Gardiner residents must await a decision by Clallam County Fire District 3’s board of commissioners on whether to annex their area, a decision that may not come anytime soon.

"The fire district commissioners aren’t ready to make any decisions yet," said Fire District 3 Chief Steve Vogel.

"They have to look at their budgets and revenues. They are taking their time to educate themselves and make a decision. They are educating themselves on whether it is worth it and they still have a lot of research to do," he said.

A group of Gardiner residents held two meetings last month on their proposal to switch from Jefferson County Fire District 5 to Clallam County Fire District 3.

Proponents said the switch would provide Gardiner residents with faster fire protection and emergency medical response thanks to the full-time Blyn station that opened in September 2008.

The fire district has an Aug. 1 deadline to adopt a resolution annexing the area for taxes to be collected in April 2010.

If the commissioners approve the resolution between Aug. 2, 2009, and Aug. 1, 2010, taxes would be collected starting in April 2011.

Jefferson County Fire District 5 stretches from Discovery Bay through Gardiner to the Jefferson-Clallam county line.

Clallam County Fire District 3 serves about 30,000 residents in 135 square miles from east of Deer Park Road to the Jefferson County line.

The area that would switch districts includes Precincts 101, 102 and Precinct 103 where Craig Road runs off Chicken Coop Road.

Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@sequimgazette.com.