Two fire districts in Clark County have implemented visible changes early this year after separate annexation votes last year.
Voters in Clark County Fire District 3 and Battle Ground approved the city’s annexation into the district’s coverage area in February 2020. Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue and Woodland voters did the same in August.
When the Fire District 3 annexation passed, it ended a stretch of short-term contracts with the city in favor of long-term property tax revenue. The annexation also freed some cash for Battle Ground for improvements to parks, public safety and roads.
With the commitment in hand, the fire district hired four new full-time employees and brought in three volunteer firefighters. The additions allowed for a fifth 24-hour crew to cover the 90-square-mile district with 40,000 residents.
With the new hires in place earlier this year, the district has had full-time staffing at four stations, plus a second crew at the busiest one in Battle Ground. The Venersborg station now has a full-time crew.