Seattle Responder - May 2021 Edition

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 05/04/2021 07:27 PM PDT

Message from the Fire Chief

As we spring into May, the hard work of your Seattle Fire Department continues. Last month, we had three 2-alarm fires, one in the Mt. Baker neighborhood, another in West Seattle and the third in North Seattle. Each of the three fires required very different firefighting tactics, which reminds us why we constantly train so we can perform at our best when faced with real-life scenarios. In April, we also sent our newest firefighter recruits to train with live fire at the Washington State Fire Training Academy in North Bend. In just a few weeks, these recruits will graduate from drill school and begin serving the Seattle community as probationary firefighters.

On April 15, we launched our second Health One unit into service. This second unit will be located at Fire Station 2 in Belltown, but will primarily deploy to the U-District, Ballard, downtown and Capitol hill area. Many of the clients served by the Health One program have substance abuse or mental health issues, and last year, 56% of its clients were reported to be experiencing homelessness. With the second unit operational, we have expanded our emphasis areas to the north end, and also to the south end with the first Health One unit.

As we continue to see COVID-19 cases in our region, it has become even more important to remove any barriers for accessing a vaccine. With the influx of supply, we are now allowing anyone 16+ to get vaccinated without an appointment at our two Seattle Fire-operated vaccination hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle. And starting on Wednesday, May 5, we will offer all three vaccines at our two sites and give the person getting vaccinated the option to choose between Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. Lumen Event Field is also open to walk-up appointments.

Finally, please save the date for the Seattle Fire Day on June 5! This will be our second year as a virtual event. Join us on Facebook from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as we feature fire safety messages, crafts you can do from home as well as a special tour of the Fireboat Leschi. Our thanks to MOHAI, our partner for this annual event.

Stay safe and healthy,

Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief

Significant Incidents Recap

Photo by John Odegard

April 3: Crews responded to a 2-alarm fire at a building under construction in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. Fire investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, with a total estimated loss of $3 million. No injuries reported.

April 7: Dispatchers received reports of a fire in a residence at the 1600 block of 18th Ave. First arriving crews were alerted by neighbors that the resident of the home was unaccounted for. Firefighters worked quickly to put water on the fire as additional crews searched the home. Unfortunately the resident was found deceased. Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and likely caused by a portable space heater placed too close to combustible materials.

April 3: Firefighters responded to a 2-alarm fire in West Seattle with flames visible from the apartment building's rooftop. Residents inside the building were instructed to shelter in place as crews confirmed no fire found on the floors below. Fire investigators ruled the fire as undetermined with an estimated total loss of $500,000. No injuries reported.

Photo by John Odegard

April 30: Crews responded to a working fire contained to a single apartment unit at the 4500 block of Meridian Ave. N. Firefighters reacted quickly upon receiving reports of a person collapsed inside the fire room. Crews attacked the fire while more firefighters searched the apartment and found an elderly woman down in the fire room. They pulled her to safety and escorted her out to where paramedics provided further medical care. The patient is in stable condition and fire investigators ruled the cause of the fire as accidental.

Seattle Fire around the community

May 4 is International Firefighters' Day

May fourth is International Firefighter's Day

On this International Firefighters' Day, please take a moment to honor the men and women who serve as firefighters for putting their lives on the line everyday. Their roles have expanded to serve the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We established community testing sites and have administered nearly 100,000 vaccinations, all while continuing to fight fires and provide emergency medical services. To all of the members of the Seattle Fire Department and across the world — thank you for your dedicated service!

On this International Firefighters’ Day, please take a moment to honor the men and women who serve as firefighters for putting their lives on the line everyday. Especially in midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as they provide emergency medical services. To all of the members of the Seattle Fire Department and across the world - thank you for your dedicated service!

#HereToServe #SeattleFire

Photos by Fire Dog Photos & John Odegard of the Seattle Fire Buff Society.

Get vaccinated by your Seattle firefighters

The Seattle Fire Department continues to offer new and innovative programs for offering the vaccine and removing any access barriers. In April, the department launched its “Good Neighbor Program,” which allowed anyone 16 or older to also get vaccinated with another person who was 60 years or older at our Rainier Beach and West Seattle hubs. And now, anyone 16 or older can get vaccinated at our two Seattle Fire-operated vaccination hubs without an appointment. Both sites are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Beginning on May 5, those who get vaccinated at our hubs will have the choice between receiving the Moderna, Pfizer or single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Vaccinations now offered by SFD at Seattle Sounders FC home matches and Seattle Mariners home games

Beginning in May, Seattle firefighters will now have in-stadium booths at Seattle Sounders FC home matches and Seattle Mariners home games to vaccinate fans. The new program began operating on May 2, where 83 Seattle Sounders FC fans were vaccinated. Find us inside Lumen Event Field at the West Field Plaza outside of section 140 or East Main Concourse outside of section 104. At T-Mobile Park we will have a presence in Edgar's Home Run Porch near the left field foul pole, near the Sultan of Suds at the top of Center Field Gate (near Section 105) and at the 300 view level at rooftop boardwalk. Fans can choose between receiving the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Promotion Ceremony

On April 30, we held a virtual promotion ceremony to recognize and congratulate our newly promoted members. We are so proud of each of them for taking on the task of promoting within the department to help lead and mentor others in our organization. We know they will serve their team and community will in their new leadership roles. Promoted rank listed below:

Lieutenant Timothy Hammill
Lieutenant Adrian Navarro
Lieutenant Charles Hubschman (not pictured)
Lieutenant Jason Desmarteau
Lieutenant Jason Fernandez
Lieutenant Daniel Jones (not pictured)
Lieutenant Beau Maples
Lieutenant Tyler Woods
Lieutenant Brian Root
Lieutenant Brady Hubler
Captain Joseph Clegg
Captain Brian Boulay
Captain Colin Donnelly (not pictured)
Battalion Chief Brian Maier (not pictured)
Battalion Chief Jared Fields (not pictured)
Deputy Chief Christopher Lombard

Keeping you safe

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

National Public Safety Telecommunications Week

April 11-17 was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and we published a safety video demonstrating the essential role our dispatchers play in emergency response. In 2020, our Fire Alarm Center answered over 165,000 calls during all hours of the day.

Did you know our dispatchers are firefighters? They possess a wealth of knowledge and experience to assist callers and direct our crews out in the field. Help over the phone can include all manner of assistance from helping direct people over the phone on how to perform hands-only CPR (shown in this video), how to help someone who is choking, working with callers who speak a foreign language, and much much more.

Join the hands-only CPR challenge

Bill Morrow, Medic 2 CPR Instructor and retired Seattle Firefighter, recently taught hands-only CPR (virtually) to students of Aki Kurose and Washington Middle schools. Now we encourage Seattle residents to create their own hands-only CPR video to the tune of their favorite song. Then upload it to Instagram and mention @Seattle_Fire and #CPRChallenge. CPR Week starts June 1, and we plan to highlight these videos on our Instagram account.