Fire District 8 levy passing

A maintenance and operations levy in Spokane County Fire District 8 is passing easily with a 65 percent yes vote. The district covers 110 square miles south of Spokane and Spokane Valley. The levy will allow the district to maintain its current level of staffing as well as add a paramedic at each station 24 hours a day. Currently only the Moran Prairie and Ponderosa stations have paramedics 24 hours a day, said Fire Chief Tony Nielsen. The district will be hiring to fill the new positions at the other two stations, he said. “We’re incredibly humbled and appreciative,” Nielsen said of the vote results. The Citizens of Fire District 8, a group that included residents and firefighters, campaigned heavily for the levy. They waved signs on street corners, sent out a mailer and bought a billboard. “I’m really proud of all our folks for how they’ve come together,” he said.