Fireline Blog Seattle Fire Department

Fire Line

News and events from the Seattle Fire Department

2021 Fire Prevention Month Tip: Heating Safety

by

Fall weather in the PNW means many things to a Seattleite: leaves changing from green to gold, daylight savings time, back to school, pumpkin spice everything, and preparing for winter weather, just to name a few.

This week for Fire Prevention Month we are highlighting fire risks related to residential heating sources.

As would be expected, most heating-related fires occur during the colder months when heaters get turned on and the use of portable heaters and fireplaces increases. Fires caused by furniture, bedding, and other materials placed too close to baseboard and portable heaters are the most common types of heating-related residential fires.

Please review these heating safety tips

  • Never block the flow of heat; give your heaters space.
  • Keep children 3 feet away from anything that can get hot, including heaters.
  • Do not put anything close to a heater and do not let anything hang across or on a heater.
  • Never use an extension cord with a portable heater; plug a portable heater directly into a wall outlet.
  • Make sure your portable heater is tested by an independent testing laboratory and has an automatic shut-off feature if it tips over.
  • Turn portable heaters off before leaving the room or before going to bed.
  • Inspect all heating equipment yearly and always hire an experienced electrician to do any necessary repair work on your baseboard or wall heaters.
  • Clean or replace furnace filters regularly. 
  • Have your heating systems and chimneys inspected, cleaned, and repaired prior to cold-weather seasons.
Give your heaters plenty of space:12-inches for baseboard and 3-feet for space heaters.

Watch this new video created in partnership with the King County Fire and Life Safety Association. Translated versions will be available soon!

Heating Safety Messages in American Sign Language

Learn More:

Heating Fire Safety Handout

NFPA Heating Safety Tip Sheet

US Fire Administration-Keeping Kids Safe From Fire

Seattle Fire Statement On Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Status

by

As of 10 a.m. on Oct. 19, 93% of the Seattle Fire Department’s employees are vaccinated. Sixty-six employees have submitted exemptions (57 religious, 9 medical) and are involved in the City’s exemption and accommodation process. All but eleven employees submitted either a vaccine verification form or exemption form.  

For the eleven employees who did not submit either a verification or exemption form (and are not currently on disability leave), the separation process will begin tomorrow. For represented members, that legal process includes a voluntary Loudermill hearing (if a member requests it), in accordance with their collective bargaining agreements. A Loudermill is an opportunity for the represented employee to present their case to the department leadership and Human Resources.  

The sixty-six employees who have submitted an exemption will be on leave and unable to work until the accommodation process is complete or a member chooses to get fully vaccinated. The leave type is dependent on if their exemption has been approved, denied or is still being processed. If the exemption is denied or cannot be accommodated, the employee will have the option to seek a Loudermill or can choose to become vaccinated. The full process can take several weeks to complete for an individual employee.  

The fire department wants to assure the community that we do not expect significant response delays and will continue to fulfill our mission of responding to all 9-1-1 calls for fire suppression and emergency medical services. Members of the public who need our help can make calls to 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies and firefighter/EMTs (and paramedics for more serious injuries) will arrive in personal protective equipment to provide patient treatment or to extinguish fires. The department’s Fire Prevention Division will continue to provide inspections, process permit applications and respond to investigate the cause of fires. Additional updates on the department’s contingency plans were posted to the Fireline Blog last week. 

The Fire Chief wants every member of the SFD to know they are valued and hopes that members do not depart the organization as a result of this mandate.  

Fire Station 31 personnel move-in to interim fire station

by

SEATTLE – On Oct. 14, Seattle firefighters and paramedics assigned to work at Fire Station 31 moved in to their new interim fire station located at 10503 Interlake Ave. N. The interim site was built after City leaders determined the previous permanent station at N. Northgate Way no longer met the fire department’s operational needs. The new permanent site will be located in North Seattle.  

Fire Station 31 houses a fire engine, ladder truck, medic unit and peak-time aid unit. Twelve SFD members, including 10 firefighter/EMTs and two firefighter/paramedics, respond from the station to provide fire suppression and emergency medical services to the Northgate neighborhood and surrounding community.  

The move to the interim facility allows Fire Station 31 personnel to be located back in district full-time while their new permanent facility is being built. The interim site includes two tent structures for the station’s apparatus, two portable building structures for the station house and office, seismic design for essential facilities and a sustainable design. 

Following an extensive search process led by the Department of Finance and Administrative Services, which included community input and considerations for criteria such as ability to meet service response times, size of property, safety, access to arterial roadways, etc., the City identified and approved a new location for the permanent station at 11302 Meridian Ave. N. The site is primarily vacant and highly suitable for the fire department’s operational and service area needs. Construction of the new fire station is expected to be complete in 2024.  

