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A message from the Fire Chief
We began this month with our annual Seattle Fire Day event at MOHAI on June 1. Well over 1,300 people joined us for a day of fun to learn about fire safety and to meet their local firefighters. We offered tours of our fire engines, ladder trucks and the Fireboat Seattle, and had many activities indoors and outdoors. This event is held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire (June 6, 1889) and the resulting formation of the Seattle Fire Department. We have served this community for 135 years and will continue to put our best effort forward in providing quality emergency medical care and fire suppression.
On May 12 we celebrated Mother’s Day, and on June 16, we will honor Father’s Day. Many members of our department are parents, and we thank them for their service while at work but also while they are off duty raising children. The work of the Seattle Fire Department is 24/7, and personnel sometimes spend these holidays away from their families. You are appreciated for your commitment and dedication.
On May 31, we celebrated the graduation of 31 recruits from the physically and mentally challenging 15.5-week SFD recruit school. Members of Recruit Class 120 will now enter the Operations Division as probationary firefighters to train with and learn from the more tenured members in the department. The experience probationary firefighters gain during their first year in the field will help prepare them for their future with the Seattle Fire Department to serve the community for many years to come.
We also congratulate 10 members who recently completed the rigorous Rapid Entry Rescue Swimmer course. Participants learned to deal with combative victims, conduct breath-hold dives up to 30 feet, free themselves from entanglement, perform underwater car rescues, and became proficient in triangulation and search patterns. As we approach summer, we are fortunate to add these members to our rescue swimmer cadre.
In June, we will celebrate Pride month, National CPR/AED Week (June 1-7) and Juneteenth (June 19).
Finally, I want to remind those interested in a career in the fire service that the Seattle Fire Department will open its application window for entry-level firefighter/EMT positions from Oct. 4 through Nov. 29, 2024. Follow us on social media and join the SFD interest list for tips on how to get prepared now for the job.
Stay safe,
Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief
Seattle Fire Department
Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate. - John C. Maxwell
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 Photo by John Odegard
May 8: 2-Alarm apartment building fire in the 300 block of NE 63rd St.
Firefighters extinguished a fire in a third-floor unit of an apartment building in the Ravenna neighborhood. No injuries were reported, but all 26 units were displaced because one of the main water pipes to the building was damaged in the fire. Investigators ruled the fire was accidental; likely caused by faulty electrical or overheated battery chargers.
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 Photo by John Odegard
May 29: 2-Alarm houseboat fire in the 1800 block of Westlake Ave. N.
Crews worked quickly to extinguish a houseboat fire that extended to an adjacent houseboat as well as a four-story office building. No injuries were reported, but a dog was missing. Investigators ruled the fire was accidental; likely caused by combustible items placed too close to a heater.
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Recruit Class 120 completes school
 Congratulations to the 31 members of Recruit Class 120 for successfully completing SFD's rigorous 15.5-week recruit school. These members graduated on May 31 and will now serve the City as probationary firefighter/EMTs for the remainder of their first year on the job. Their class motto is Locked In! Well done, Recruit Class 120…and welcome to Operations.
More CPR instructors, more class opportunities
The Medic 2 program has hired 16 new bystander CPR instructors. The new instructors are ready and eager to get into the community and teach the lifesaving skill of CPR! Visit the Medic 2 website for information on booking a CPR class for your business or organization, or attending a class as an individual.
The community showed up for Fire Day at MOHAI
On Saturday, June 1, the Seattle Fire Department, in partnership with the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) hosted our big annual Fire Day event at MOHAI and Lake Union Park.
This year marked the 135th anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire, which led to the creation of the Seattle Fire Department.
We were thrilled to see more than 1,300 community members enjoy tours of our ladder trucks, fire engines, and our fire boat, as well as fire and life safety activities, firefighter story times, games and crafts, giveaways, and more. We hope to see you next year for Fire Day at MOHAI 2025!
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First Fire Safety Fair of 2024 is in the books
On May 4, SFD welcomed approximately 600 neighbors and friends to Fire Station 28 in south Seattle for our first Fire Safety Fair of 2024.
We are so lucky to serve such an amazing community, and we look forward to our next Fire Safety Fair on July 20 at Fire Station 26 in South Park.
Check our website and social media accounts in the coming weeks for more event details!
