Seattle Responder - November 2023 Edition

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 11/01/2023 08:17 PM PDT

Message from the Fire Chief

This month I’d like to lead with an important safety message - don’t forget to set your clocks back for daylight savings on Nov. 5 and use the date as an opportunity to test your home’s smoke alarms. Ensuring you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is one of the easiest ways to help keep you and your family fire safe. I’d also like to invite community members to our Fire Safety Fair from 12 to 2 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Fire Station 30 in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. This is a great opportunity to meet your local firefighters and participate in family fun activities.

Earlier this month we received a generous grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation and Amazon for $150,000 to support the department’s behavioral health programs and provide special gloves for every firefighter in the department. The news came as part of the lead up to National First Responders Day, which we recognized on Oct. 28. We are grateful to have been selected for this generous grant.

On Dec. 16, the King County Fire Chiefs Association (KCFCA) will host its fifth Diversity and Recruitment Workshop in Shoreline. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a firefighter/EMT, consider attending to learn more about what’s required for the testing and application process. Register by Dec. 10.

Finally, on Dec. 10, we will host a Toys for Tots collection event at four of our fire stations in Seattle. We are accepting new and unwrapped toys, canned food that has not expired and monetary donations. Follow along with us on social media to learn more about this event that benefits children who live in our area.

Stay safe,

Harold D. Scoggins

Significant incidents

Residential fire in the Green Lake neighborhood injuries two residents

Sept. 29: Residential fire at the 100 block of N.E. 63rd St.

Firefighters extinguished a fire in a home at the 100 block of N.E. 63rd St. in the Green Lake neighborhood. All residents were accounted for, and the Red Cross was requested to assist with providing temporary shelter. Two of the residents were evaluated at the scene, and both were in stable condition. Fire investigators ruled the fire was accidental, likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.

2-Alarm apartment building fire in the Westlake neighborhood

Oct. 14: Apartment building fire at the 2000 block of Dexter Ave. N.

Crews responded to a fire in a four-story apartment building at the 2000 block of Dexter Ave. N. in the Westlake neighborhood. The incident was upgraded to a 2-alarm fire because smoke and flames extended through the building's primary escape route. Fortunately, no injuries were reported but all residents were temporarily displaced. Investigators ruled the fire was intentionally set and have shared their findings with Seattle Police.

In the community

Firefighter story time in Seattle Public Libraries

Firefighter story time at Seattle Central Library

Our public education team and fire crews returned to Seattle Public Library branches in October for Firefighter Story Time. Crews from station 39, 26 and 10s read a fire safety story, demonstrated bunking gear and gave tours of a fire engine to over 150 preschoolers and caregivers. We look forward to more Firefighter Story Times in 2024.

Oct. 28 was National First Responders Day

The Seattle Fire Department has more than 1,000 uniformed personnel who took an oath to answer calls for help from the Seattle community for medical emergencies, fire suppression and incidents requiring rescue efforts. On First Responders Day (Oct. 28) we celebrated the contributions of first responders here and across the nation who are dedicated to keeping communities safe.

$150,000 Grant from Amazon and the Gary Sinise Foundation

$150,000 grant from Amazon and Gary Sinise Foundation

The Seattle Fire Department is receiving a $150,000 grant from Amazon and the Gary Sinise Foundation to support our behavioral health programs and provide special “extrication” gloves for every firefighter.

Seattle Fire will purchase a mobile app that puts real-time mental health resources and support in the hands of first responders. This app complements the work of Seattle firefighters who have volunteered to be trained as peer support for their colleagues.

Firefighters will also be outfitted with extrication gloves, which are better suited to use in certain types of incidents than the firefighting gloves they are currently using. This makes operating certain equipment much easier on responses.

“We are grateful to have been selected for this grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF) and Amazon. With nearly every dollar of our department budget allocated, finding the money for new equipment and training can be a challenge. We’re able to provide each firefighter with extrication gloves and continue building out our programs that help firefighters deal with the traumatic and stressful situations they encounter daily. Neither would have been possible without GSF and Amazon’s support.”

The Seattle Fire Department is the first grant recipient in Washington from this partnership. To learn more, visit Amazon and Gary Sinise Foundation Announce New Multi-Year Partnership to Amplify Support of Our Nation's Veterans, Heroes, First Responders and Defenders | Gary Sinise Foundation.

South Korean firefighters visit the Seattle Fire Department

Three firefighters from South Korea visited the Seattle Fire Department to learn about our training division in order to reduce incident-related injuries for their organization. They also toured station 5, 10, 14 and 22 as well as the Fire Alarm Center to gain a comprehensive understanding of our department's tiered response system.

Keeping you safe

Change smoke alarm batteries while adjusting your clocks

Change smoke alarm batteries as you adjust your clocks for the end of daylight saving time.

Sunday, Nov. 5 marks the end of daylight savings time where clocks are adjusted back one hour. This is also a good time to remind family and friends to test their smoke alarms and
carbon monoxide detectors.

Thanksgiving safety - a few words about cooking, frying and choking

Traditional Thanksgiving Day feast with turkey center stage.

The SFD reminds residents to be safe while cooking and gathering this holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking-related fires in the U.S. Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Other holiday-related home fires involve heating and electrical sources.

How to be safe in the kitchen

Check on food regularly while cooking and set timers – unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires.
Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.
Remove flammables such as towels, oven mitts and food packaging from the stove top.
If a fire starts on the stove top, cover it with a lid or metal cookie sheet and turn the stove off. Do not throw water on a grease fire.
If you experience a fire beyond the pan that has spread, get outside of the home or apartment and call 9-1-1 immediately.

Click here to watch our cooking safety videos in several languages and American Sign Language.

Events

Fire Safety Fair on Nov. 4

Firefighter greeting a young family at a fire safety fair

Our next Fire Safety Fair is coming up from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Fire Station 30 (2931 S. Mt Baker Blvd.).

Join us for a free family-friendly event for all ages!

🚒 Learn about fire prevention & life-safety at home
🚒 Meet your local firefighters
🚒 Explore a working fire engine and fire station
🚒 Join story time with the Fire Chief
🚒 Watch CPR demonstrations
🚒 Get creative at the arts & crafts table and more!

For disability accommodations or accessibility info contact 206-291-7681 or fireinfo@seattle.gov.

Diversity and Recruitment Workshop Dec. 16 in Shoreline

Diversity and Recruitment Workshop on Dec. 16 in Shoreline

The King County Fire Chiefs Association looks forward to hosting its fifth Diversity and Recruitment workshop on Dec. 16, 2023, in Shoreline.

Fire departments across the county are seeking qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds who may be interested in becoming firefighters but are unsure of how the hiring process works. Attendees of this workshop will have the opportunity to learn about the benefits of a fire service career as well as how to navigate the complex hiring process. They will also have a chance to meet with mentors in the field.

This workshop is open to anyone at least 16 years of age and is geared towards recruiting members of the BIPOC community, women, bilingual adults, LGBTQIA+ or those with no prior fire service experience. Fire departments in King County are asking for your help in sharing this incredible opportunity with your network to help bring a diverse array of applicants to local fire departments who may serve as future firefighters in King County.

The deadline to register is Dec. 10. Visit the event website for information.

Seattle Fire uses its Fire Line Blog to share information about significant incidents, share safety information and learn about upcoming department events. Please take a look!