In the community

Fire Safety Fair at Station 30

On Nov. 4, the Seattle Fire Department hosted a Fire Safety Fair at Fire Station 30 in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. A big thank you goes out to our neighbors and friends who braved the weather on that stormy day to join us for an afternoon of fun. Adults and children enjoyed a story time with Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, met Hera the Fire Doodle, created works of art, learned about home fire safety, watched CPR demonstrations, took fire engine tours and met our local firefighters and SFD cadets. We look forward to hosting more fairs in 2024!

Live-fire training for Recruit Class 119 in West Seattle

Thank you to the West Seattle/Fauntleroy community for allowing us to conduct live-fire training in their neighborhood for Recruit Class 119! This form of training allows for recruits to work with our veteran firefighters while facing real fire scenarios in a controlled setting.

Recruit Class 119 out to ops

Congratulations to the 22 members of Recruit Class 119 on your successful completion of recruit school. You will now enter our operations division as probationary firefighters to use the skills you’ve learned when serving the Seattle community. Well done!

November promotional ceremony

Fire Chief Harold Scoggins held a promotional ceremony on Nov. 9 at the Seattle Fire Department headquarters to welcome new professional staff and promote members to new ranks. Congratulations to all as they step into their new leadership roles.

Battalion chief position highlight

The City of Seattle is divided up in six battalions (five geographical) for fire department operations, and each is commanded by a battalion chief. The Northwest region of the City is Battalion 4, Northeast is Battalion 6, downtown core is Battalion 2, West Seattle is Battalion 7 and Southeast is Battalion 5. Battalion 3 refers to members who work as firefighter-paramedics and staff our medic units which respond from various fire stations located throughout the City. We also have several battalion chiefs who serve in administrative roles. In total, the department has 25 members who hold the title of Battalion Chief spread across the four platoons (shifts). Battalion chiefs are responsible for serving as the incident commander at incidents that primarily occur in their battalion, to include vehicle collisions requiring extrication, hazardous material incidents, water rescues, fires, rope rescues, confined space rescues and more. The role of the battalion chief is to command and dedicate resources at these incidents to successfully mitigate the issue while keeping life safety and property preservation at the forefront. Battalion chiefs are leaders in the department and are knowledgeable about standard operating guidelines, procedures and policies. They help to train firefighters on SFD operations and serve as a mentor to company officers to help them excel in their role.

Keeping you safe

Winter safety

The winter holidays are upon us, and we have partnered with other fire agencies within the King County Fire Chiefs Association to publish timely safety messages. South King Fire and Rescue set up holiday decorations at Fire Station 66 while additional public educators from Bellevue Fire Dept., Eastside Fire and Rescue and Seattle Fire conducted safety demonstrations. The Seattle Channel filmed each segment and is producing a series of videos for all agencies to distribute on social media.

Events

Fire Connect virtual coaching session Dec. 6

Fire Connect is a new workforce development program for the Seattle Fire Department. The objective of this program is to ensure attendees have full access to information regarding recruitment and necessary coaching around preparation that would empower students and job seekers towards success in the department.

We will begin with the virtual coaching session is from 4 - 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Please share this great opportunity with partners & individuals in your network. Thank you and see you all then!

Toys for Tots Dec. 10

We are excited to announce our support for the U.S. Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots drive. The Seattle Fire Department will collect toys on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023 at these five Seattle fire stations:

11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

• Station 32 in West Seattle
• Station 41 in Magnolia

2 and 4 p.m.

• Station 25 in Capitol Hill
• Station 38 near Sand Point
• Station 18 in Ballard

Firefighters and professional staff members will collect toys from people as they drive up to the station or walk in with gift items. We are also trying something new this year: collecting food bank items during the toy drive. Community members who cannot join us on Dec. 10 are asked to drop off their toys at other participating Toys for Tots locations.

Diversity and Recruitment Workshop 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.