Study recommends city keep MLFD

MOSES LAKE — As of now, the city of Moses Lake would be best served by keeping its own fire department, planning to accommodate additional demand and financial sustainability. That was the recommendation of a study presented to the Moses Lake City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday. 

The study, done by Berk Consulting, evaluated three options, keeping the Moses Lake Fire Department, forming a separate fire district with a boundary the same as the city limits, and joining with other local fire agencies in a regional fire authority. Don Waller of Berk Consulting said the study concluded the regional fire authority would not be feasible right now, since the MLFD and its most logical partner, Grant County Fire District 5, are much different departments.  

“Moses Lake has evolved as an urban city department, versus (GCFD) 5, which has evolved as more of a rural department. Each one serves their community very well but has adapted to their (community’s) different needs,” Waller said.  

Moses Lake Fire Chief Art Perillo said GCHD 5 hasn’t expressed interest in joining forces. 

“In order to be a fire authority, we need a willing partner. We do not have one,” Perillo said in a later interview.  

The study was commissioned by the city in late 2025 as part of its effort to balance its general fund budget, which is running a deficit in 2026. A financial stability analysis forecast continued general fund deficits over the next few years at current spending levels, which would eventually eat up the city’s existing reserves. 

The Port of Moses Lake has its own fire department, but Waller said its requirements are different from the other two agencies. 

“They have some specialized requirements about being on the airport property,” Waller said. “They do have unique requirements that make them a little bit harder to (partner) with.” 

While MLFD answers a lot of emergency medicine calls, GCFD 5 contracts with Lifeline Ambulance for EMS services, Waller said. Moses Lake responded to a lot more calls in 2025 than GCFD 5, and staffing is completely different, with MLFD using career firefighters. Fire District 5 mostly relies on volunteers, Waller said.  

A new fire district that included just the city would require authorization from voters and would have separate funding, mostly from property taxes.  

Moses Lake does have a separate tax for EMS, said Katherine Goetz of Burk Consulting, but that doesn’t pay for the entire service. In the 2026 budget, the ambulance fund is projected to have a deficit of about $200,000. 

For 2026 the MLFD budget is $7.1 million, compared to $7.8 million in 2025. That’s due to the expiration of a grant that funded some firefighter positions and some administrative changes.  

If the city did ask voters to approve a fire district, it would have its own taxing authority. The maximum the fire district could levy would be $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Goetz said the city’s current fire and ambulance expenses are higher than the amount that would be generated by fire district taxes. 

Perillo said the MLFD is meeting its existing service demands, but that the report recommended looking at the future and seeing how services could be improved. One suggestion was a strategic plan for the department.  

Fire department and city officials need to start planning for the future, because the city is growing.  

“And we have to plan for it,” he said.