Message from the Fire Chief

The fall season is upon us, which means we also must adjust our safety mindset for the colder months. On Nov.1, we all set our clocks back, which is also a reminder of ensuring your smoke alarms are in proper working condition – test smoke alarms in your home and change the batteries if needed. We have already seen several fires occur in the city related to home heating – make sure to give your heaters space and properly maintain your furnace.

As we gather with our loved ones around the holidays, I want to emphasize the importance of wearing your mask while indoors and practicing good hygiene, even when in small groups with close family. I continue to be impressed with our community’s resilience during this pandemic and for taking the necessary step of getting tested when symptoms develop or exposure occurs. Seattle firefighters and paramedics have conducted over 300,000 COVID-19 tests. Remember that testing is quick, easy and free of charge – don’t hesitate to make an appointment online if you have symptoms.

This month we will honor all veterans who have served our country. At the Seattle Fire Department, we have personnel who have served across all levels of the armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. I thank our veterans for their dedication of serving the United States of America and for their continued commitment to public safety.

I hope during this year’s Thanksgiving, we can all reflect on what we are grateful for and recognize that we must be kind to one another during these trying times. As your Fire Chief, I am thankful to be in a position of leading a team of collective individuals who truly care about making a positive impact on the community we serve. Remember that cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day are three times more likely to occur according to the National Fire Protection Agency. While we always enjoy seeing our residents, we hope that it is not for a fire in your home – be sure to review our safety tips below and follow us on social media for more information.

Stay safe and be well,

Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief

Mobile Integrated Health program wins national award

Seattle's Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Program recently won the national 2020 n4A Aging Innovation Award! MIH is a partnership between the Human Services Department’s Aging and Disability Services Division and the Seattle Fire Department. For four years, our departments have partnered together to launch programs focused on high utilizers of the 911 system and vulnerable adults. In 2019 – Health One – a dedicated, dispatched response model that links individuals with appropriate healthcare, behavioral health and social service providers—was born, rounding out the city’s MIH partnership. Read more about the award and the MIH program on our Fireline blog. 

Fallen Lieutenant Jay Wheeler honored at SFD's Fallen Firefighter Memorial 

On Oct. 9, the department remembered all of its fallen members with a small ceremony at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Occidental Park. This year, the family of Lt. Jay Wheeler joined to honor his memory. Lt. Wheeler passed away in March 2020 from a duty-related illness.

Lt. Wheeler spent eight years as a Seattle Police officer prior to joining the Seattle Fire Department. To honor his service, the Seattle Police Department joined a procession of Seattle Fire units and family in processional from Station 14 to Pioneer Square. 

The Seattle Channel broadcast the ceremony, and the video is posted online here.

SFD hosts first Tactical Fitness Appreciation Day for firefighter candidates

Firefighters choose a profession where fitness may one day be the difference between life and death. On Oct. 17, for the first time we brought in firefighter candidates to our training facility for Tactical Fitness Appreciation Day to assess their physical readiness prior to entering recruit academy. The 31 candidates learned what it means to be a tactical athlete and how SFD applies principals of sports science for optimizing performance.

Seattle Fire holds training in buildings scheduled for demolition

To be ready to respond to fire and medical emergencies 24/7, we must put our firefighters through challenging training where they will encounter real-life scenarios. In late October, we held a “Destructive Training Lab” in the Capitol Hill neighborhood for Seattle and Shoreline fire departments to learn more about building construction and firefighting best practices. This training lab educated participants on common patterns found in the built environment and the paths that a fire can take to spread.

Have a building scheduled for demolition? Consider donating it to us for training! Contact our Training Division at 206-386-1772 or SFD_inservicetraining@seattle.gov with your name, contact information and building address to see if it qualifies.

Seattle lights the night in red for fallen firefighters

On Oct. 2, for the first time we joined the national tribute to “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters.” T-Mobile Park and CenturyLink Field lit up in red at dusk, and all Seattle fire stations pulled their apparatus in front of the stations and turned on their lights. Many homes across Seattle shined a red light to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their loved ones. Thank you for helping us to honor our fallen. We plan to make this an annual tradition in Seattle.

Fill-the-boot, virtually! We need your help to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy Association

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Muscular Dystrophy Association needs support now more than ever for their annual Fill-the-Boot campaign. Due to social distancing guidance, the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27, will not be hitting the streets in person to help raise funds. Instead, we are hosting a virtual fundraiser – visit the website to learn more about why donations are so important to helping those diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, and to make your donation to Seattle Fire’s campaign. Every dollar counts!

*Photo taken pre-COVID-19

Seattle Firefighter completes Ironman Triathalon "SOLO" during COVID-19 pandemic 

Seattle Firefighter Jimmy Watts had completed the Ironman Triathalon a half dozen times, and with this year’s races cancelled due to COVID-19, he ventured to complete a SOLO triathlon without the normal support of others or crowds cheering participants on. On Sept. 6 beginning at sunrise, he swam 2.4 miles, rode 112 miles on his bike and then ran a marathon to finish it off at sunset. Check out the story written by the Seattle Times on Jimmy, and how he has persevered through the challenges of 2020: link to story.

“This is going to be about the emotional endurance that life requires. It’s going to be about continuing on, staying in the game, showing up.”

*Photo courtesy of Jimmy Watts

Seattle Fire celebrates National First Responder Day

U.S. Congress designated Oct. 28 as National First Responders Day to honor the dispatchers who answer the call for help and firefighters, paramedics, police officers, EMTs and all those who are first on the scene in emergency situations. We thank all of our members along with the partnering agencies we work with for helping people when they need it most. 

Recruit Class 113 attends live-fire training at North Bend Fire Training Academy

Recruit Class 113 is in the home stretch of recruit school. In mid-October, they conducted live-fire evolutions at the Fire Training Academy in North Bend. With week 11 behind them, four more weeks remain until graduation from recruit school. We look forward to seeing these new members serve the Seattle community in their new role as probationary firefighters. 

Healthy eating with Firefighter/Paramedic Jason Lynch

Firefighter-Paramedic Jason Lynch recently gave insight on how food impacts both our physical and mental health. Watch our video for a healthy firehouse meal that's quick and easy to make at home. 

Continue to follow along with us on social media for tips on mental health awareness, and remember it's OK to not be OK. 

Future Women in Fire and EMS Workshop temporarily moved to a virtual platform 

The planning team for King County's travelling Future Women in Fire and EMS Workshop thought out-of-the-box this quarter and hosted a virtual workshop in October. This workshop helps women decide if firefighting and EMS is the career path for them, showing how it can challenge and reward them in ways they never imagined. Thank you to all who helped to instruct this program, and to those who participated.