Lacey out of fire business

The City of Lacey has taken the final steps to get out of the fire protection business.

At its Thursday meeting, the council authorized the city to transfer all fire stations, fire equipment and other fire material to Fire District 3.  Thus ending any city involvement in fire protection.

In 2001, the City of Lacey passed a fire protection measure of $9.9 million.  With it the city helped purchase a ladder truck and two fire engines and paid for 50 percent of the construction of three fire stations and an equipment maintenance station.

At the same time, the Fire District also passed a similar measure and both the district and the city became joint owners of the stations and equipment.

With its move Thursday, the city transferred all property to the fire district and no longer has any interest in fire protection.

According to Lacey City Manager Greg Cuoio, the move is just a formality.  “Those stations and that equipment always belonged to the people,” Cuoio said.  “We’re just transferring the rights to where the people have gone.”