When I speak of protection, I mean provide for public safety through fire and police services protecting our most vulnerable citizens from the ravages of homelessness and hunger, and protecting our environment.  These are some of my successes in those areas while serving on City Council.

Fourth Fire Station & Training Center

When I ran in 2007, I learned the Olympia City Council had been told for years that fire protection services were being stretched beyond safe limits.  The need for a fourth fire station had been identified for almost a decade.  Olympia had not added a new fire station since 1970.  That year the Fire Department received fewer than 500 calls.

By 2008 they responded to over 8,456 calls. While Olympia’s population grew 92% demand for service had increased by 1600%. All areas of the City were seeing increased response times due to this demand.  I made the construction of a 4th fire station with hiring and training of new firefighters a central focus of my campaign.  The fact that I was elected while supporting an increase in taxes showed my colleagues on the Council that Olympia would vote to support a fire station bond.  They agreed to put a construction bond on the ballot in 2008 and a levy lid lift for staffing in 2009.  Both tax measures passed with overwhelming support.

Since she was first elected, Rhenda has been an energetic and consistent advocate to help our firefighters better protect the public from fires, disasters and medical emergencies. She played a key role in winning approval of the fourth fire station, training center and staffing. Through her experience and performance, Rhenda has proven she has the integrity, the vision and the will to retain her position on the Olympia City Council.

–Mike Simmons, President IAFF, Local 468

Rhenda visiting with off duty firefighters Mike Simmons, David Frost, Doug Hewell, Greg Wright, J.D. Young & Justin Ledoux, outside the new station.

I do not take credit for funding the new fire station, training center and staff.  The citizens of Olympia are doing that.  But, I will say that the discussion about a fourth station might still be going on if I had not led the way on educating the community about the need and shown (through taking the political risk of talking about raising taxes) that Olympians would support it.

Friendly Village Developer’s Agreement

Camp Quixote Permanent Site

Deschutes Watershed Restoration

Homeless Prevention Plan