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Message from the Fire Chief
Seattle firefighters responded to several significant incidents last month, including a 3-alarm fire in Ballard on Feb. 10 where eight town homes and a three-story building under construction were destroyed.
Large incidents such as this remind us why it’s so important to train for these critical emergencies. Through our acquired structure training program, we are able to put our personnel in real-life fire scenarios, which provides an incredible learning platform.
Property owners who have a demolition permit in hand and donate their structure to us for use are providing an exceptional community service. If you have a building that meets our qualifications, we’d like to potentially work with you.
In February, we welcomed Recruit Class 122 to the Seattle Fire Department. Forty-one new recruits began our rigorous 16-week recruit school that will test them physically and mentally. Also in February, we celebrated Recruit Class 120 with a swearing-in ceremony at City Hall. The 30 members of this class received their badge and became fully-fledged firefighter/EMTs with our department. I am proud of each of these new recruits and firefighters for their hard work and wish them well on their career with the SFD, where they will serve the community for many years to come.
In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, which provides us with a time to recognize and honor all of the contributions of our female firefighters. We are proud to have a Women’s Alliance at the SFD, which has a united mission of making the fire service a better place for women, and thereby for everyone.
On March 9, many Seattle Firefighters will take part in the Firefighter Stairclimb at the Columbia Tower, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They will climb 69 floors of stairs with 1,356 steps to reach the sky view observatory. The mission of the LLS is to raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services. Consider contributing to Seattle Fire’s team if able.
Stay safe,
Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." — Benjamin Franklin
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 Photo by John Odegard
Feb. 7: Residential fire in the 14300 block of Fremont Ave. N.
Firefighters rescued an adult female from a residential fire in the Bitter Lake neighborhood. The patient was in critical condition, and paramedics transported her to Harborview Medical Center. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries. Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.
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 Photo by John Odegard
Feb. 9: 3-Alarm fire in the 900 block of NW 54th St.
Crews fought a 3-alarm fire in a construction site that extended to an adjacent eight-unit townhome. One person was treated for minor injuries. Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.
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30 graduate from Recruit Class 120
 Congratulations to the 30 members of Recruit Class 120 on their successful completion of recruit school and subsequent probationary period! On Feb. 27, we celebrated their significant accomplishment with a swearing-in ceremony at City Hall. They graduated from probationary firefighters to full-fledged firefighter/EMTs and are ready to serve the Seattle community for many years to come. Their class motto is “Locked In” - we officially welcome you to Seattle Fire Operations!
Harborview burn visit
Several of our firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics visited children and adults in the Regional Burn Center at Harborview Medical Center in February for National Burn Week. We had the opportunity to see many patients who are on their path to recovery from the injuries they sustained.
We provide treatment everyday to individuals we respond to in the field, but once they are at the hospital, their care is transferred to hospital staff. This visit was special to us - we had meaningful conversations with patients and saw how hard the hospital team works to ensure the best possible care and outcome.
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Nurse Navigation program operational for three years
Feb. 8 marked the three-year anniversary of SFD’s innovative Nurse Navigation Program, which ensures patients quickly reach the most appropriate level of care based on their needs.
When calling 9-1-1, a trip to a hospital’s emergency department may not be the best solution based on medical needs. With Seattle Fire’s innovative program, developed in collaboration with American Medical Response, callers have more options for the type of care they receive, and how and where they receive it. This may include transportation to a local clinic, urgent care or hospital emergency department. Callers talk to a licensed nurse to make that decision, together.
Volunteers needed at Seattle/King County Clinic
Registration is now open for volunteer to support the Seattle/King County healthcare clinic. This free clinic provides health care to under- and un-insured individuals in Seattle and King County. Volunteers are needed in the fields of dental, vision, medical and social work. Folks with interpretation skills or want to simply support the effort are also needed.
The clinic will be at Climate Pledge Arena from April 24 to April 27. Since the clinic launched in 2014, it has helped care for more than 30,000 patients.
Daylight saving safety reminder
The Seattle Fire Department would like to remind everyone to check on your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms for the start of daylight saving time this weekend (March 9). We recommend carefully vacuuming around the alarms to remove dust and cobwebs and replace batteries if needed.
Changing smoke and CO alarm batteries once a year is an effective way to reduce home fire deaths and CO poisoning. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly one-half by providing an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape. Consider installing a long-life battery powered smoke/CO alarm to avoid yearly battery replacements.
Every home in Seattle should have the protection of smoke/CO alarms. As a reminder, if the smoke or CO alarms sounds, get out and call 9-1-1 from a safe location.
Learn more about smoke/CO alarms, including how to get a free smoke/CO alarm from the Seattle Fire Department.
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Future Women in EMS and Fire Workshop
 King County Women*: Come join King County EMS and host agency Bellevue FD along with over 13 other King County agencies as we immerse you in a weekend of hands-on fire and EMS activities and provide an opportunity to explore a career in the field. This opportunity includes interactive activities, discussion panels, viewing live demos and networking with local EMTs, firefighters and paramedics. Candidates must be 18 or older to apply; King County residency is preferred.
*This workshop is inclusive of underrepresented genders including women, women-identifying individuals, non-binary, trans and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women in fire/EMS.
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