WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A local fire district is asking for voters’ help to move its station out of a flood zone.

Whatcom Fire District 1 announced this week that they will place a $13 million bond measure on the Aug. 6 election ballot to fund construction of a new station. It will be joining the ballot measure to fund the move of Whatcom Fire District 17’s Sandy Point fire station to a property outside of a flood zone. The Sandy Point measure just failed in the April 23 election by a single vote.

Fire Chief Rachel Carlson said the bond would allow the district to move out of the floodplain with a much-needed, modernized facility.

The station said the antennae wires need to run through the window as the building was not built with the wiring in mind. Courtesy of Whatcom Fire District 1.

Funds from the bond would be used for the design, construction and equipping of the new fire station. The multi-use facility would also double as an Emergency Operations Center for disaster management.

If approved, the measure would increase property taxes in the district by 39 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Carlson added that the district is seeking both state and federal grant funding to limit the cost of the bond and lower the property tax hike for residents.

Fire District 1 serves Everson, Nooksack, Deming and the Nooksack Indian Tribe.