WSU Will Obtain Fire Protection from the City of Pullman Starting this Spring

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University’s previously announced intent to get out of the fire service business on its Pullman campus will become reality at the end of spring semester. At that time, the city of Pullman will convert its North Grand Avenue fire station from a reserve-only station to one staffed by full-time firefighters and paramedics. 

The change will allow the city and university to be served by two fully staffed stations. The North Grand Avenue station is currently staffed only by fire reserves. The city’s upgrade of that station to a fulltime facility will better serve the north end of Pullman and will provide necessary response time to the campus for emergency medical and fire calls. 

In 2001, the city and the university entered into a joint fire services agreement to allow the two departments to share resources. As part of that agreement, Pat Wilkins became chief of both the city and university fire departments. That agreement and the experience developed under it will be invaluable as the transition occurs.

“This change will result in both of the city’s fire stations being fully staffed with professional firefighters and paramedics,” said Fire Chief Pat Wilkins.

WSU’s Pullman campus has been one of only seven campuses in the nation – and the only one in Washington – to operate its own fire department. In recent years, the WSU fire department, located across from the Compton Union Building, has been staffed by four professional firefighters, one per shift, augmented by 15 student firefighters who live at the fire station.

“The city and the university are confident that this change in delivery of fire services will be of benefit to the campus community and the residents of Pullman,” said Richard Heath, WSU associate vice president for Business Affairs. “The need for fire services located on campus has decreased over the years as the university has been aggressive in building new buildings and retrofitting older ones with up-to-date fire suppression systems designed to lessen the risk of a major on-campus fire.

“Further, removing fire engines out of the congested area near the CUB should increase safety and response times for much of the campus,” Heath said.

Under the law, a university that has no fire department must be served by the city or fire district in which the campus is located. Also, under the law, the university is required to contribute its fair share of the city’s costs of operating its fire department. This financial requirement is the result of the fact that the university does not pay property taxes to the city. Other universities in Washington have similar cost-sharing agreements with their surrounding cities.

As part of the change, the university’s professional firefighters were offered the opportunity to become employed by the city’s fire department.

The existing campus fire station will no longer have fire engines and equipment, but it will maintain an ambulance staffed by WSU students. Students who are currently student firefighters will continue to live at the campus station and will provide basic life support services to the campus community, as they do today. They are also eligible to become Pullman reserve firefighters, should they so choose.