Editing Whatcom County, Washington (section)

===Special-purpose districts===
Special-purpose districts include cemetery, fire, hospital, library, school, and water and sewer districts. Each special district is governed by officials elected by voters within that jurisdiction.

====Fire districts====
Eleven fire districts, two city fire departments, and a regional fire authority provide fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency medical services. Each fire district is governed by an elected board of commissioners. Most districts have three commissioners. Fire districts receive most of their revenue from property taxes. All of the fire districts and the regional fire authority have volunteer or paid-call firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), as does the City of Lynden Fire Department.

The City of Bellingham is an all-career department. Some of the districts also have full-time firefighter/EMTs. All fire districts use [[9-1-1]] for emergency calls. Whatcom County has one 9-1-1 call center located in Bellingham. Fire/EMS calls are processed and dispatched at a second public safety answering point called Prospect, located at a fire station in Bellingham. Additional dispatching locations provide backup capacity to answer emergency calls.

Whatcom County Fire Districts are:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whatcom County Fire Districts map |url=http://www.whatcomcounty.us/pds/build/fire/districtinfo.jsp |access-date=August 19, 2017}}</ref>
* Fire District 1 serves [[Deming, Washington|Deming]], [[Everson, Washington|Everson]], [[Nooksack, Washington|Nooksack]], and [[Nugents Corner]].
* Fire District 2 was amalgamated into South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority.
* Fire District 3 was merged to form Fire District 21.
* Fire District 4 contracts for service with Fire District 21.
* Fire District 5 serves [[Point Roberts]].
* Fire District 6 was amalgamated into South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority.
* Fire District 7 serves areas near [[Ferndale, Washington|Ferndale]] and Cherry Point.
* Fire District 8 serves [[Bellingham International Airport]], the [[Lummi Nation]], and [[Marietta, Washington|Marietta]].
* Fire District 9 was amalgamated into South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority.
* Fire District 10 was amalgamated into South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority.
* Fire District 11 serves [[Lummi Island, Washington|Lummi Island]]
* Fire District 13 was merged to form Fire District 21.
* Fire District 14 serves areas around [[Washington State Route 542|SR 542]] between [[Deming, Washington|Deming]] and [[Maple Falls, Washington|Maple Falls]], [[Washington State Route 547|SR 547]], and [[Sumas, Washington|Sumas]].
* Fire District 16 serves communities along [[Washington State Route 9|SR 9]] south of [[Washington State Route 542|SR 542]].
* Fire District 17 serves [[Sandy Point, Washington|Sandy Point]].
* Fire District 18 serves southern [[Lake Whatcom]] and [[Glenhaven Lakes, Washington|Glenhaven Lakes]].
* Fire District 19 serves [[Glacier, Washington|Glacier]].
* Fire District 21, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue serves northwest Whatcom County including [[Birch Bay, Washington|Birch Bay]], [[Blaine, Washington|Blaine]], [[Laurel, Washington|Laurel]], and [[Lynden, Washington|Lynden]] (outside Lynden city limits only; the Lynden Fire Department serves Lynden), Hayne, Delta, and [[Greenwood, Washington|Greenwood]]
* The South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority serves [[Geneva, Washington|Geneva]], [[Sudden Valley, Washington|Sudden Valley]], [[Washington State Route 11|Chuckanut Drive]], Lake Samish, and Yew Street Road.