn more about EF&R.
Station 91 (in Town Center)
January 10
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Station 92 (South End)
January 20
11:00am - 1:00pm
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Since April, the City of Mercer Island has been providing updates to residents and businesses on the potential adoption of a regional fire services model aimed at strengthening our community’s emergency services for the long-term, and in June, the City Council directed my office to begin negotiating an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue.
Now, following the City Council’s July 5 resolution and the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board’s approval on July 13, we have formally entered into an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue for fire and emergency medical services. We will now work collaboratively to transition operations and administration in preparation for the January 1, 2024 start date.
Eastside Fire & Rescue has been providing fire and emergency services through a collaborative shared-governance model for over two decades. Their dedication has been proven here on Mercer Island, as we’ve partnered with Eastside Fire & Rescue for interim fire leadership since 2021. From increased efficiency and resources to enhanced services, I know that they will continue to serve the Mercer Island community and our firefighters well in a long-term capacity.
I also want to acknowledge the hard work IAFF Local 1762 has put into implementing this transition. We have met with IAFF Local 1762 leadership members over the past two months with positive and productive conversations to bargain the impacts of fire employees transitioning to another agency.
Eastside Fire & Rescue will officially begin as Mercer Island’s provider of fire and emergency medical services on January 1, 2024 and will be contracted through December 31, 2033. A transition committee comprised of Mercer Island and Eastside Fire & Rescue staff will focus on ensuring a smooth, efficient, and seamless transition in services.
We truly appreciate your engagement as we’ve moved through this process, and thank the many Islanders who provided input, asked questions, and shared feedback. We encourage you to stay informed through our Let’s Talk page as this transition now takes place.
Thank you,
Jessi Bon
Mercer Island City Manager
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The City of Mercer Island has received final approval on an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue to provide its fire and emergency services, beginning on January 1, 2024. The decision follows direction from Mercer Island City Council this April to shift to a regional fire services model in order to best serve Mercer Island residents.
Eastside Fire & Rescue was selected as part of a months-long process where the City Council and City leadership thoroughly examined and evaluated proposals for regional fire services, ultimately identifying Eastside Fire & Rescue as the agency that best meets the needs of Mercer Island. This process included discussions with Mercer Island Local IAFF Local 1762, the union representing Mercer Island Fire Department (MIFD) fire staff.
Under this new arrangement, Eastside Fire & Rescue will maintain or enhance current service levels while balancing the shared responsibility for long-term, cost-effective fire and emergency medical service delivery.
“Eastside Fire & Rescue has been providing fire and emergency services through a collaborative shared-governance model for over two decades,” Mercer Island City Manager Jessi Bon said in a letter to the community published today. “Their dedication has been proven here on Mercer Island, as we’ve partnered with Eastside Fire & Rescue for interim fire leadership since 2021. From increased efficiency and resources to enhanced services, I know that they will continue to serve the Mercer Island community and our firefighters well in a long-term capacity.”
The City of Mercer Island will retain control of service levels for fire services provided on Mercer Island, and both fire stations will remain open with the same level of service. The transition to Eastside Fire & Rescue will begin in August with the formation of a transition committee comprised of staff from both organizations.
“Our MIFD personnel are dedicated and critical members of our community and joining a larger agency like Eastside Fire & Rescue means access to expanded resources, improved equipment, and wider opportunities for training and career growth,” Mercer Island Mayor Salim Nice, said. “I hope all Islanders rest easy knowing that this shift allows a small city like Mercer Island to be able to deliver the highest level of service on a long horizon, and I have every confidence that Eastside Fire & Rescue is going to be a long-term partner that will deliver on that, and then some.”
Eastside Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Ben Lane, who has served as Interim Fire Chief for Mercer Island since November 2020, will continue in his role, along with Interim Deputy Fire Chief Doug McDonald.
"Over the last two years Deputy Chief McDonald and I have had the privilege of serving Mercer Island," Chief Lane said. “I am confident the regional fire service model will bring efficiencies to both organizations, create opportunities for employees and continue to enhance our mission of Excellence in Service, Dedication to Community.”
