Calls for police, fire, and emergency medical services have increased in Bellingham, and the costs to provide these services have also risen significantly. Current budgets can’t keep up, and without changes, we risk falling behind in these essential services. 

Bellingham needs a sustainable, stable funding source for public safety and first responders. 

A Regional Fire Authority (RFA) is a permanent and flexible way to provide reliable, high-quality fire and EMS services with dedicated funding. City of Bellingham leaders and Whatcom County Fire District 8 Commissioners agree this is the best funding solution for our community. In April 2026 they voted to form an RFA planning committee that will create a plan for the structure and funding of an RFA.  

Ultimately, the decision to form an RFA and what tax rate to set must be approved by voters. 

  • An RFA is an independent governmental organization composed of two or more fire jurisdictions – cities, fire districts, or tribal entities – that join together to provide fire and emergency medical services to their combined service area. 
  • RFAs are formed by voter-approval, creating a separate taxing district and dedicated funding source. They have an independent governing body.
  • Learn more on our FAQ page. 

  • By state law, any city or fire district that wants to form a Regional Fire Authority must form a planning committee of elected officials.  
  • The planning committee is responsible to draft a plan for the RFA’s governance, design, financing, and development, and the plan to transition from other fire and EMS entities to an RFA.
  • The plan created by the committee goes to the voters for their final decision. 
RFA Planning Committee Meetings

Current Service Levels

Calls for fire and EMS have risen by 35% in the last decade, compared to only 17% in the decade before that. Today, crews are responding to about 67 calls each day – 25 more calls every day than they did 10 years ago. However, Bellingham has operated with the same core fire response resources since 1976. 

A study by the City of Bellingham in 2025-26 showed that the rising demand and growing call complexity are stretching crews, reducing their availability to respond to other calls and leading to longer response times to critical incidents. 

Over the next 10 years, it could cost up to $30 million more each year to fully catch up on staffing levels, specialty units, and equipment to meet the growing public safety needs in Bellingham. 

We need a new way to pay for essential City services, including fire and EMS. Transitioning the fire department to a Regional Fire Authority provides the most flexible, stable solution, creating a dedicated funding source to maintain the high-quality fire and emergency medical services we all expect to receive.  

Read the City of Bellingham Public Safety Level of Service study to learn more. 

Timeline

  • Checked boxApril 2026: Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Fire District 8 Board of Commissioners vote to form an RFA Planning Committee 
  • Checked boxMay 2026 – Late Fall 2026: The RFA Planning Committee meets to develop the RFA plan, gathering community input along the way. The committee makes a final decision about whether or not to move forward with a ballot measure to form an RFA. 
  • Checked boxEarly 2027: A ballot measure goes to voters in the proposed RFA service area.

Service Area

The proposed RFA would cover more than 50 square miles within the boundaries of the Bellingham city limits and Whatcom County Fire District 8, serving a population of about 105,000. The RFA would include eight stations, shown below.

The map shows the greater Bellingham area and outlines the boundaries of Fire District 8 in blue and the City of Bellingham in black, with a tan shading. It includes red triangle markers for the eight fire stations that would be included in the RFA, as well as 11 stations that are located outside the boundaries of the proposed RFA, which are marked with magenta pins.