For small fire and EMS servicers — such as South Pierce Fire and Rescue — every penny gets stretched. So when voters approved two propositions to lift levies last November for those services, it meant a lot to the fire authority and its staff.
“For us, it’s huge,” said Fire Chief Lloyd Galey. “We cover 140-square miles and we do that with six people a day.”
The two levy lid lifts, which have been set for a six-year period and will expire in 2024, have helped South Pierce purchase new equipment and resources, begin repairs on a few of their aging fire stations, and will eventually help them expand their firefighting and EMS staff.
“We’re greatly appreciative with them entrusting us with levy moneys,” Galey said of the generous voters.
This summer, South Pierce will begin a feasibility test to look into filling two firefighter-paramedic positions that have been left vacant for some time.