For many of us, our pets are members of our family and the loss of a pet in a fire can be devastating. It is important to remember that you may have less than a minute or two after the smoke alarm sounds to get out of the house. Because many pets will hide out of fear, taking time to search the house for them can mean the difference between life or death. Leaving pet rescue to firefighters can help keep your family safe from fire’s harm.

A Firefighter’s Duty

A firefighter’s priorities are to rescue you and your family, and to minimize the damage to your home and property. However, firefighters will do their best to find and rescue any animals found in the home. The Fire Department is equipped with the pet-sized oxygen masks and tanks needed to help resuscitate your pet, if necessary. If you are unable to take your pet out with you, the best thing you can do is to let the first firefighter on the scene know that there is a family pet inside. Keep a picture of your pet with you, show the firefighter and tell him or her your pet’s name.

What Can You Do?

When you test your smoke alarm once a month, see how your pet reacts to the sound of the smoke alarm. Do they stay close to you or do they run and hide? This will tell you how they might respond in an actual emergency when the smoke alarm is activated.
If your pet is within reach and you can secure them quickly and without putting yourself at risk, try to cage or put a leash on your pet and evacuate together. If your pet is resisting or trying to hide, here are a few things you can do to make rescuing your pet easier:

Large animals: If possible, put your pet in a room and shut the door to keep more smoke from entering the room and help prevent smoke inhalation. Get out of the house and tell the first firefighter on the scene where your animal is located. Some large animals that are very scared might attack the firefighter or make it harder for them to be rescued – if you can crate these animals in a less smoky environment, do so.

Small animals: Many pets will run and hide under beds or in closets. If you know where they’ve gone, shut the door to that room and tell the first firefighter on the scene where your animal is located. If your pet carrier is accessible, and you can grab your pet easily, place him or her inside and get out of the house. If your car keys are accessible and your car is parked out of harm’s way, your car can be used to secure pets until you can inform the first firefighter on scene.

Practicing home fire drills – not only with your family but with your pet – can also ensure quickly getting to safety. Practice this from every part of your home, and know two ways out from each room.

Medical Emergencies

If 911 has been called because of a medical emergency, secure your pet in a crate or closed off room. This will help prevent your pet from getting too stressed, getting lost, or attacking emergency crew. If you can, call someone to come take care of your pet.

For More Information

Contact:
Seattle Fire Department
fireinfo@seattle.gov
www.seattle.gov/fire

At 2:32 a.m., we received a 911 call reporting a mother in labor along Southbound I-5 at Mid-Boeing Field. The caller then reported the baby was born inside the Blue Honda CRV that was parked underneath the 158 freeway exit sign.

Paramedics cut the umbilical cord and transported the mother and healthy new baby boy to Valley Medical Center in stable condition. The mother and father were on their way to VMC when they pulled over to give birth.

The first 911 call came into the Fire Alarm Center at 8:05 p.m. reporting smoke from a vacant house located in the 6300 block of 36th Avenue SW. Engine Company 37 arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the basement of the backside of the home.

Initially the firefighters took a defensive position and fought the fire from the outside of the home. Once firefighters removed the plywood from the windows of the boarded up home, they launched an interior attack on the fire.

It took about 15 minutes for fire crews to control the flames and approximately an hour before the flames were completely extinguished.

There were no injuries.

The investigator determined the fire started in the basement and spread to combustible materials stored in the lower level of the house. The damage estimate is $25,000 to the structure and $5,000 to the contents.

SEATTLE – The Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27, invite the community to check out the completed renovation of Seattle’s historic Fire Station 14, located at 3224 Fourth Ave. S in the SODO District, during an open house on May 16, 2013, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fire Station 14 is home to the Seattle Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team. Their specialties involve collapsed buildings, trench cave-ins, high angle rope rescues, marine accidents requiring the Dive Team, confined space emergencies and heavy machinery and transportation incidents. The Tech Rescue Team is centrally located in order to quickly respond anywhere in the city to various high level rescues.

“This is an opportunity for the residents of Seattle to learn more about our nationally recognized Technical Rescue Team “says Fire Chief Gregory Dean. “These firefighters are highly trained to respond to incidents that pose the highest safety risk to both victims and firefighters.”

Fire Station 14 is one of 32 neighborhood fire stations being upgraded, renovated or replaced through the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Program, which was approved by Seattle voters in 2003. Six personnel are on duty at the station per shift.

Built in 1927, Fire Station 14 was designated a historic landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board in 2005. This designation limits changes to the façade of the building; all exterior modifications completed as part of this renovation were approved by the board.

The $8.8 million renovation project included the addition of a new 1,600 square foot apparatus bay; seismic upgrades; new insulated windows and a new roof; new decontamination facilities; new emergency dive gear storage and cleaning facilities; and more. Construction began in August 2012 and was completed in March 2013.

The renovated building reflects the city’s commitment to green design practices. Seattle is seeking a LEED Silver certification for the facility, which includes low VOC (volatile organic compound) construction materials; new insulated windows; a solar hot water heating system, located on the roof; and LED interior lighting.

