Making the case for fulltime fire service in Medical Lake

Call numbers push the envelope for a volunteer department, but funding remains the question

PAUL DELANEY, Staff Reporter | Last updated Jan 12, 2018 2:2pm0

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Medical Lake Fire Chief Jason Mayfield talks with Assistant Chief Corey Stevens (above) and discusses strategy with several volunteer firefighters at a recent call (below).

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One of the hot-button topics during the election campaign for mayor and City Council in Medical Lake has been the desire by some to have fulltime fire department and EMS coverage.

While this will likely continue to be a discussion item in the coming months, particularly on how to fund such an effort, and by how much, looking at the department as it currently sits may help bring some perspective.

For starters, it may come as a surprise, but the Medical Lake fire department is the second oldest in Spokane County, just behind the city of Spokane, and was founded in 1904, said Chief Jason Mayfield...