Learn About the Downtown Camas Fire Station (#41) Replacement Project

Camas, WA — The Camas Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) is developing plans to replace the existing Fire Station 41 to ensure adequate fire and emergency medical services for the local community as population continues to grow.

A new station will serve as the headquarters for CWFD and will be located in downtown Camas, in the core of the department’s response area. Currently, the downtown Camas emergency response personnel, the Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) and the administrative staff are decentralized; operating out of separate buildings and remote to each other. As the headquarters facility, a downtown Camas station will house response personnel, apparatuses, administrative staff and the FMO.

Why is CWFD Requesting a new Fire Station 41?

The current Fire Station 41 facility has outlived its useful life and cannot be increased in size to accommodate the needs required of a modern fire station, including:

• Ability to withstand a significant earthquake
• Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Space for additional firefighters/EMS personnel to meet growing demands
• Crucial, up-to-date decontamination facilities and separation to limit firefighters’ carcinogen exposure
• Elimination of apparatus exhaust from entering City Hall’s interior office spaces
• Space for fire apparatus
• Mandated safety clearances around equipment
• Facilities for a diverse workforce (male/female changing rooms) to be consistent with diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines
• Providing public access to emergency service crews
• Providing parking for emergency medical drive-ins
• Providing private medical screening and treatment area for walk-ins and drive-ins

Where will a new station be located?

After conducting a process which involved considering multiple site options that could accommodate a downtown fire station, several options dropped off the list for a variety of reasons, such as traffic impacts, topography and size, environmental impacts, and cost. This left CWFD with one preferred site to consider as a potential location: a city-owned site adjacent to City Hall and currently occupied by the City as the City Hall Annex, located at 528 NE Fourth Avenue. To maximize the available space for the fire station, City Council is considering vacating (closing) the north half of Everett Street between Third and Fourth avenues to vehicle traffic. This would provide an opportunity to use current street space for the station and create a small plaza or “pocket park” along NE Fourth Avenue that can be used for community events.

Where will the funding come from for a new station?

Funding for a new fire station will come from the sale of voter-approved bonds. Bonds are a funding mechanism for replacing capital facilities and equipment like the fire station and fire engine.

During the August Primary Election, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to fund the new fire station through a bond-approval. This approval would fund design and construction costs for the new facility. If the bond passes, construction could begin as soon as 2025.

How much will the new station cost Camas homeowners?

The bond amount is $26.3 million based upon preliminary design and cost estimation to cover the full station replacement costs as well as a new fire engine to replace the aging fire engine currently operating out of the existing station.

The monthly cost for most homeowners in Camas will be approximately $9.33 (based upon median assessed home value of $862,000).