Seattle Responder - August 2020 Edition

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 08/01/2020 10:00 AM PDT

Message from the Fire Chief

The pace of 2020 hasn’t seemed to slow down. Seattle firefighters and paramedics have had another busy month of responding to incidents across the City. We unfortunately had a fire in the Ravenna neighborhood with one fatality and a 2-alarm structure fire on Aurora Avenue that resulted in several critical injuries and two fatalities. These events are reminders that we must take fire safety and prevention seriously. It is always the right time to test your smoke alarms and practice a fire escape plan.

July also showed us again how critical a role our water rescue capabilities play in public safety. On July 10, rescue swimmers dove into action on the downtown waterfront to bring a man to safety who had been struggling in the water and unable to make it to shore. A couple of weeks later, we - along with Seattle Police and Mercer Island Police - sent response boats to investigate a report of a woman who had fallen off a boat into Lake Washington. After more than an hour of searching, the responding units heard a voice yelling for help and brought her aboard. She miraculously was able to go home without being transported to the hospital.

With the hot weather sticking around, now is also a time to ensure you are following water safety recommendations, such as wearing a life jacket and swimming with a buddy. And if you see someone go under water, call 911 immediately and relay to dispatchers and arriving firefighters where the person was last seen.

As you may have seen on the news, we have had several incidents where people have set fires during protest-related activity. We want to remind individuals that intentionally starting fires is dangerous and could result in the loss of life, especially at locations where people live and work above or nearby.

The Seattle Fire Department respects the right of individuals to exercise their constitutional rights and protest to stand up to racial injustices, but we ask that you do so peacefully.

Lastly, as we are all constantly reminded, we are still in the middle of a pandemic and must each do our part to move towards reopening and save further lives from being lost. Please continue to socially distance and wear your face mask in public.

Stay safe Seattle; we are here to serve you.

Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief

Significant incidents recap

7-4 Fire in West Seattle Apartment Building

July 4: Fire at West Seattle apartment
Fireworks caused a brush fire that quickly spread to a nearby apartment building. Crews were able to extinguish the fire, and no injuries were reported. Estimated loss is $100k.

July 18: Fatal fire in Ravenna neighborhood
Crews responded to a well-involved house fire at the 7000 block of Ravenna Ave NE. There were reports of a person still inside, so firefighters conducted a transitional attack to safely get inside the home. Unfortunately, one male was found deceased. An elderly female was able to escape the fire and is in stable condition.

July 13: 2-Alarm fire at Hillside Motel
An early morning fire erupted on the 2400 block of Aurora Ave N. Crews transported six patients to a hospital. Unfortunately, two succumbed to their injuries. SPD has a suspect in custody.

July 25: Fire at 12th Ave & E Spruce St
A fire erupted involving multiple construction trailers during afternoon protests in the Capitol Hill and First Hill neighborhoods. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire, and no injuries were reported. SPD is conducting an investigation.

Seattle Fire around the community

Seattle Fire’s onduty rescue swimmers save man’s life

On July 10, rescue swimmers were dispatched to a person in distress in the water along Seattle’s waterfront on Alaskan Way. Firefighters from Station 2 in Belltown arrived first on scene and quickly identified and marked the location of the adult male who was still above water. Engine 2 threw a red rescue can to the patient - which allows a person to grab on and be towed in - but he was not listening or hearing verbal commands. In the meantime, two rescue swimmers geared up in their protective equipment and immediately swam out to him. They conducted a surface water rescue and were able to secure the patient before he went under. Simultaneously, the fireboat had deployed from Station 5 and met the rescue swimmers in the water, pulling the patient onto the boat to begin medical treatment. The patient was transported in stable condition via paramedics to Harborview hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Without the department’s rescue swimmer capability, the outcome of this response would have likely been very different. Launched in July of 2017, this program allows fire personnel to enter the water more rapidly to conduct surface water rescues in all areas of Seattle on a 24-hour basis.

Woman survives after treading water for over an hour

On July 22, Seattle’s Fire Alarm Center received information about a woman who had fallen off an approx. 23–foot vessel while traveling with another boat occupant on Lake Washington. The fireboat, Seattle Police Harbor Patrol and Mercer Island Police were dispatched to the scene and began to search the water, in dark conditions. Ladder trucks parked on shore used spotlights on the large body of water to assist locating the woman.

