Bellingham City Council Public Health, Safety, Justice, and Equity Committee

**Paramedic Training Program Structure** The discussion clarified that the paramedic training program operates as a 14-month apprenticeship where students are full-time employees learning to become paramedics. Council Member Lilliquist questioned whether the substantial wage and benefit costs represented full-time employment, leading to explanation that trainees work full-time combining classroom instruction (averaging three days per week initially) with supervised field experience. Assistant Chief Pathick explained that trainees ride as a third person with two paramedic partners, progressively taking on more responsibility as their classroom time decreases. While they don't count toward minimum staffing requirements, they are actively working and providing services under supervision. **Emergency Management Plan Updates** Emergency Management Plans Coordinator Stinson presented the comprehensive update to the city's emergency management framework. The 2025 plan incorporates signi…

**Committee Members:** - Council Member Lilliquist expressed concern about the substantial wage and benefit costs in the paramedic training agreement, seeking clarification on whether trainees work full-time during their 14-month program - Council Member Williams made the motion to approve the paramedic training agreement - Council Member Anderson praised the emergency management plan, drawing on personal experience with emergency work during her time with the Forest Service - Committee Chair Hammill facilitated discussion and noted the importance of being prepared for "low frequency but high impac…

**Chief Hewitt, on the paramedic training program:** "This really is an apprenticeship program like any other trade apprenticeship program. So they go in, they spend half of their time in a classroom learning, but half of their time they're out on a rig, shadowing or working alongside that preceptor, and then over the course of that year-long program, they move away from shadowing that preceptor to being shadowed by the preceptor." **Council Member Lilliquist, on emergency preparedness:** "Wh…

Following this meeting, the city moved closer to adopting an updated emergency management framework that replaces a seven-year-old plan with current best practices and lessons learned from recent disasters. The paramedic training program received continued funding support, ensuring four city firefighters can advance to paramedic certification in 2026. The emergency management plan adoption represents a significant policy update that incorporates pandemic response lessons, …

### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham's Public Health, Safety, Justice and Equity Committee met on November 17, 2025, to review two items: funding for paramedic training in 2026 and adoption of the city's updated comprehensive emergency management plan. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Interlocal Agreement (ILA):** A legal contract between local government entities (like cities and counties) to share costs, services, or responsibilities. In this meeting, it covers the specific costs for training Bellingham firefighters to become paramedics. **Preceptor:** An experienced paramedic who serves as a mentor and supervisor for students in the paramedic training program, evaluating them on every call and helping guide their development throughout the entire program. **Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP):** A required document that outlines how the city will coordinate response to disasters and emergencies that exceed normal daily capacity, covering mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. **EOC (Emergency Operations Center):** A central command facility used during emergencies to coordinate response activities. Bellingham ran an EOC for over a year during COVID-19. **Minimum Staffing:** The required number of firefighters/paramedics that must be available for emergency response. Paramedic students don't count toward this requirement because they're still learning. **Federal Declaration:** When the federal government officially declares a disaster, making communities eligible for federal aid and assistance. Whatcom County has had over 10 federal declarations in the past decade. **Apprenticeship Model:** The paramedic training program follows this approach, where students spend half their time in classrooms and half working alongside experienced paramedics, gradually taking on more responsibility. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Daniel Hammill | Committee Chair, City Council Member | | Edwin "Skip" Williams | City Council Member | | Michael Lilliquist | City Council Member | | Assistant Chief Pathick | Bellingham Fire Department | | Chief Hewitt | Bellingham Fire Department | | Jonah Stinson | Emergency Management Plans Coordinator, Bellingham Fire Department | ### Back…