Hydrant inspections – and what to do if you experience temporarily discolored water
The 19,000 fire hydrants located within the City of Seattle are maintained and repaired by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and inspected by the Seattle Fire Department (SFD). Firefighters inspect all fire hydrants across the city on an annual basis to ensure they are working properly and will provide sufficient water when needed for fighting a fire. Inspecting hydrants can help save lives and protect property.
The SFD strives to inspect each hydrant within city limits once per year.
Inspections occur between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and when the temperature is above 35 degrees.
If you live near a fire hydrant that has recently been inspected, your drinking water may appear discolored for up to a few hours. This can happen when hydrant flushing changes the direction or rate of flow in a nearby water main.
The discoloration comes from internal pipe rust and sediment getting stirred up. Drinking the water is not harmful but the water can be unsightly.
If you experience discolored water, SPU recommends running the cold water for a few minutes to see if it is clearing or still discolored. If the water does not clear, let the water sit for one to two hours. Then run cold water for a few minutes in your bathtub or shower. Do not run the hot water to try to clear the water. If the water remains discolored, please contact SPU’s 24/7 Operations Response Center at (206) 386-1800.
SFD and SPU are working in partnership to help minimize discolored water when hydrants are inspected.
The two departments are also sharing information to help keep customers informed about inspections that may have occurred in their neighborhood. This includes a procedure in place whereby SFD notifies SPU’s Operation Response Center just prior to flowing water.
Hydrant inspections within neighborhoods is dependent on when the fire station is able to work it into their schedule in between emergency calls and training.
Firefighters may plan for or be in the middle of conducting hydrant inspections and get pulled away to an emergent incident, having to push inspections to a later date, which is why advance notice for inspecting the city’s 19,000 hydrants from within 33 fire station districts is unfortunately not feasible.
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New rescue swimmers complete training
Ten Seattle firefighters are joining the SFD Rescue Swimmer program after completing the physically and mentally challenging Rapid Entry Rescue Swimmer course in Lakewood, WA. The training course was founded by retired West Pierce Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Patrick MacNealy and approved by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Two current Seattle firefighters were part of the instructor cadre for this class.
Participants endured cold water conditions during the training with the lake and air temperatures around 52 degrees and Puget Sound around 47 degrees.
Participants first complete a swim test that includes breath-hold dives, treading water with no hands, timed swims, swimming with mask/fins/snorkel and victim rescues. Afterwards, they attend this rigorous course where they learn to deal with combative victims, conduct breath-hold dives up to 30-feet, free themselves from entanglement, perform underwater car rescues, and become proficient in triangulation and search patterns.
Next, they will complete three-days of SFD specific training before deploying as rescue swimmers for the SFD. We are proud of each of these members for their perseverance and pushing past their prior limits.
Photo credit: Ashley Davis
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Fire Connect Virtual Workshop 4 - 5:30 p.m. on June 26
 The Seattle Fire Department will accept applications for entry-level firefighter/EMT from Oct. 4 through Nov. 29, 2024. In preparation for the open application window, the department is sharing tips about the hiring process and preparing to become a successful candidate.
On June 26, Seattle firefighter/ EMTs and specialists from our Human Resources division will present valuable information about becoming a firefighter with the Seattle Fire Department during an online coaching session.
The session runs between 4 and 5:30 p.m. To join, scan the QR code above or join using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3078684847?omn=97497605421. Meeting ID: 307 868 4847.
We hope you will share this webinar information with those you know who may be looking at a career change or interested in working in the fire/EMS world.
Preparing for the Job: Seattle Fire accepting applications for entry-level firefighter/EMT in fall 2024
This month, SFD is highlighting the importance of building strength to be able to carry and utilize ladders.
Ladders are essential equipment routinely utilized by firefighters for accessing upper floors to rescue fire victims, ventilating structures, putting water on fires, among other uses. Seattle firefighters must have the physical strength to raise a 24-foot (72 lb) and 28-foot (87 lb) ladder on their own. Getting a ladder from a horizontal position to a vertical position requires core strength and stability, leg strength and shoulder/upper body strength. Exercises to incorporate into a fitness training routine to strengthen these areas include squats, deadlifts, lunges, power cleans, side planks, loaded carries, unilateral shoulder presses and push presses.
Those interested in applying shouldn’t wait to get their fitness in check – make it a priority now. Sign-up for the SFD interest list at SeattleFireJobs.com to receive information about upcoming recruitment opportunities.
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