After one year, Bothell reports stable fire operations under Shoreline executive-services interlocal agreement

After one year under an executive-services interlocal agreement with Shoreline Fire, Bothell staff reported that administrative leadership provided by Shoreline has stabilized the Bothell Fire Department and produced measurable operational and maintenance improvements.

Shoreline Chief Matt Cowan — who has served as Bothell’s fire chief since the interlocal agreement took effect June 1, 2024 — and Bothell staff presented findings at the June 3 study session. City Manager and Chief Cowan reviewed the interlocal agreement’s scope and emphasized that Bothell retains its firefighters, apparatus and stations while Shoreline provides executive-level administration.

Division Chief Kelly Cross, who described herself as a long‑time Bothell employee, said, “In the first year of the executive ILA, we’ve seen an improvement in a more stabilized leadership structure.” Staff reported several specific operational gains: an expanded, hands‑on training program (including more live‑fire and technical‑rescue hours), a revamped EMS quality‑assurance process, and unified response plans across jurisdictions. Chief Ormes (Shoreline’s assistant chief assigned during the transition) and others credited the shared training consortium for enabling those improvements.

Staff presented quantitative examples: technical‑rescue training increased from 24 to 64 hours annually in the areas discussed; primary search performance in residential structure fires decreased (improved) by roughly 30% year‑over‑year; and response and turnout time measures were reported as stable or improving after methodology refinements that align reporting with NFPA standards.

Fleet maintenance and logistics also moved under Shoreline’s fleet maintenance program. Chief Hoekstein (fleet) said Shoreline mechanics now schedule preventive maintenance, travel to Bothell for smaller repairs, and have completed shop repairs for Bothell rigs. Staff gave a weekend example in which a Bothell engine that broke down on a call was repaired and returned to service in about two and a half hours.

Staff flagged near‑term and midrange projects: remodeling Station 44 (design phase underway, with a hoped-for late‑2025 or early‑2026 ground‑breaking), continued work on ladder‑truck specifications (a Shoreline fleet manager accompanied the Bothell ladder committee on a manufacturer visit), potential joint staffing of a heavy rescue unit with neighboring departments, and an expansion of mobile integrated health (MIH) services and follow‑up referrals tied to county EMS programs. Staff also noted ongoing discussions about service-level needs in South Bothell and said additional resources would improve reliability from busier stations.

Council members asked about the scope of county ALS (advanced life support) arrangements and how King County’s EMS levy and county contracting interact with Shoreline and Bothell. Chief Cowan and staff explained that King County funds and coordinates paramedic services via a countywide levy and contracts; municipalities are typically subcontractors to that system and must coordinate with the county on unit placement and service levels. Staff said the city has historically benefited from a favorable King County EMS levy and cited prior voter support in the Snohomish‑County portion of Bothell.

Staff described workforce and morale advances attributed to more consistent executive leadership and face‑to‑face engagement during the transition. Council members asked for a formal survey or other quantifiable employee feedback; staff said most feedback to date has been anecdotal and gathered through “chief chats,” HR touchpoints and union leadership conversations, and that they will consider more formal survey instruments going forward.

There was no council action; the interlocal agreement itself was authorized previously (resolution authorizing the city manager to sign the agreement was adopted in February, as staff noted), and this presentation fulfilled a year‑one reporting commitment in that agreement.

Ending: Council members thanked the chiefs and staff for the review and asked staff to continue returning with metrics and to brief council on station‑level planning, fleet timelines and any proposed staffing changes tied to capital or levy decisions.