Pierce County Fire District 21 – also known as Graham Fire & Rescue – wants voters to pass a $12 million bond so it can double its number of full-time stations.

Meanwhile, Pierce County Fire District 15 wants to merge with neighboring Pierce County Fire District 17 to form a unified district. The two already operate under one chief and the name South Pierce Fire & Rescue, but their budgets remain separate.

In Graham, the three full-time stations now operated by District 21 aren’t enough to ensure fast response times throughout the 100-square-mile district, deputy chief Gary Franz said last week.

The district wants to use bond money to build a station near 224th Street East and the Orting-Kapowsin Highway, which could help serve the growing population north of 204th Street.

The bond would also rebuild two fire stations, in the Frederickson and Kapowsin areas, that aren’t staffed full time. The two are used mainly as equipment garages now, Franz said, and volunteer firefighters report to them when needed.

The cost of the bond amounts to 20 cents per $1,000 in property value, or $50 per year for a $250,000 home.

The district’s computer models indicate that adding the full-time stations would allow firefighters to respond to calls within five minutes at least 80 percent of the time, Franz said. In 2007, the district met that goal on only 22 percent of emergency medical calls. On average, it took seven minutes and 31 seconds for the first unit to arrive on scene.

“The only way to reduce those travel times is to add more facilities closer to main arterials,” Franz said. “We want to get there.”

The bond would also eliminate $3 million in debt the district owes from building a new headquarters in 2005. That would free up about $330,000 in the annual budget that could be put toward hiring firefighters, Franz said.

The district wants to hire 16 firefighters to staff the new stations over the 12-year length of the bond.

Similarly, Chief Bob Vellias of South Pierce Fire & Rescue said merging Fire District 15 and District 17 could leave more money to hire firefighters in the districts, which serve Roy and the areas surrounding Eatonville.

The districts already operate jointly, having united under the same chief in April 2007. But their budgets remain separate, causing needless overlap in administrative costs, Vellias said.

The money saved by employing fewer clerks and department heads could be used to pay firefighter salaries, he said.

If the districts merge, they will operate under the same budget and the name District 17. Together the districts employ 25 full-time firefighters.

Ballots are in the mail and must be postmarked by the Aug. 19 election date.

No one submitted statements to the county auditor’s office opposing either ballot measure.

Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058