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Tumwater committee forwards interlocal basic-life-support funding agreement with Thurston County to council
Summary
The Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee unanimously voted Feb. 11 to place an interlocal agreement with Thurston County for basic life support (BLS) funding on the Feb. 18 City Council consent calendar, recommending the mayor be authorized to sign.
The Tumwater Public Health and Safety Committee unanimously voted Feb. 11 to place an interlocal agreement with Thurston County for basic life support (BLS) funding on the Feb. 18 City Council consent calendar, recommending that the mayor be authorized to sign the agreement in substantially the same form as approved by the city attorney.
The agreement with Medic 1 supports Tumwater’s basic life support services — equipment and supplies used by EMTs and fire staff — and provides a direct annual payment to participating agencies based on countywide call volume. Presenting the agreement, Chief Hawley said the city spent "just, almost $65,000 in, in 2024" on supplies that Medic 1 stocks and bills centrally. The presenter also said Medic 1’s countywide direct payment in 2024 was "about $6,065,000 dollars," which is allocated among the county’s agencies by call volume.
Why it matters: Committee members said the funding covers routine but essential medical supplies and reduces pressure on the general fund. Chief Hawley told the committee that "about, you know, over 80% of what we do is emergency medical services," and that BLS units respond to virtually all medical calls. Without the Medic 1 support, officials said the city would need to replace that funding from the general fund or another source.
Agreement details discussed in the meeting included the initial term running 2025–2027 with an option for a mutually agreed two‑year extension. The presenter said the 2025 allocations based on call volume had not been finalized at the time of the meeting but were expected to be slightly higher than 2024.
Committee action: Council Member Kelly moved to place the interlocal agreement on the Feb. 18 consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and to authorize the mayor to sign; Council Member Leeta seconded. The chair called the vote and the motion "passed unanimously," with the committee recording affirmative votes.
Next steps: The item will appear on the Feb. 18 City Council consent calendar for the full council to approve and to authorize mayoral signature.
