About Regional Fire Authorities (RFAs)
An RFA is a special‑purpose public district voters can create to deliver fire protection and emergency medical services. It has to include at least two neighboring jurisdictions – a city, fire district or tribal government. It’s formed under state law and operates under a voter‑approved service plan.
Currently, fire and emergency medical services in the Bellingham area are governed by two separate organizations: the Bellingham Fire Department, which is City department, and Whatcom County Fire District 8, which serves the surrounding area and is governed by a board of commissioners.* A Regional Fire Authority would bring these two together into a single, independent agency with its own governing board.
The biggest practical difference between the current structure and an RFA is how it’s funded. As a City department, the Bellingham Fire Department competes for funding alongside parks, roads, police and many other city priorities. An RFA would have its own dedicated funding that exists specifically for fire and EMS. That money can’t be redirected to other city needs, which makes it easier to maintain staffing, replace aging equipment, and plan ahead for growing services.
*The City of Bellingham’s Fire Department currently provides services for Whatcom County Fire District 8 under an agreement signed by the two agencies.
State law governs how RFAs are formed.
First, the governing bodies for any agency that wants to be a part of an RFA have to vote to form an RFA Planning Committee, composed of three elected officials from each participating agency. A Planning Committee then drafts the RFA service plan.
The plan goes to voters in a ballot measure to approve or reject forming the RFA.
With fire and EMS needs and costs increasing, the City of Bellingham’s budget can’t keep up. As a result, the City has to cut back not only on public safety staffing, but on other important programs, too.
City and Fire District leaders are planning to create an RFA as a way to sustain service levels with a permanent, dedicated funding source that can keep pace with rising call volumes and costs.
Learn more about why leaders have chosen to explore an RFA in the City of Bellingham’s 2026 Public Safety Level of Service Needs Assessment.
The RFA’s governing board is defined in the service plan developed by the Planning Committee. The board must be composed of elected officials from the participating agencies and/or elected regional fire commissioners.
RFA Funding and Costs
RFAs can use property tax levies and, if voters approve, a Fire Benefit Charge (FBC). The plan may also authorize bonds and other revenue tools specified in state law.
A Fire Benefit Charge is a fee based on the benefit of fire services to structures – typically based on the structure size, use, and fire risk. It doesn’t apply to land and is not based on property value. Certain properties, such as specified nonprofits, are exempt from FBC fees.
If an RFA imposes a Fire Benefit Charge, state law limits the total revenue from the FBC to only 60% of the operating budget for that year.
When voters authorize an FBC, the maximum property tax levy the RFA can collect is limited to $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Without an FBC, the maximum levy rate is $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
An FBC helps balance funding between the levy and the benefit charge over time.
By law, FBCs must be reasonably set based on the fire protection benefits provided. RFAs hold public hearings when establishing the charge and must establish a review board process so property owners can request adjustments or dispute their charge.
It is currently too early to know how an RFA might affect taxpayer costs. The RFA Planning Committee will study this and propose a funding structure as they develop a service plan.
We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
RFA Services and Staffing
Unless stated differently in the plan, employees transfer to the RFA.
Today, WCFD8 serves Marietta, Gooseberry Point, and parts of the Lummi Reservation, and partners with the Lummi Nation and Port of Bellingham for services at the Bellingham International Airport. Any changes to boundaries or service models would be described in the voter‑approved RFA plan.
Yes. Annexation into an existing RFA is allowed, with service plan changes, board approvals, and voter approval in the annexing area. The RFA can also annex fire protection jurisdictions within reasonable proximity as provided in state law.
Public Participation
The Planning Committee’s work and the service plan they develop involve public input. You can attend Planning Committee meetings and provide feedback on the draft service plan.
Voters ultimately decide whether to form the RFA as outlined in the service plan.
Local officials have discussed a potential February 2027 ballot measure if the City Council and the WCDFD8 Board move an RFA service plan forward. The timing depends on City Council and WCFD8 Board actions.