EAST PIERCE FIRE AND RESCUE was created when the City of Bonney Lake Fire Department, Lake Tapps Fire and Pierce County Fire District 24 merged in 2000 with the goal of providing a seamless response to emergency situations. In 2006, voters in Pierce County Fire District 12 and South Prairie Fire District 20 overwhelmingly passed a special election to merge the two districts with East Pierce. In 20
08, the citizens of the City of Sumner and Pierce County Fire District 1 also voted to join the East Pierce family. In 2010, Edgewood residents voted in favor of merging with East Pierce. In April 2011, the Milton City Council voted to join East Pierce, bringing expanded fire, rescue and emergency medical services to their city. Today, East Pierce serves a population of more than 96,000 living in and around Bonney Lake, Sumner, Lake Tapps, the Ridge Communities, South Prairie, Edgewood and Milton. The district covers approximately 151 square miles and protects residents from twelve stations – six staffed and four volunteer, one logistics station, and one facility on Lake Tapps for the marine rescue unit. All full-time firefighters are cross-trained as either emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics and are able to respond to both medical emergencies and fires. An independently elected board of citizens, called Fire Commissioners, governs the agency.