After over an hour of searching, the boats finally heard a voice nearby yelling for help. Luckily, she was a good swimmer and had been able to tread water the entire time. Responding units brought her aboard the fireboat, and she was able to go home without needing further care.

While this response had a positive outcome, we want to remind people to wear a personal flotation device when participating in water safety activities, especially if you are not a strong swimmer. See our water safety tips further down in the newsletter.

2019 Annual Report

We are pleased to share our 2019 annual report. Download the document to find statistics about our response standards, number of EMS and fire incidents, significant events and community engagement. The report also gives insight into the initiatives and activities that allow us to sharpen our skills and mindset in how we serve this great city.

Around 2,000 residents called Seattle “home” when it incorporated in 1869. In 2019, as we celebrated the city’s 150th birthday, that number had grown to 750,000 residents, with daytime population swelling to nearly 1 million. The region’s strong economic growth in the last half of the decade has physically reshaped our city’s skyline. This drives a greater demand for building inspections by the fire department, requires us to adapt our firefighting strategies for high rise structures and even challenges our ability to navigate congested and construction-narrowed streets.

It’s not just the physical infrastructure changing. Our neighborhoods and people we serve are as well. Sadly, more and more members of the community struggle with homelessness, addiction and mental health issues, leading us to seek new approaches to offer assistance and more collaboration between the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Amidst the rapidly changing environment, our personnel remain nimble, creative and resilient. When presented with a problem, we work to find solutions. This is why we are so proud of each member of the Seattle Fire Department and hope you enjoy this look back at all we accomplished in 2019.

Medic One involved in UW Sports Institute's C-Spine research

Seattle Fire Department's Medic One partnered with the Sports Institute at UW Medicine on a research and training program for dealing with sports-related spinal injuries. Please watch this educational film demonstrating new, recommended techniques for emergent treatment of athletes with a suspected cervical spine injury. These recommendations are made in two peer-reviewed papers written by the NATA Spine Injury in Sport Group.

Keeping you safe

Construction sites, businesses and residents in South Seattle encouraged to take steps to prevent set fires

Since late June, Seattle firefighters have responded to many set fires in the Rainier Avenue vicinity. The majority of the fires have been set to recycling/garbage bins and to debris. However, a fire located on 33^rd Ave. S. resulted in a fire to a detached garage, which also caused fire damage to the residence and an adjacent home. Information on these fires continue to be referred to the Seattle Police Department’s Arson and Bomb Squad for follow up. In light of these recent incidents, Seattle Fire and Seattle Police are encouraging residents, businesses and building owners to take steps for reducing the risk of these types of fires. See our Fireline blog for tips.

Stay safe and well on the water

With the arrival of summer, now is an excellent time to get out on the water. This year, as an added bonus, whether you’re kayaking, canoeing or paddle boarding on a lake or in Puget Sound, it’s not only enjoyable – it’s a socially distant thing to do!

As with many things in life, knowledge and a few good choices go a long way. Check out our Fireline blog to learn more about how to make sure your recreational experience on the water is a safe one.

Preventing heat-related illness

As you head out to take advantage of our warmest weeks and months of the year, be aware of the potential that warm temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent becoming ill from too much heat.

Too much heat and sun can overwhelm anyone but those most at risk from heat exhaustion and heat stroke include older adults, young children, and people who work or exercise outdoors. Visit our Fireline Blog for tips on preventing heat-related illnesses.

Cooking fire safety

Most home fires start in the kitchen when a person starts cooking and forgets about the food on the stove. It is easy to get distracted by a person, a phone call or an electronic device. A fire can start in seconds. Watch our video to learn how to put out a small cooking fire.

Register for free COVID-19 testing

We are here to serve and are committed to the overall health of our community. On June 5, our firefighters began conducting COVID-19 testing for members of the public at two locations in the City. On July 31, the Mayor and Chief Scoggins announced a walk-up location at Rainier Beach High School and plans for a fourth site to be located in southwest Seattle.

If you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms, please seek testing right away. Visit seattle.gov/COVID19testing to register for an appointment at these sites. Testing is free, and results are generally available within 72 hours of testing.

SoDo: 3820 6th Avenue South (Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

Aurora: 12040 Aurora Avenue North (Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

Rainier Beach High School: 8815 Seward Park Avenue South (opens Aug. 7)