In
the spring of 1952, after two destructive
fires in the Marietta Village, a group of
citizens conceived the idea that having a
hose cart in town might be of some value.
After looking around and finding a retired
engine from Everson the Marietta Fire Department
was born.
The
Marietta Fire Department was first formed
as a company and funded by each property
owner paying a “subscription”.
In 1957 the fire department formed into
a taxing district and became Whatcom County
Fire District 8 covering the area north
and west of Bellingham.
Whatcom
County Fire District 15 was formed on May
24, 1966 when the residents of Gooseberry
Point voted 88 to 1 to form the fire district.
Fire District 15 included most of the Gooseberry
Point peninsula and the majority of the
Lummi Reservation.
In
June of 1993 District 15 started working
jointly with Fire District 8. In 1995 the
voters of Fire District 15 voted to merge
into Fire District 8 and the two departments
have been working as one ever since.
Today
Fire District 8 covers 42.3 square miles
and a population around 9200 people. The
department runs 3 engines, 3 basic life
support ambulances and 1 rescue from 2 stations
using a mix of career and volunteer staffing.
The
Fire District partners with the Lummi Nation
to provide fire protection to a large portion
of the Lummi Reservation and with the Port
of Bellingham to provide fire and emergency
medical coverage to the Bellingham International
Airport.
