Editor,

Central Whidbey Island Fire &Rescue has spent a significant amount of time planning to meet the emergency needs of our community.

The local population has grown 5.3 percent since 2010. In that same time period, emergency call volumes have increased 30.68 percent.

Last year, we finalized a Strategic Plan and identified our facility, apparatus and revenue needs for 2017-2021.

The first step is to replace three fire engines and renovate Station 53 on Race Road to add sleeping quarters in the main building to help firefighters respond to calls faster.

These projects will help maintain our fire insurance rating and improve firefighter safety, as well.

We made the decision to renovate an existing station because it was less expensive.

In fact, we will be getting twice the space for 17 percent less than if we built a new facility, saving taxpayers approximately $1 million in the process.

These improvements will require voter-approved funding to complete.

We will be having public meetings about the bond proposal in early summer, and hope you will take part.

Cheryl Engle

CW Fire and Rescue