Community Members,
I am happy to report that after a very long wait, and a lot of planning, construction is tentatively scheduled to start October 6, 2025 on the Sudden Valley Fire Station (Station 22)!
Our public works bidding process closed on August 15th and we received five (5) bids. Per state law, and after careful vetting processes, the Board of Fire Commissioners awarded the bid to the lowest responsible bidder, Tiger Construction. We now have an issued building permit from Whatcom County and are working through the pre-construction process. Staff will be working on packing, storing, and moving equipment out of the Sudden Valley Fire Station over the next several weeks in preparation for construction to begin. Our administrative offices are planned to remain open during the move, but we may have a brief closure needing to accommodate logistical needs.
Our temporary administrative office will be located at 1941 Lake Whatcom Blvd., Suite B-3, Bellingham, WA 98229 (at the Valley Mall facility) very soon. We will make a more prominent announcement once we have an opening date established at the temporary facility. Our administrative offices will continue to operate on a normal business schedule once we move, and our firefighters will continue to be housed and respond out of the Geneva Fire Station (Station 21) during construction.
We will share updates along the way, and are looking forward to inviting the public to the repaired and renovated station when it is ready in 2026!
I want to thank the public for their patience during this long process, but we believe this combined repair/remodel project will carry your fire authority well into the future with a safe and reliable facility. We cannot overcome challenges and continue to provide reliable services without the support and patience of our community.
THANK YOU!
Do not hesitate to reach out to me, or one of your elected fire commissioners, if you have any specific questions.
Sincerely,
Mitch Nolze, Fire Chief
Office: (360) 676-8080
Email: mnolze@swrfa.org