To learn more about this transition and the process that led to it, review the full Let's Talk page.
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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.
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Last month, the City Council directed the City Manager to begin negotiations with Eastside Fire & Rescue as part of the process to explore regional fire services for the Mercer Island community. City Manager Bon issued a letter to the community on Friday, June 30 outlining the latest progress, where an agenda bill and resolution for an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue will be considered by the City Council at this evening’s Council Meeting.
If the City Council adopts the resolution in the agenda bill, and upon approval by the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board, the City of Mercer Island will formally enter into an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue for fire and emergency medical services.
Read City Manager Bon’s letter for more information on this step in the process and why she believes this opportunity will enhance services for Mercer Island residents and businesses, reduce costs, and improve resources and opportunities for our firefighters. Islanders can watch this evening’s Council Meeting live or get updates on Council’s decision on Let’s Talk.
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June 30, 2023
Earlier this month, the City Council directed my office to begin negotiating an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue to potentially adopt a regional fire services model, a step we decided to take with our community’s long-term safety and benefit top of mind. I wanted to provide an update on where we are at with the process, and what comes next.
An agenda bill and resolution for an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue has been posted for the City Council to consider at the July 5 Council Meeting. If the City Council adopts the resolution in the agenda bill, and upon approval by the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board, the City of Mercer Island will formally enter into an agreement with Eastside Fire & Rescue for fire and emergency medical services. We are excited about this opportunity to enhance services for Mercer Island residents and businesses, reduce costs, and improve resources and opportunities for our firefighters.
I also want to provide context as to how and why we got to this point. The purpose of adopting a regional fire service model is to maintain or enhance current levels of service while balancing the shared responsibility for long-term cost-effective fire and emergency medical service delivery. A regional collaboration allows the City to offer even stronger fire and emergency medical services to the Mercer Island community, with more cohesion, more consistent leadership, and a deeper bench of resources, specialty services, and growth opportunities.
Our exploration of this opportunity has focused primarily on proposals from two agencies: one from Eastside Fire & Rescue and one from the City of Bellevue. My recommendation to the City Council is to select Eastside Fire & Rescue.
For over twenty years, Eastside Fire & Rescue has served as an organization singularly dedicated to providing fire and emergency services, operating as a consortium of many similarly-sized communities with a shared governance model committed to equitable partnership. Eastside operates as a governmental non-profit that focuses only on providing fire and emergency response services for smaller communities. Their board includes representatives from member cities and regional fire districts, providing a diverse array of leadership, input, and perspectives. I believe this is the best model for the City of Mercer Island, and we have already successfully partnered with Eastside Fire & Rescue for interim fire leadership since 2021 and for apparatus repair and maintenance since 2020.
Naturally, a shift like this contains a lot of moving parts - from the City and the potential partners involved, to Mercer Island IAFF Local 1762 - and most importantly, to you, our residents and business owners. Some aspects of this complex process have moved faster than we thought, and some have moved slower, but I am wholeheartedly confident in the agreement we are bringing for the Council’s consideration.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge our Fire Department Staff. Changes of this magnitude can be both exciting and concerning. We have endeavored to provide certainty during the process through the assurance of employment for all of our staff and enhanced opportunities through compensation, benefits, and improved professional development and training opportunities.
The City Administration has met with IAFF Local 1762 leadership members over the past two months to bargain the impacts of fire employees transitioning to another agency. The City and IAFF Local 1762 conversations have been productive and positive, but agreement on the terms of impact bargaining have not concluded. The City Administration will continue to work in good faith to resolve the outstanding issues.
We remain committed to a fully transparent process and encourage you to provide feedback on our Let’s Talk page, where you can also learn more about the history of this project. Additionally, you can also join us and share your feedback at the July 5 Council Meeting.
