About the Department

We started with only 18 volunteers; today we are still an all-volunteer firefighter and EMT department with 32 volunteer members, and 3 paid full-time paramedics and 5 part-time paid paramedics. 

We have 5 Stations: Salkum, Cinebar, Ethel, Winston Creek, and Silver Creek.

We have 16 apparatus, and our district covers over 188 square miles.

We also provide mutual aid for our neighboring districts: Onalaska, Mossyrock, Napavine, and Toledo.   

The last General Levy Fund was passed over 25 years ago.  

For the past 25 years, the levy rate has decreased each year, which decreases the funds allotted to the fire department. Currently, the fire department is feeling the financial strain as we keep up the standards required by Washington State and the Rating Bureau. Our current rate is $0.42 per $1,000. The maximum levy is $1.50 per $1,000. Lewis County Fire District 8 is NOT requesting the maximum. We are simply requesting an increase to $0.88 per $1,000 (which is only a $0.46 increase). This increase will help with the rising costs of supplies, tools, and apparatus replacement. Our EMS funds cannot be used to support the fire side of our department.

Washington State Rating Bureau provides insurance rating services for property and casualty insurance. It develops and recommends insurance rates. One of the factors of insurance ratings is based on the fire department's station locations, apparatus condition and age, and the number of trained firefighters at each station.

At this time, we have apparatus that are "aged out" as they are 25 years old. To keep the constituents of our district's fire insurance rates down, these engines need to be replaced. If they are not replaced, our insurance rates could increase drastically.

Currently, we have 4 apparatus that should have been replaced or will need to be replaced within the next 4 years.

• 1990 Pierce International Rescue Truck (estimated replacement cost of $350,000)
• 1996 International Engine (estimated replacement cost of $750,000)

• 2000 International Engine/Tender (estimated replacement cost of $750,000)

• 2001 International Randco Engine/Tender (estimated replacement cost of $750,000)

For years, we have been doing maintenance and repairs to keep our fleet operational. 

It is getting harder and harder to get parts for our older apparatus. This is causing downtime to extend from a few months to a year to get parts and always having one in the shop. The repair costs have increased and are cutting into the small budget we currently have available. Replacement costs for these Engines/Tenders increases 5% to 7% each year. 

Purchasing a new apparatus takes up to 2 years from the time ordered to be received. Federal requirements will force us to replace our air packs before 2030 since all mandatory (state and federal) equipment has a shelf life.