Editor,

We want to thank the South Whidbey community for supporting a recent fire levy lid lift request. As of this writing, the ballot measure is passing with almost 65 percent of the vote.

Funding will be used to hire full-time personnel and replace aging apparatus for residents served by South Whidbey Fire/EMS.

There are three reasons we made this request. First, to respond to higher call volumes and reach you faster in an emergency. Second, to provide some relief to our volunteer firefighters and keep them involved in the fire district. And, third, to improve our community insurance rating, which is linked to how much property owner’s pay in insurance premiums.

We realize that these are unprecedented times for our community, state and nation. We are sincerely grateful that our community has prioritized emergency services as worthy of their tax dollars. We will continue to report back to you as we complete these public safety improvements.

Chief H.L. “Rusty” Palmer

South Whidbey Fire/EMS