DEPARTMENT HISTORY.
2003 - 24-Hour Staffing
Tulalip Bay Fire Department was now staffed with firefighter/EMTs around the clock. It is projected that firefighters would respond to 550 calls this year.
Many senior firefighters will never be able to forget this important year. On a stormy day in 2003, a house on Mission Beach caught fire, destroying two additional neighboring homes. A variety of factors pushed our smaller-scale department and its firefighters beyond measurement which included a combination of no water supply, poor communication equipment, poor staffing, and extremely hot and windy weather.
1996 to 1999 - Firefighter Day-Time Program, Two Firefighter Day-Time Weekend Program, and water rescue added
It was an exciting year for the community and our firefighters. Finally, firefighters were able to staff the fire station Monday through Friday from 6AM to 6PM and get paid for their time. The job would pay $10 an hour for those that were interested and qualified with an additional $5 stipend per call. The first two part-time Firefighter/EMTs were Teri Dodge and Chuck Miller. Shortly after, Teri Dodge became the first full-time firefighter secretary for the district. The fire department responded to approximately 350 calls that year.
Firefighters answered 450 calls in 1999, and improvement to staffing were made. Every day, from 6AM to 6PM, Station 60 was now staffed with two firefighter/EMTs. All volunteer and part-time firefighters would receive additional training on AEDs and become Washington State EMT certified. Additional spreader ("Jaws of Life") training would soon follow.
1990 and 1992 - Property purchased for new station
It was time for fire department officials to break ground for new station that will house 4 pieces of fire apparatus and will accommodate more than 25 firefighters that will answer over 230 calls for service that year.
On January 11 of 1992 the fire station finally opened its' doors. Over 100 community members came to celebrate the grand opening. Even though the station was not designed for night staffing it would completely accommodate 2 firefighter day time volunteer program. In the beginning the station was 8,000 square foot with bathrooms, storage rooms, meeting rooms, and 4 door apparatus bay.
1975 and 1976 - EMS services launched
As the fire department grew in size there was a significant demand for Emergency Medical Services. The department could not provide transport services for patients, therefore a private ambulance company, baker ambulance, was contracted to provide transports to hospitals.
The fire department purchased its' first Aid Unit. Even though the district did not have license to transport patients to local hospitals the aid car reduced the expenses for fuel used by the big rigs. The funds for this purchase were donated by the Tulalip Tribes. One more bay was added to the station to house the aid unit.
1958 - Snohomish County Fire Protection District #15, aka “Tulalip Bay Fire Department” was established
The Marysville City Fire Department was not allowed to leave City of Marysville and Snohomish County Fire Protection District #12 did not have enough resources to be servicing the east side of the reservation. All parties agreed that this module would benefit everyone. The Marysville Fire Department provided fire fighters and Snohomish County Fire District #12 provided the fire truck. This plan seemed to work; however, this only worked for Eastern side of Reservation, the west side Tulalip Reservation still had no first responders.
Several years before Snohomish County Fire District 15 was established there were a few devastating fires on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, to which no Fire Department responded. In 1955, a beach house burned to the ground in Priest Point Beach area. A few years after the Priest Point incident, the old “Board Walk” caught on fire destroying several homes. Since then, community members had been working on a plan to receive fire suppression services on the east end of the Tulalip Indian Reservation.
Several tribal members along with residents of Mission Beach donated land to the fire department for the fire station. Volunteer Firefighters built 2 door apparatus bay with a hose tower. That station was housing a water Tender and a 1947 Engine that was capable of pumping 750 gallons per minute. 9 digit phone number had to be dialed when a citizen had to report an emergency. 12-17 volunteer firefighters answered approximately 30 calls per year responding to the station on their personal vehicle or in some cases they responded directly to the scene. The only services fire department provided were fire suppression, vehicle extrication, and CPR.