As I understand it, the Rose Hill Fire Station is made up of three fireman and serves the area from Bridle Trails to Kingsgate (now labeled by the Kirkland City Council as Evergreen Hill). It also happens that it is the only Kirkland Fire station east of 405.

If Kirkland experiences a major earthquake and the Washington State Department of Transportation declares all overpasses and underpasses as unsafe for travel, the entire area east of 405 is cut off from the west side.

The entire Kirkland community east of 405 and having approximately one half the city’s population has three on-duty firemen.

Meanwhile, on the west side of 405 (the other half of the population) there is the Houghton Fire Station the Forbes Creek Fire Station, the Finn Hill Fire Station and the Totem Lake Fire Station. Those four stations have sixteen on duty firemen.

As I understand it, correct me if I am wrong, the Kirkland City Council wants to build another fire station at the Rite Aid site in Juanita, 1.8 miles from the Totem Lake Fire Station. That plan would make a total of five stations in the west half of Kirkland and leaving the east half of Kirkland with one station.

In mathematical terms, the plan equals three firemen east of 405 and sixteen firemen west of 405.

There apparently is an ex-King County fire station for sale in the Kingsgate (Evergreen Hill) neighborhood, sitting on property and ready to be remodeled into a first class fire station.

Purchasing this station could bring very needed emergency services to the east side of 405.

Is the word “nuts” too strong a word to describe the Kirkland City Council’s idea of building yet another fire station only 1.8 miles from the Totem Lake Station on the wrong side of 405?

Dave Condon, Kirkland