Visit the Fire Station 31 website for construction updates.  

Seattle Fire prepares contingency plans for staffing ahead of vaccine mandate deadline

by

The Seattle Fire Department is contingency planning for various staffing scenarios we may face on Oct. 19 as a result of the vaccine mandate deadline on Oct. 18. We are committed to the health and safety of our community, and will comply with the Mayor and Governor’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.  

First and foremost, we want to assure the community we serve that we will continue to fulfill our mission of responding to all 9-1-1 calls for fire suppression and emergency medical services. Members of the public who need our help can make calls to 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies and  firefighter/EMTs (and paramedics for more serious injuries) will arrive in personal protective equipment to provide patient treatment or to extinguish fires. The department’s Fire Prevention Division will continue to provide inspections, process permit applications and respond to investigate the cause of fires.  

Based on current data of vaccine verification forms submitted, we expect that we may lose some personnel as a result of the mandate. The department’s leadership is considering various options for how we can adjust our response model through this transition. While finalizing this information is dependent upon the number of personnel who depart from SFD, we are taking action now to plan ahead for the possibility of being below our standard staffing levels:  

  • Cancelling all non-essential training, community events and limiting our annual building inspection focus to schools 
  • Prioritizing which units could be placed out-of-service through analyzation of response routes to ensure City coverage by SFD remains in place  
  • Adjusting response models to various incident types to best serve our residents while below normal staffing levels 
  • Activating our Resource Management Center to monitor response data in real-time 

SFD is encouraging all of our members to get vaccinated and submit their forms, as we do not want to see any of our personnel depart from our organization.

Fire Prevention Month Tip: Know how to respond to a sounding smoke alarm

by

Make sure your smoke alarms are working by testing them monthly. Replace batteries yearly and replace smoke alarms every 10 years or sooner if needed.

October is Fire Prevention Month in Seattle and this year the Seattle Fire Department will be highlighting a new fire safety topic weekly. This week we are highlighting the importance of having working smoke alarms and knowing how to safely respond to a sounding alarm.

Did you know?

  • Between 2014 and 2018, three out of five home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms
  • Over 40 percent of home fire deaths resulted from fires in which no smoke alarms were present.
  • The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. (National Fire Protection Association)

Where to install smoke alarms – Smoke alarms should be installed in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

What to do if the smoke alarms sounds due to a fire – Watch this new video made in partnership with the King County Fire and Life Safety Association.

Learn more:

Fire prevention and safety activities for kids of all ages courtesy of National Fire Protection Association and Sparky.org – CLICK HERE for some fun! 

Smoke alarm flyer from the Seattle Fire Department

Fire Prevention Month Tip: Call 9-1-1 for Emergencies (multilingual)

by

If there is a fire, call 9-1-1 after you are outside and away from the fire and smoke.

October is Fire Prevention Month in Seattle and this year the Seattle Fire Department will be highlighting a new fire safety topic weekly. This week we are highlighting calling 9-1-1 for emergencies. 9-1-1 is a critical part of our emergency response system.

When someone calls 9-1-1 for a medical or fire emergency in Seattle, the call is dispatched to the Fire Alarm Center where firefighters are ready to get some critical information from the caller so that they can send help right away.

Below is some basic information on calling 9-1-1 in several languages.

English

CALL 9-1-1 or send someone else to call 9-1-1 for fire, medical or police emergencies.

  1. If there is a fire, call 9-1-1 after you are outside and away from the fire and smoke.
  2. Know your address or location
  • Say your language, if it is not English and stay on the phone. Do not hang up.

Spanish

LLAME AL 9-1-1 o pídale a alguien que llame al 9-1-1 en caso de incendio, emergencias médicas o policiales.

  1. Si hay un incendio, llame al 9-1-1 luego de haber salido y estar lejos del fuego y el humo.
  2. Tiene que saber dónde se encuentra.
  • Diga qué idioma habla si no es inglés y quédese al teléfono. No cuelgue.

Chinese

如遇火災、醫療或治安緊急事件，請致電 9-1-1 或派其他人致電 9-1-1。

  1. 如果發生火災，請在您逃離現場，遠離火災和煙霧後，致電 9-1-1。
  2. 瞭解您的地址或位置
  • 說出您的語言，如果不是英語，請保持通話。不要掛線。

Vietnamese

GỌI 9-1-1 hoặc nhờ ai đó gọi 9-1-1 trong trường hợp hỏa hoạn, cấp cứu y tế hoặc trường hợp khẩn cấp cần cảnh sát.

