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La Conner council greenlights mutual aid with Island County as fire‑boat upgrades proceed
Summary
Council approved a mutual‑aid agreement to bolster firefighter response to nearby island calls while staff reported ongoing upgrades to boat flare systems, radio equipment, and recruitment of new personnel.
Council members approved a proposed mutual‑aid agreement intended to let La Conner’s fire resources, including the town’s fire boat, respond more quickly to incidents in neighboring Island County.
Fire operations staff described several concurrent upgrades: the fire‑boat flare installation is funded in part by a refinery grant, recent radio‑system upgrades require replacement of obsolete equipment as the county moves to an all‑digital platform, and the department has seen several new recruits that staff said should improve local response capacity.
“We’ve got a grant from the refineries, so that’s moving forward,” one fire operations speaker said while outlining the boat‑flare installation. Staff also noted the department has replaced or will replace aging radios and is preparing for a broader digital conversion.
Council discussed the mutual‑aid proposal and moved it for approval; the motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote. Supporters said the agreement would reduce response times—especially when ferry access delays personnel movement—and supplement Island County’s manpower during large incidents.
The council did not set any unusual conditions on the agreement during the meeting; staff said they will continue coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and track any outstanding signatures (Skagit County and others were mentioned as pending).