I would like to thank both the City of Bellevue and Eastside Fire & Rescue for submitting excellent and thorough proposals and for continually being available for clarification and follow-up during the review process. We appreciate our strong working relationships with both agencies and are committed to maintaining those relationships into the future.
As always, the best service and highest level of safety for islanders have remained paramount throughout all of the discussions and negotiations thus far, and that will remain the case.
Thank you,
Jessi Bon
Mercer Island City Manager
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At the June 20 City Council meeting, the Council met in Executive Session to discuss collective bargaining and potential litigation on matters related to regional fire services. The Council reconvened in an open session and passed a motion to direct the City Manager to begin negotiations with Eastside Fire and Rescue for regional fire services, as part of the process to explore the adoption of a regional fire services model that started in April.
Council’s direction progresses the City’s process to adopt a regional fire service model that will maintain or enhance current levels of service while balancing the shared responsibility for long-term cost-effective fire and emergency medical service delivery. In addition to improved services, a regional collaboration would allow the City to provide more consistent leadership as well as a deeper bench of resources, specialty services, and growth opportunities.
As this process continues to unfold, there will be further opportunity for community members to ask questions and comment on this shift, including when the City Manager returns to City Council at a future council meeting to present a full recommendation.
This step is one among many in a long-term process; it does not commit the City to a final decision regarding potentially adopting a regional fire service model, nor does it represent a final recommendation by the City Manager on the best course of action for the City regarding fire regionalization.
As has been the case throughout this process, the safety and wellbeing of Mercer Island residents will remain the top priority for City Council and the City of Mercer Island.
Additional information on the consideration of a regional fire services model is available on the full Let’s Talk page.
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At the Mercer Island City Council meeting on June 6, the City Manager and staff will present an initial analysis of the proposals from two regional fire service providers: the City of Bellevue and Eastside Fire & Rescue. Materials for this agenda item can be found on the City Council agenda webpage (agenda item 17, AB 6283).
This information and an overview of the Regional Fire Services Proposals is being presented to provide the City Council with an opportunity to discuss the proposals and seek clarification on issues prior to the City Manager preparing a formal recommendation. The City Manager will prepare a recommendation to the City Council on the adoption of a Regional Fire Services Model, at which time the City Council may take action. The date for that meeting has not been set.
You can review the proposals from the City of Bellevue and Eastside Fire & Rescue at the link here. For additional information about the proposal, review the full Let's Talk page.
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Following the City Manager’s recommendation to seek proposals for Mercer Island to potentially adopt a regional fire services model at the April 4 City Council meeting, the City has received proposals from two regional fire service providers, the City of Bellevue and Eastside Fire & Rescue.
Proposals received by the City can be viewed at the below links:
The City Council discussed the evaluation of these proposals during its Meeting on May 2. Acting on the City Manager’s recommendation, the Council created the City Council Regional Fire Service Proposal Review Ad Hoc Committee to assist the City Manager with review and evaluation of regional fire service proposals in May and June of 2023. During this Meeting, the Mayor announced the three council members who will be a part of the ad hoc committee on this initiative:
- Mayor Salim Nice
- Councilmember Lisa Anderl
- Councilmember Craig Reynolds
The City will review these proposals internally in the weeks ahead, in preparation for a presentation and update to the City Council in June. The City looks forward to a thorough discussion of the various paths forward, as well as input from residents of the Mercer Island community.
As a recap, the purpose of adopting a regional fire service model is to maintain or enhance current levels of service while balancing the shared responsibility for long-term, cost-effective fire and emergency medical service delivery. A regional fire services model has the potential to allow the City to offer even stronger fire and emergency medical services to the Mercer Island community, with more cohesion, consistent leadership, and a deeper bench of resources, specialty services, and growth opportunities.
Read the City Manager's letter to the community for a recap on this recommendation and how it would benefit the Mercer Island community. For additional information about the proposal review the full Let's Talk page.
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After the April 4 City Council meeting presentation, City staff have updated the FAQs section here on Let's Talk with additional questions and answers.
Final Signed Interlocal Agreement (6.22 MB) (pdf)
