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Council discusses timing, equipment and funding options for new Fire Station 6
Summary
Fire Station 6, planned for the South Ridge area, remains a priority but staff and council debated timing, equipment costs and possible use of fire impact fees; staff said the placeholder project estimate is about $12.5 million (2028 dollars) and does not include rolling equipment.
Kennewick—s proposed Fire Station 6 drew council attention on Feb. 25, with staff outlining a placeholder timeline, cost estimate and potential funding sources and council asking for clarity on equipment and staffing plans.
City Manager Erin Erdman told council the city owns land off Bob Olsen Parkway for Station 6 and that a project-sized placeholder of roughly $12.5 million (escalated to 2028) is in the capital plan. Erdman said staff have raised the ambulance utility rate and will present a fire impact fee for the South Ridge area in March as a potential funding mechanism.
Why it matters: Station 6 is intended to serve growth in South Ridge and maintain target response times. Its timing and equipment purchases affect near-term budgeting and staffing.
Key points
- Cost and schedule: Staff said the $12.5 million figure is a placeholder indexed to a 2028 construction assumption; the estimate excludes rolling equipment costs.
- Equipment and apparatus: Chief Goertner said the city already purchased three engines; one was bought in anticipation of Station 6 and the engine cost was about $1,299,000 and is on a roughly three-year wait. "The medic unit, we have not purchased yet and the equipment, we have not purchased yet," Chief Goertner said. Staff estimated a medic unit in the neighborhood of $400,000, equipment for an engine about $130,000 and equipment for a medic unit about $270,000.
- Funding: Erdman and staff said they will propose a fire impact fee covering development-related shares of cost; impact fees will offset only the portion attributable to new development, and replacement costs for existing equipment remain with the city.
Council discussion and next steps
Council members questioned whether equipment purchases and staffing plans should proceed now or be delayed. Erdman said staff plan to start hiring to support a peak-hour unit in April and add Station 6 staffing beginning in 2026, but noted that timing could change depending on priority decisions and funding. Staff said they will return with impact-fee proposals in March and continue evaluating staffing alternatives that could delay capital construction.
No formal action was taken at the workshop; council asked staff to refine impact-fee proposals and continue working on staffing and equipment timing.
