Millwood fire force finished

Millwood Mayor Jeanne Batson signed away her fire department Wednesday evening.

With the approval of Millwood council members, Batson dissolved the town’s largely volunteer fire department, which has existed for nearly all of the town’s 76-year history. Millwood will contract with the Valley Fire Department for service and eventually might permanently become part of the larger district.

Millwood’s fire department had become embroiled in controversy in recent months. The situation became dire when Batson put the town’s chief, Bill Clifford, on administrative leave. Nearly all the town’s volunteer firefighters quit in protest.

Valley Fire “came in and rescued us” from the crisis, Batson said in a statement after the meeting. Millwood officials have long said they did not want to cede their independence to Valley Fire.

Batson said she doesn’t think she’s giving away part of the town’s identity. “We’re just asking for help with our fire department. We can’t do it on our own anymore,” she said at the end of a flurry of document signings. “We’ll carry on.”

Valley Fire will respond to both fire and medical emergencies in the town 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The signing was done in conjunction with the Town Council and the Valley Fire commissioners. It was held at Millwood’s fire station, built less than two years ago using voter-approved bond money. The station will serve as Valley Fire’s Station 2, which will move from nearby Trent Avenue in the upcoming weeks.

Valley Fire – a large urban district that serves both Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake – completely surrounds Millwood, which has 1,649 residents and covers less than a square mile.

At the end of the joint meeting Wednesday, Valley Fire Commissioner Joe Dawson gave Batson a check for $257,512 and another for $1. The larger check will pay for the town’s firetrucks and much of its firefighting equipment. The $1 check will cover Valley Fire’s lease of the land.

Millwood will pay Valley Fire $150,000 to provide fire protection for the rest of the year and $500,000 for 2005. In turn, Valley Fire will take over the debt Millwood accrued to build the station and buy a new firetruck. Valley Fire will lease the station at a rate equal to Millwood’s bond payments. When the bonds are paid off in 2018, Valley Fire will buy the station for $1, according to the lease agreement. Valley Fire also agreed to hire Clifford and Millwood’s three full-time firefighters.

Millwood and Spokane Valley residents will likely vote next year on whether Millwood should become a permanent part of Valley Fire through annexation. If Millwood is annexed, the town’s levy rate would likely decrease, but town residents would have to begin paying Valley Fire’s levy rate, which is currently at $3.19 per $1,000, according to the assessor’s office.

Ruby Witham, 82, has watched Millwood change. Witham was proud of the town’s volunteer fire department. One thing she’s liked about Millwood was that it could provide services like fire protection without needing help. But Witham said she understands that it’s no longer possible for the town to go it alone and likes the idea of having full-time firefighters and paramedics. “I’m not going to rush for judgment. I would like to see how it’s going to work.”