In June 2017, City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Fire District 8 officials met to begin discussing creation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA). They formed a planning committee as the first official step for the two organizations to start the planning process.
The RFA planning committee included three elected officials from each organization. Mayor Kelli Linville, Councilmember Terry Bornemann, and Councilmember Michael Lilliquist represented the City of Bellingham. Fire Commissioners Roger Busswell, David Lehmann, and Rob Neher represented Whatcom County Fire District 8.
In February 2019, The RFA planning committee agreed to end further RFA planning and dissolve the planning committee. All parties agreed the Bellingham Fire Department and Whatcom County Fire District 8 would continue their partnership through the existing contract for service and revisit the RFA discussion in the future.
For additional information about the potential Regional Fire Authority, check out the planning committee website at www.bellinghamrfa.org.
