Six months into a contract with Clark County Fire District 3, the city of Battle Ground reports that the new partnership is exceeding expectations.
Since the fire agency began responding to emergency calls in Battle Ground in January, city officials said they’re impressed by the agency’s work and its effort to reach out to the community.
“The professionalism of Fire District 3 and their commitment to serve the City of Battle Ground is evident in everything they do,” Battle Ground City Manager Jeff Swanson said in a press release. “In the first six months of their service to the city we are seeing excellent emergency response times and the city’s resources being used more efficiently and effectively.”
Battle Ground doesn’t operate its own fire department. Instead, the city contracted with Clark County Fire & Rescue for its emergency services for nearly 25 years but opted to go with Fire District 3 this year after it made a more attractive pitch, city officials said.
Fire District 3 was awarded a $2 million, six-year contract. The fire district, which serves Hockinson and the surrounding rural area, hired seven firefighters from CCFR and five more firefighter/paramedics to meet the demands of the new contract.
The agency began using lighter-weight rescue and squad vehicles, which can maneuver faster, for medical calls. Battle Ground city officials report this shift has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the use of and wear and tear of city-owned fire engines, which they say extends the life of the equipment and protects taxpayers’ investment.
The agency has responded to 1,003 emergency calls within Battle Ground’s city limits since Jan. 1, with an average response time of four minutes and 11 seconds, which city spokeswoman Bonnie Gilberti said is meeting expectation. In a previous request for proposal, CCFR aimed for an average of a five-minute response time for urban calls, Gilberti said.
City officials also said they have an excellent working relationship with fire officials, noting that Chief Steve Wrightson meets and plans with city officials on a regular basis and spends 32 hours a week at the Battle Ground fire station.
City officials say they also appreciated the agency taking steps to build relationships within the community.
Fire District 3 hosted a Harvest Days Pancake Breakfast, which benefited a family in need, and will be participating in National Night Out on Aug. 2.
The district will also continue a program called FLAME, Firefighter Lunch And Mentorship Experience, where students meet with firefighters.
“Our goal is to make at least one new relationship each day,” Wrightson said in a press release. “The city and the community has welcomed us; our personnel are highly motivated to provide excellent service to City of Battle Ground and to the larger community.”
