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South County Fire’s Board of Commissioners swore in three members, including one newly elected commissioner, during a meeting Tuesday.
Commissioner Joe Wankelman joins the board after being elected in November from District 1, which includes Mountlake Terrace, Brier, the Esperance community and portions of unincorporated southwest Snohomish County.
Wankelman has 17 years of military service as an Apache helicopter pilot, including four combat deployments, three tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Washington and holds a Master of Science in Data Analytics and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Wankelman serves as executive director of the Foundation for Stable Housing.
Wankelman expressed his gratitude for the role and readiness to hit the ground running. “I am here to make sure South County Fire meets the emergency needs of every resident with compassion and high-quality response,” he said. “I am humbled by this responsibility and look forward to advocating for the safety and well-being of everyone we serve.”
Two other commissioners also took the oath of office Tuesday after being reelected in November: District 3 Commissioner Mark Laurence (serving since 2019), and District 5 Commissioner Jim Kenny (serving since 2003). Commissioners elected Kenny to continue serving as board chair and District 2 Commissioner Michael Fearnehough to serve as vice chair.
The Board of Commissioners is responsible for defining the regional fire authority’s long-term vision, approving the budget, hiring the fire chief and adopting policies to be implemented by the chief and administrative staff.
Regular board meetings take place the first and third Tuesday of each month. Work sessions take place on the second Tuesday of each month. All board meetings begin at 7 p.m. and can be attended remotely or in person at South County Fire Headquarters, 12425 Meridian Ave. S, Everett.
For instructions on how to attend meetings remotely, or to view agendas, minutes and meeting videos, visit www.southsnofire.org/meetings.
I sure hope Commissioner Wankelman does more than “make sure South County Fire meets the emergency needs of every resident with compassion and high-quality response.” Commissioners should ensure that taxpayers get the best bang for their tax dollar – and that includes proving that economies of scale are actually delivered; that tracking performance metrics/results-oriented management is paramount; that when 85% of 911 calls are for medical emergencies – that staffing and equipment are optimized for that market demand including using single role paramedics and ambulance equipment to deliver more efficient and economic medical response rather than using dual-role firefighters and fire trucks. First responder response is obviously critical, but when Edmonds residents were forced to pay 70% more for the same quality/response of fire/ems service post-annexation, that’s a huge mis-management red flag. Commissioners are supposed to be putting taxpayers first, not padding administrative costs and firefighter salaries/retirement plans. Why do you think the firefighters’ union spent so much money advocating for annexation? I hope Mr. Wankelman can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of South County Fire/RFA, deliver tangible benefits/economies of scale, and reduce the $3,200 per 911 call cost of service. And btw- maybe he can help return the approximate $15 million to the City of Edmonds that is owed to the City for unpaid hospital and GEMT transport fees?
Welcome new commissioners! thank you for stepping up for the job!