City activates new search for the new Finn Hill Fire Station site
Update: February 16, 2012: Thank you to the residents who attended the February 8 Open House. Comments received from participants regarding the siting process combined with comments received at the March 2011 public meeting hosted by the Fire District 41 are posted here. (PDF 34 KB)
Update January 31, 2012: The first community workshop will be held on Wednesday, February 8*, 7 p.m., Finn Hill Jr. High School, 8040 NE 132nd Street, so that residents can learn why a new fire station is needed and to give input about what site identification and evaluation criteria should be considered. (*This is a reschedule of the Jan. 18 meeting that was cancelled due to adverse winter weather conditions.)
December 21, 2011: The City hired the firm of TCA Architecture Planning Inc. to conduct a search for all possible sites for the construction of a new fire station to serve Finn Hill. The study will include public information meetings and will provide opportunities for the community to provide input, ask questions, and receive regular updates.
The City recognizes the importance of this issue to the community and especially Finn Hill residents and encourages residents to stay informed and involved. You can register questions or comments and stay informed through these links:
Why a New Finn Hill Fire Station is Needed
A new strategically-located fire station is needed to provide timely fire and emergency medical response to the greatest number of homes and businesses within Finn Hill.
The Holmes Point Fire Station (#25) and the Finn Hill Fire Station (#24) are located within the Finn Hill neighborhood. Consolidation of the services provided by these two stations is the most cost effective way to provide consistent response times while covering the greatest area possible.
Kirkland Fire Department’s Target Response Times
The National Fire Protection Association 
(NFPA) has developed target response times for fire calls based upon the need for firefighters to arrive at the scene of a fire prior to the point of “flash over” which occurs within the first eight minutes after a fire starts. The Kirkland Fire Department (KFD) has adopted a target response time of five and one-half minutes for fire calls after receiving the call from the dispatch center. A target response time of five minutes for emergency medical calls has been adopted by the KFD which is based on the need for firefighters/EMT’s to arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest prior to brain damage or death which begins after a person has been deprived of oxygen between four and six minutes. To learn more about response times, click through the information Powerpoint Slide Show, "When Seconds Count" presented by Fire Chief Nalder on March 8, 2011.
City of Kirkland Responsible for Services and Stations; Fire District #41 Dissolved
The governance of fire protection and emergency medical services was transferred from the King County Fire Protection District #41 (FD #41) to the City of Kirkland on June 1, 2011, the effective date of the annexation of Finn Hill, North Juanita, and Kingsgate. FD #41 has since dissolved and the process to plan for a new fire station will continue with the City as the lead agency.
Funding
The Finn Hill Fire Station Project is being funded from FD #41 cash reserves, the anticipated proceeds from the eventual sale of the two decommissioned stations, and limited general obligation debt that FD#41 issued prior to the annexation. The secured funding will allow for the payment of principal and interest on the outstanding debt for the new station.
Siting Process
The proposal to consolidate the two existing fire stations in the Finn Hill neighborhood into a single fire station had been a long standing goal of FD #41. FD #41 had contracted with the City of Kirkland Fire Department to provide fire and emergency medical services to the unincorporated areas including Finn Hill, North Juanita, and the portion of Kingsgate, west of 124th Avenue NE.
As early as 2004, FD #41 began a process to locate a site to build a new fire station. Property owned by Lake Washington School District was considered early in the process and in recent years a portion of Big Finn Hill Park has been considered. FD #41 began negotiations for the park land with King County who owns and maintains Big Finn Hill Park. As part of the feasibility analysis, soils testing, approved by King County, was conducted in February, 2011. As part of the transition of services from Fire District #41, the City has assumed responsibility for the station planning process and is launching a new siting and public outreach strategy.
Fire & Emergency Medical Response Mutual Aid
Kirkland Fire responds on automatic aid to its five neighboring cities and Fire Districts. Those neighboring cities and Fire Districts include: City of Bellevue, City of Redmond, City of Woodinville, City of Bothell and Northshore Fire District #16.
King County is divided into five zones to provide for county wide coordination of fire suppression, emergency medical, rescue, and hazardous materials. The Kirkland Fire Department is one of nine agencies in Zone 1 that participates in the task force and strike team program.
Page updated: January 31, 2012