“Seattle is leading the way in our push for environmentally sustainable buildings,” says Mayor Mike McGinn. “I invite the public to come check out their newly renovated historic Fire Station.”

Fire Station 14 was developed by the city of Seattle’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services, designed by Bassetti Architects of Seattle and built by Turner Construction Company.

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May 9—Seattle Firefighters determined a post office building is safe to reoccupy after a pickup truck drove into it.

At 1:48 p.m., dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center received a 911 call reporting a vehicle into the West Seattle Post Office located in the 2700 block of SW Trenton Street. When firefighters arrived they found the driver of the pickup truck uninjured but still inside the truck’s cab.

Concerned about the structural integrity of the building, firefighters evacuated three dozen patrons and employees of the facility. The pickup truck damaged a concrete/brick column and two large windows as it made entry into the lobby.

One female postal customer was knocked to the floor when a metal shelf fell into her. Medics evaluated and treated her for minor scrapes and bruises.

The Technical Rescue Team used shoring equipment and high powered air bags to lift the concrete column off of the pickup truck. The truck was towed from the property.

The Seattle Police Department is investigating the cause of the accident.

May 9- Seattle Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at a First Hill gas station after a car collided with a fuel pump.

At 9:18 a.m. dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center received multiple 911 calls reporting flames coming from the fuel pump at a gas station located at the corner of Terry Avenue and James Street.

Capitol Hill’s Engine Company 25 arrived first to find heavy black smoke and about eight foot flames coming from a car that had sheared off a fuel pump from its base. The driver of the car escaped the burning vehicle by exiting through his passenger door. He was uninjured.

A second car, that was parked and fueling, suffered smoke and heat damage. The driver of this vehicle was also uninjured.

After quickly noticing the flames, the clerk at the gas station hit the emergency fuel shut off valve preventing more fuel from igniting. The clerk then sprayed the fire with dry-chemical extinguishers. After arriving, firefighters quickly knocked down the flames.

The Seattle Police Department is investigating the cause of the accident.

At 12:40 a.m. a passerby called 911 to report two or three semi’s on fire in a parking lot located on the Port of Seattle Property. The fire started on one tractor and exposed to two others. Three semi-tractors were damaged.

Fire investigators estimate the damage at $45,000.

May 6- A Seattle Fire Investigator determined a fire onboard a decommissioned NOAA vessel was an accidental fire caused by welding operations.

At 9:22 a.m. dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center received a 911 call reporting a fire onboard the 200-foot research vessel which was docked at the NOAA Marina located at 7600 Sand Point Way NE.

The original caller reported paints, paint thinners and acids onboard the vessel. The Hazardous Material Team was dispatched to deal with the potential hazard.

Once on scene, firefighters contained the fire to a 15’ x 50’ x 5’ compartment in the aft of the ship. The room is three floors below the main deck. No hazardous materials were located in the compartment.

Firefighters sealed off the storage compartment and pumped CO2 into the chamber to deprive the fire of oxygen and effectively smolder it. It took two-and-a-half hours to completely extinguish the flames.

The Fire Investigator determined the fire burned tarps and other available combustibles inside the ship. Because the ship is set to be scrapped, the damage estimate is just $100.

May 1— At 11:51 p.m. Seattle Firefighters responded to a car into a freeway exit barrier at Southbound I-5 near the Tully’s building. When firefighters arrived they found multiple patients inside the car and one patient ejected from the vehicle.

Thirty four Seattle Firefighters and Paramedics responded to the scene. Ladder Company 1 extricated one trapped patient out of the back of the vehicle.

There were 7 total patients with 3 in critical condition, 3 in serious condition and 1 deceased patient.

Three Seattle Fire Medic units transported the most critically injured patients to Harborview Medical Center. 2 AMR units transported 6 patients to HMC.

Washington State Patrol is investigating.

The original 911 call came into the Fire Alarm Center at 12:31 a.m. reporting a possible transformer fire at 3rd Avenue NW and NW 36th Street. The first arriving engine company spoke to Seattle Police Officers. Officers interviewed a witness who saw a man climb the tower and fall, causing a large spark from the power line.

The 200-foot-tall tower carried 120,000 volt power lines at the top. Also 26,000 volt power lines ran 50 feet off the ground which prevent the firefighters from raising their aerial ladders.

Seattle City Light determined that if an individual made it onto the tower, he could have accidentally caused electrical current to travel into the metal structure. For the safety of the firefighters, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office sent their helicopter to survey the platform. The bird’s eye view for the chopper revealed a unresponsive body on the platform and two objects which turned out to be a baseball cap and a cell phone.

Under the direction of Seattle City Light, utility employees and four Tech Rescue Firefighters climbed the tower and recovered the body from the platform. Around 7 a.m., the body was lowered by stokes basket to the ground below.

The King County Medical Examiner took possession of the body. Examiners will determine the cause of death, and the identity of the male.

The Seattle Police Department is investigating how and why the man climbed the tower.