Camas, Latest News, News, Public Safety 
City officials in Camas and Washougal will soon debate the merits of placing the formation of a regional fire authority (RFA) on the April 22, 2025 ballot.
Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) Fire Chief Cliff Free and consultant Richard Curtis, the senior project manager with Emergency Services Consulting International, presented the draft RFA plan to city council members from both cities on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The formation of a voter-approved RFA is expected to enhance the existing CWFD services for Camas-Washougal residents, Free told city officials.
If the city council members send the RFA to voters next spring and if voters approve the formation of the regional fire authority, Free said the RFA would begin to staff three-person fire engines in 2027, and would have no out-of-pocket ambulance costs for Camas-Washougal residents.
“(The ambulance charges) still go through billing services,” Free said, “but if you are a resident contributing to the tax base, there will be no out-of-pocket costs.”
Free added that, although it is not required by the state, having a three-person fire engine crew is