  1. Nếu xảy ra hỏa hoạn, hãy gọi 9-1-1 sau khi quý vị đã ở bên ngoài và tránh xa đám cháy và khói.
  2. Biết địa chỉ hoặc vị trí của quý vị
  • Nói ngôn ngữ của quý vị, nếu không phải là Tiếng Anh và giữ máy. Không tắt máy.

Korean

화재, 의료진 또는 경찰의 도움이 필요한 비상사태의 경우에는 9-1-1로 직접 신고하거나 주변 사람에게 9-1-1로 신고해 달라고 부탁하세요.

  1. 화재가 발생한 경우에는 화재 및 연기를 피해 건물 밖으로 나와 9-1-1로 신고하세요.
  2. 주소나 현재 위치를 알고 있어야 합니다.
  • 영어를 못하더라도 전화를 끊지 말고 자신의 언어로 말하세요. 전화를 절대 끊지 마세요.

Cambodian/Khmer

ទូរសព្ទទៅលេខ 9-1-1 ឬឱ្យនរណាម្នាក់ទូរសព្ទទៅលេខ 9-1-1 សម្រាប់​គ្រាមានអាសន្ន​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​អគ្គិភ័យ វេជ្ជសាស្ត្រ ឬត្រូវការប៉ូលីស។

  1. ប្រសិនបើមានអគ្គិភ័យ សូមទូរសព្ទទៅលេខ 9-1-1 បន្ទាប់ពីអ្នក​ចេញ​មក​ក្រៅ និងនៅឆ្ងាយពីភ្លើងនិងផ្សែង។
  2. ស្គាល់​អាសយដ្ឋាន ឬទីតាំងរបស់អ្នក
  • និយាយភាសារបស់អ្នក ប្រសិនបើមិនមែនជាភាសាអង់គ្លេស ហើយនៅបន្ត​ស្ដាប់ទូរសព្ទ កុំដាក់ទូរសព្ទចុះ។

Amharic

ለእሳት፣ ለህክምና፣ ወይም ለፖሊስ ድንገተኛ ጥሪዎች ወደ 9-1-1 ይደውሉ ወይም ሌላ ሰው ወደ 9-1-1 እንዲደውል ይላኩ።

  1. እሳት ካለ፣ ወደ ውጪ ከወጡ እና ከእሳቱ እና ከጭሱ ከራቁ በኋላ ወደ 9-1-1 ይደውሉ።
  2. አድራሻዎን ወይም ያሉበትን ስፍራ ይወቁ
  • እንግሊዝኛ ካልሆነ፣ ቋንቋዎ ምን እንደሆነ ይናገሩና በመስመር ላይ ይቆዩ። ስልኩን አይዝጉት።

Tigrinya

ባርዕ፣ ናይ ጥዕና ወይ ናይ ፖሊስ ሃንደበታዊ ሓደጋታት እንተበጺሖም ናብ 9-1-1 ደውሉ ወይ ካልእ ሰብ ናብ 9-1-1 ክድውል ስደዱ።

  1. ሓዊ ቃጸሎ እንተልዩ፣ ካብቲ ሓዊን ትኪን ርሒቕኩም ናብ 9-1-1 ደውሉ።
  2. ኣድራሻኹም ወይ ቦታኹም ፍለጡ
  • ቋንቋኹም ነጊርኩም፡ እንግሊዝ እንተዘይኮይኑ ኣብቲ ተሌፎን ጽንሑ። ነቲ ተሌፎን ኣይትዕጸውዎ።

Oromo

9-1-1 tti BILBILAA yookin balaa abiddaaf, waldhaansa yaaalaf yookin poolisa hatattamaaf 9-1-1 tti akka bilbilaniif nama ergaa.

  1. Balaan abiddaa yoo mudate, bakka balaa ibiddaa yookin aara isaa irraa gara alaatti erga baatanii booda 9-1-1 tti bilbilaa.
  2. Teesso fi iddoo argama keessanii beekuu qabdu
  • Yoo Ingiliffaa hin taane, afaan keessan itti himaa. Bilbila hin cufinaa.

Somali

WAC 9-1-1 ama qof udir inuu waco 9-1-1 marka uu dab kaco, ay jiraan xaalado degdeg ah oo dhanka caafimaadka ama booliiska.

  1. Haddii dab kaco, wac 9-1-1 markaad banaanka u baxdo kana fogaato dabka iyo qiiqa.
  2. Baro ciwaankaaga iyo meesha aad joogto
  • Sheeg luuqada aad kuhadasho, hadaysan Ingiriis ahayn hana ka bixin khadka taleefanka. Ha jarin wicitaanka.

