Oak Harbor officials said the city’s second fire station, Station 82, is on schedule and under budget and is expected to open in 2026.

Why this matters: the administration said Station 82 will reduce emergency response times across the city and that timely staffing and equipment purchases are central to the project’s public-safety case.

The mayor said the station’s capital costs are fully funded by a general-obligation bond that adds 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and that the bond will expire after 20 years. Operating expenses for the station, including staffing, are funded by a levy lift described in the address as 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The address did not provide the council vote tally or ordinance numbers for either measure.

Fire Chief Anderson and the administration said the department has increased full-time staffing by two personnel and is hiring firefighters with emergency medical technician (EMT) certification to expand the department’s ability to provide initial responses to life-threatening medical emergencies. The administration said the city has requested federal funds to purchase ambulances to improve response times on an island jurisdiction.

The mayor also highlighted recent grants secured for the fire department: the grant administrator, Wendy Horn, obtained more than $160,000 for equipment, including $23,046 for stabilization tools and rescue airbags for vehicle accidents; the city received approximately $120,000 for an air compressor and decontamination washer/extractor and $25,000 for protective equipment and dryers. The mayor invited residents to watch equipment demonstrations at an event the administration runs annually.

Remaining questions: the address states the station is on schedule and within budget but does not provide the construction contract award, total station capital cost, detailed staffing plan or the finalized ambulance procurement schedule.