Wenatchee fire officials warn of severe season, urge state support and local staffing boost

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department leaders told the City Council on a report night that July through September look “really, really bad” for wildfires and urged local officials to press state lawmakers to preserve funding and laws that speed aviation and ground response.

The plea came from Hillary Franz, former Washington state commissioner of public lands, and the Wenatchee Valley fire chief. Franz said recent state laws expanded air and ground firefighting resources and must be maintained. “House Bill 1168 . . . was cut in half this year,” Franz said, and “House Bill 1498 . . . sunsets next year,” adding that local governments should contact legislators and the governor to retain the programs she credited with faster initial response.

The fire chief told the council the department now covers roughly 211 square miles and about 81,000 residents, operates 10 stations (eight soon to be staffed), runs a $25 million annual budget, and responded to 6,200 calls in 2024. He said 65% of calls are medical, the department fields two helicopters, 65 pieces of apparatus and specialized teams for HAZMAT, rope and water rescue.

On staffing the chief said the department needs a three-person model on apparatus to meet life‑safety standards for CPR and structure fire response. “When you go into cardiac arrest for the best chances of survival, you need someone to breathe for you, someone to defibrillate you, and someone to do nonstop compressions,” he said. He said 27–30 new hires would allow three-person staffing across engines and that Microsoft has agreed to underwrite three of nine positions to start staffing the Malaga station on Sept. 1.

The chief said the department plans to hire about 30 firefighters over several years and is aiming for accreditation to codify industry best practices. He cautioned the council that the department’s revenue depends on a local fire benefit charge that must be renewed in 2030; if it does not renew, “we will shut down. We will have one station staffed in East Wenatchee and one staffed in Wenatchee,” he said.

Council members asked about response logistics, mutual aid and outreach to voters. The chief said mutual aid units sometimes supply personnel when only two people staff a nearby engine and that the department is conducting public engagement ahead of future funding requests. Franz offered to supply template letters and suggested a city letter to the Legislature and governor supporting the two laws she named.

The briefing also reviewed a recent local fire that received rapid air resources and multiple aircraft, which the chief said was brought under control within hours. Franz and the chief urged council support to keep the state-level systems in place that coordinate air attack and rapid resource mobilization.