History
Shoreline Fire Department
Originally formed as King County Fire District No. 4, Shoreline Fire Department has served the Shoreline community since 1939.
Prior to the addition of the Northshore Fire Department, the Department covered a service area of approximately 14-square miles and a population of approximately 57,000 residents. In June of 2022 Northshore Fire Department entered into a Contract for Services with Shoreline Fire Department. The Department as a whole currently covers a service area of approximately 25-square miles and a population of approximately 96,500 residents.
We employ more than 180 full-time personnel who provide various services for the divisions that make-up the Department: fire suppression, emergency medical services, administration and support, fire prevention, public information and education, training, facilities and maintenance.
We are proud of our close connections with our residents and of the support and confidence given to us over the past many years. Our Department continues to grow and evolve to meet new challenges and changes in the community.
History
Northshore Fire Department
The Northshore Fire Department has been providing service to the communities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park for 80 years.
King County Protection District No.16 was officially formed on October 15, 1942, when the Board of County Commissioners declared a proposition by the voters had been approved. In 1948, the areas of Sheridan Beach and Lake Forest Park voted to annex into the fire district.
When first formed, the entire fire department consisted of dedicated volunteers who lived within the service area. The first fulltime employees were hired from the ranks of the volunteers. The first fulltime employee was Fire Chief Robert Bannister and the first fulltime firefighter was Les ‘Bud’ Eaton.
On September 3rd, 1975, the group of seven fulltime firefighters joined the International Association of Firefighters, forming Local 2459. The department continued to function with a combination of volunteer and fulltime firefighters up until 1994. Since 1994 the department has been staffed entirely with fulltime professional firefighters.
When initially formed, the fire district was known as “The Kenmore Fire Department.” However, by the mid 1990’s the fire district recognized the name wasn’t representative of its service area (Kenmore and Lake Forest Park) and changed its name to the “Northshore Fire Department.” In June of 2022 Northshore Fire entered into a Contract for Services with Shoreline Fire, increasing the services available to the community.
Since its inception in 1942, the mission of the Fire Department and its members has been to provide quality service to the community and we are excited to continue to do so as part of the Shoreline Fire Department.