Call 911

for Fire, Medical Aid, Sheriff’s Department

For full listings of contacts, see our pages on: Emergency, Administrative, Planning  and/or 24 Hr. Crisis Lines & Support Organizations which can be reached directly by those links or found via the website menus.

Note:

Fire and medical calls are responded to by the Lummi Island Fire Department.
The Sheriff comes from the mainland on the ferry, which can take some time.

If a person needs to be taken to the hospital by helicopter the Fire Department will make the decision to get air ambulance assistance. This happens when the ferry is not running, or the medical emergency requires it.

Information on Air ambulance membership(s) to supplement your insurance can be found in the Vendors, Artists, Musicians, Businesses, etc. section of the website, which is one of many Directories available through the menus.

888-225-5773  Puget Sound Energy (Electricity)

360-734-3490  Sanitary Service Company (Garbage & Recycling pickup)

Note:

• • The Islander has several bins for low volume use and Charges for this service (they have to pay too).  Don't just put things in their bins.  Please pay inside first.
  • Many Islanders run their own Trash and Garbage to the Mainland and use the Waste Management / Recycling companies on Slater Road near I-5, and in Bellingham

TV/Internet/Phone:

CenturyLink  Sales 866-642-0444 / Support 800-244-1111

Orcas Online       360-376-4124

PogoZone           360-676-8772

Their availability depends on your location, as does the speed and level of service.  Your neighbor may not have the same results as you will.

Your home may be part of an Island Water Association or Co-Op.  These details should already be available to you.  There is not a single water company for the entire Island.

Pest Control, Septic Pumping, Electricians, Plumbers, Heating companies, Well Service, etc., have several providers.

Check the listings in our printed Lummi Island Directory and in the Business Directory here on the website.   Also check out the TOME, as many local businesses advertise in it as well.

Sanitary Service Company at 360-734-3490 picks up on Mondays, either weekly or every other week depending on which option you choose when you set up your account. They will provide you a garbage can and recycling bins. Put your garbage out Sunday night or early Monday - the first truck comes across on the 1st ferry at 5:50am.

If you get the every-other week service, that Garbage pick up day is noted in the Community Calendar as "Trash / Recycling" day.  Recycling on this day also applies for weekly customers as well.

If you need an Extra Pick-Up, call them and they will take care of it.   If they miss a pickup due to the weather, leave the can out as they will pickup as soon as possible.

During Dry Dock, they leave a Garbage truck on the Island.  Try to limit your contributions to it.. there is only so much you can pack in a truck.

Right here on the website!  There is a huge amount of information including the Community Calendar, Announcements on the home page, and more.

Subscribe to the Island newsletter (the TOME) - one of several Lummi Island Community Association (LICA) publications. It comes out monthly (except August and December) and you get other perks as well.  You can find out about this and more on our Publications page.

The punch card (passes) will save you money!

Passes are sold on the Island at the dock office once a month (Checks or Credit Card only).   These dates are announced generally before each Quarter and are posted on the Community Calendar.  The dates vary depending on the County having staff available to be at the office.

You can also order On-Line any time by Credit Card at: whatcomcounty.us/3460/Multi-Ride-Punchcards  OR  mail in your Printed form with a check.   They get the cards back to you pretty quick.   Make sure you use the most current version of the form.

Right HERE on the website.   This information is accessed via the Ferry / Travel / Weather menu section and is formatted to be easily read, especially on a mobile device. The schedule here is always the most current one and shows it's type.

You can also see the Whatcom County page directly: whatcomcounty.us/562/Ferry-Schedule if you wish to Print one out.

The Lummi Island Heritage Trust also sells a small folded version of the schedule at their Resource Center and in The Islander.  This is the Normal schedule, and does not cover Dry Dock or emergency changes like the current COVID schedule.

Current Ferry status is also here on website via the twitter Status updates we list as the county sends them out.  We also will put up urgent information banners on ALL pages of the website as needed.

You can sign up for direct feeds from the county @WhatcomFerry if you use Twitter.  These are the same Tweets that are shown in our Status section, just without all the extra Twitter "stuff"  to deal with.

• The Lummi Island Fire Department siren is the one of several methods which alert members of the department of a fire or emergency.
• Also, there is the Whatcom County Tsunami / Emergency Warning system from the mainland. In an emergency there will be a distinct wailing siren followed by detailed voice directions. It is tested on the first Monday of each month at about 12 Noon.

Guests – don’t get your vehicle stuck here!

We have a complete guide to the Annual Dry Dock HERE, which is also listed in the menus.  This page will always show last years information from the County so you know what they provide.  Once we get within a month of this years Dry Dock, the old links are turned off.  As the current information comes out, the page and it's links are updated.

For the short story:

Normally each September (this may be earlier depending on the repair facility availability) the Whatcom Chief is out of service for required annual maintenance and Coast Guard inspections. This can last up to 3 weeks, depending on maintenance needs. A passenger-only ferry and on-island shuttle bus operate during this time. Temporary parking is provided on Lummi Island and at Gooseberry point.

Plan to stock bulky supplies and get large shipments beforehand.

We usually have two or three snow events and may have high winds causing trees to come down and loss of power for several days. Prepare for adverse weather by having more than one source for heat. Stock up on nonrefrigerated food in case you cannot get into town or there is a power failure.

Do not wait for adverse weather to get prepared!

Roads may be plowed once if a snow event lasts more than a day or two. Some roads are not plowed—including private roads and those that are too narrow for the equipment. Our roads can freeze up fast.

For big tanks, propane trucks will fill them at your house. The color of the tank is usually an indication of which company fills the tank. Prices may vary depending on the company and the time of year. Small tanks can be taken to The Islander store or to the mainland to be filled.

Note that there are special days and times for the propane trucks to be on the Ferry.  This is noted in the Ferry Schedule on the website as LP 

The Seattle Times and The Bellingham Herald are delivered daily.  Call the papers to subscribe.  Other papers may only come by mail.    The Islander carries newspapers as well.