Photo Courtesy of Historical Society

Mercer Island is affluent, primarily a single-family, high quality residential community with a modestly growing commercial business district and multi-family dwellings concentrated at the northern end of the Island.  Its close proximity to both Seattle and Bellevue makes Island living convenient and ideal. 

The City owns and maintains approximately 300 acres of parkland and open space, which helps maintain the Island's natural beauty.  The City of Mercer Island is well known for its quality schools and quality public services.
 
The City of Mercer Island is 6.2 square miles in size, and is situated in Lake Washington.  The community is home to approximately 23,000+ citizens and an assessed valuation of $13,299,694,072.
 
Under the direction of Fire Chief Steve Heitman, Mercer Island Fire Department provides a variety of life-safety services to city residents, Island employees, and mutual aid areas surrounding the City of Mercer Island. The Department's highly active staff provides a variety of services including prevention, education and intervention deliveries.
 
City WSRB Rating - 4
 
Total Number of Fire Department Personnel: 32

• Fire Administration – 4 (Fire Chief; Deputy Chief; Fire Marshal & Administrative Assistant)
• Suppression – 28 ( Battalion Chiefs; Lieutenants; Firefighters)
• Training Division – 2 (P/T - existing staff contracted on days off)  

Work Schedule - Operations

• Three Platoons (A,B,C)
• 48- hour shifts - 48 hour work week (48/96 schedule - line personnel)

Work Schedule - Administration

• 40 hour work week, M-F (Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Marshal and Administrative Assistant)

Minimum Daily Staffing (2 Fire Stations)

• 7 Firefighters - (1 Battalion Chief, 2 Lieutenants, 4 Firefighters)

2017-Incidents

TOTAL INCIDENTS: 2656 

• 2017 Average Response Time Medical: 5 mins, 9 seconds 
• 2017 Average Response Time Fires: 6 mins, 26 seconds.

Neighborhood Fire Stations

• Station 91 – 3030 78th Ave SE (Downtown Mercer Island - "Headquarters")
• Station 92 – 8473 SE 68th St ("South Station")

2017-Emergency Medical Response Statistics

• Mercer Island successful resuscitation rate for all patients found in VF cardiac arrest: Data coming soon
• King County average successful resuscitation rate for all patients found in VF cardiac arrest: Data coming soon

2017-Fire Response Statistics

• Fire Loss: $882,420

Top Five Causes of Medical Calls in the City of Mercer Island 

• EMS Call, excluding vehicle accident with injury
• EMS Call, Medical
• EMS, Call, Other accident / trauma
• Patient Assist
• Motor vehicle accident with injuries

Top Five Causes of Fire in the City of Mercer Island  

• Heat source too close to combustibles
• Operational Deficiency (Other)
• Equipment unattended
• Misuses of material or product
• Unspecified short circuit arc 

 2018 - Operating Budget: $6,422,193.91