Gig Harbor Fire to ask voters to approve bond

$9.5M would pay for training tower, support building

Nate Hulings

of the Gateway

The Gig Harbor Fire Department will soon be asking voters to pay for a state-of-the-art training campus.

The plan, which was approved by the Gig Harbor Fire District 5 Board of Commissioners during a special meeting on Jan. 25, is to put a bond issue on the Aug. 17 ballot for about $9.5 million, which will be repaid over 10 years.

There would be two main components to the training campus, which would sit on 12 acres of property near the department’s Bujacich Road headquarters in Gig Harbor. The largest is a five-story training tower that would provide a realistic drill environment, and it would include live fire props, ventilation, search and rescue, technical rope rescue and ladders, among other scenarios.

A support building also would be built for storage, classrooms, offices and decontamination.

“Training must be as realistic as possible in order to be effective, and this facility will be a state-of-the-art building that will serve the needs of the district for many years to come,” board chair Scott Casebolt said in a news release. “This project will be the completion of a facility that was envisioned many years ago, and one your fire district has been planning for.”

The department hasn’t gone to voters for capital funding since 1986, when it needed funding to construct fire stations.

“For this project, we are asking for the public’s help in providing the means for your firefighters to train in a realistic environment so they can continue to provide you with a quality service,” Casebolt said.

For a $9.5 million general obligation bond, a property valued at $400,000 would pay about $4.80 each month, Casebolt said.

The facility would replicate all the different types of buildings found in Gig Harbor. Casebolt said training at other facilities, such as North Bend, takes firefighters away from the area, and, in turn, away from potential alarms.

Eric Watson, assistant chief of logistics, said the training facility would help solidify the department’s vision as a completely comprehensive unit.

“Training is a big part of our job here,” Watson said. “It’s a huge commitment. This is the missing piece.”

When it comes to permits and the economic contracting climate, Casebolt said the timing couldn’t be better.

The board’s decision comes with changes in land use regulation that could put a halt to the project. However, the department recently secured a five-year conditional use permit from the Pierce County Hearing Examiner, officially starting the clock on the project.

Casebolt said the competitive bidding climate has construction projects coming in at up to 20 percent less than projections. Architects from Rice Fergus Miller are working with the fire department on the project.

“And while we understand that many people are struggling to make ends meet, we believe the small cost per homeowner will be money well spent, and we hope the people of Gig Harbor will continue to support us in our endeavor to provide the best quality service available to our citizens,” Casebolt said.