Due mostly to budget constraints, the City of Bothell Fire and EMS department was forced to permanently disband its volunteer firefighter program after 100 years,

But fire department Public Information Officer Lisa Allen said the city wants to honor the volunteers with a proclamation to be passed by City Council on Sept. 1, followed by a gathering for anyone involved with volunteer department.

Allen said fire officials have asked Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb to proclaim Sept. 1 Volunteer Firefighter Appreciation Day.

Council should adopt the proclamation at their regular meeting starting at 6 p.m. in the Bothell Municipal Court, 10116 N.E. 183rd St.

Immediately following passage of the proclamation, former fire volunteers and their families are invited to a reception at the Downtown Firehouse, Station 42, 10726 Beardslee Blvd.

Allen said the reception should get under way about 6:30 p.m. She noted the council session is, of course, open to the public, but the firehouse celebration is only for those connected with department.

In giving a brief history of the volunteer department, Allen said after two large fires in 1908, the City Council purchased 50 water buckets for use by a fire brigade made up of community volunteers. In 1913, the city formally organized the fire department and it remained an all-volunteer department into the 1950s.

The volunteer squad was officially disbanded July 1 of this year.

Allen said the department sent out invitations to anyone connected with the volunteer department for whom the city had contact information. However, anyone who worked with the volunteer fire squad who did not receive an invitation is more than welcome to the celebration, Allen said.

For further information, call the department at (425) 489-3364.