Is I-405 a Kirkland city street? No. Does our city fire department routinely respond to incidents on I-405? Yes. How many times during calendar year 2015 was our local fire department dispatched to incidents on I-405? 169 dispatches (according to our fire department). Did the state reimburse the city for expenses associated with these dispatches? No. Did the City bill the state for associated expenses? No. Is this fair to property owners whose taxes pay for fire department supplies, equipment, vehicles, salaries, buildings and fast local fire department responses to their emergencies? No. Is I-405 a more dangerous environment for our city firefighters than is most Kirkland city streets? Yes. If a fire station is working an incident on I-405, could this lead to significantly increased fire emergency response times for calls made by city residents needing emergency fire department services? Yes. Is this exacerbated by the complete closure of the Kingsgate Fire Station after the city annexed Kingsgate? Yes. At first glance, are there clear laws either prohibiting or allowing the city to bill the state for fire services rendered on I-405? No. What is the city planning to do to get reimbursement for fire services on I-405? Needs an answer.

Kenn Kullberg, Kirkland