Westport fire station renovation bond headed to Aug. 4 ballot
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 14, 2026
The South Beach Regional Fire Authority Board of Fire Commissioners has approved a resolution placing a bond measure on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot. If approved by voters, the bond would fund renovations to a building the fire authority has purchased in the Englewood area to serve as a modern fire station.
The Englewood property is more centrally located in the fire authority’s response area, sits at a higher elevation outside identified flood and tsunami zones, and is located across the road from the fire authority’s training facility.
The proposal comes as the fire authority continues evaluating the condition and limitations of its current station in Westport.
The existing station was built in 1972 and was not originally designed to function as a modern fire station. Over time, it has been modified to support fire and EMS operations, but it no longer meets many current safety, accessibility, and operational standards.
The building is located in a flood and tsunami zone and was not constructed to modern earthquake standards. The layout also creates operational challenges; for example, sleeping quarters are located far from the fire engines, which can delay response times during overnight emergencies.
The facility also lacks modern firefighter health and safety systems, such as diesel exhaust removal and decontamination areas designed to reduce exposure to cancer-causing contaminants.
“To continue providing reliable emergency response, we need a facility that allows firefighters and paramedics to respond quickly and operate safely,” said Fire Chief Daryl Brown. “This proposal is about making sure our community has a station that supports today’s emergency response needs.”
If approved by voters, the proposed bond would fund renovations needed to convert the Englewood building into a modern fire station. The bond would last 25 years and cost $0.37 per $1,000 of assessed property value — about $10.79 per month, or $129.50 per year, for the average homeowner with a property valued at $350,000.
Fire Chief Brown is also available for presentations to community groups this spring and will host public Q&A sessions this summer about the proposal.
South Beach Regional Fire Authority serves 6,000 residents year-round — and up to 12,000 during the summer — across 32 square miles in southwest Grays Harbor and north Pacific County, including Westport, Ocosta, Grayland, North Cove/Tokeland and the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. The authority operates as a combination department with full-time, part-time, and volunteer personnel responding to approximately 1,800 emergency calls each year.