Arabic

اتصل بالرقم 1-1-9 أو أرسل شخصًا آخر للاتصال بالرقم 1-1-9 في حالات الحرائق، أو الطوارئ الطبية أو طوارئ الشرطة.

  1. إذا اندلع حريق، فاتصل بالرقم 1-1-9 بعد خروجك وابتعادك عن الحريق والدخان.
  2. اعرف عنوانك ومكانك
  • اذكر لغتك، إذا لم تكن الإنجليزية وابقَ على الخط. لا تغلق الهاتف.

Russian

ПОЗВОНИТЕ сами или отправьте кого-нибудь позвонить 9-1-1 в случае пожара, угрожающих жизни ситуаций со здоровьем или при необходимости вмешательства полиции.

  1. В случае пожара звоните 9-1-1 после того, как вы выбрались наружу и находитесь на безопасном расстоянии от огня и дыма.
  2. Узнайте свой адрес или местонахождение.
  • Назовите свой язык, если это не английский, и оставайтесь на связи. Не прекращайте звонок.

Ukrainian

ЗАТЕЛЕФОНУЙТЕ самі або попросіть кого-небудь зателефонувати 9-1-1 у разі пожежі, загрози здоров’ю або у випадку необхідності втручання поліції.

  1. У разі пожежі телефонуйте 9-1-1 після того, як ви вибралися назовні та перебуваєте на безпечній відстані від вогню та диму.
  2. Дізнайтеся свою адресу або де ви перебуваєте.
  • Якщо ви не володієте англійською мовою, повідомте, якою мовою ви володієте, та залишайтеся на лінії. Не кладіть слухавку.

September 2021 Promotion Ceremony

by

SEATTLE – This week at Seattle Fire Headquarters, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins recognized members who have recently promoted to new ranks. We thank each of these members for stepping into leadership positions, and know they will continue to serve the Seattle community well in their new role. The following personnel were promoted (new rank listed below):

  • Lieutenant Douglas Rickabaugh
  • Lieutenant Adam Hadley
  • Lieutenant Jorge Bernal
  • Captain Dabryn Jee
  • Captain James Rowe
  • Captain Doug Johnson
  • Captain Scott Jones
  • Battalion Chief Dominic Batistelli
  • Opal Oakes (Administrative Assistant III)
  • DeShaun Cole (Administrative Staff Assistant)
  • Traci Bunker (Administrative Assistant III)
  • Dan Flores (Sr. Management System Analyst)

The Fire Chief also welcomed many new employees to SFD:

  • Traci Bunker, Administrative Specialist I, Fire Prevention Division
  • Andrew Lu, Director of Human Resources
  • Jordan Foster, Fire Protection Engineer
  • Veronica Qualls, Accounting Tech III, Fire Inspection Systems
  • Lindsay Harper, Administrative Specialist III, Fire Investigation Unit
  • Allison Dolzonek, Administrative Specialist I, Training Division
  • Jasinda Waldron, Administrative Specialist I, Headquarters
  • Mackenzie Boileau, Administrative Specialist I, Fire Prevention Division
  • McKinley Farrell, Permit Tech
  • Franklin Miles, Permit Tech Supervisor
  • Carrie Brazil, Education and Outreach Advisor
  • David Pearson, Temp – Admin Staff Assistant, Ops Admin

Home fire escape plans

by

Practice getting low and going out!

Seconds count during a home fire. Having an escape plan and practicing it can make a difference should a fire occur.

Every September, Seattle-area students practice fire drills at school to make sure students and staff know what to do when the fire alarm sounds. Yet, most families do not think to hold a fire drill at home where the likelihood of experiencing a fire is much greater. The good news is that it is very easy to make a home fire escape plan and to practice one.

Here is how to make a home fire escape plan

Home Fire Drill

After making a home fire escape plan, make sure to practice it by holding a home fire drill.

Make sure everyone knows where the outside meeting place is located and to call 9-1-1 after getting outside.

If a fire starts at home, make sure do the following:

  1. Fire spreads quickly. Get out fast and stay out. 
  1. If possible, close doors to confine the fire. 
  1. If you encounter smoke, crawl under it to your exit. 
  1. Go to the outside meeting place and call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible.
  1. Once out, stay out. Never go back inside a burning building. 

More fire escape planning materials from the National Fire Protection Association

Oily rags likely cause of 2-Alarm fire in SoDo

by

Photo by John Odegard

SEATTLE — At 6:42 p.m., our Fire Alarm Center received calls reporting a fire at the 700 block of Lander St. Engine 13 was first on scene and confirmed an exterior fire on the west side of a commercial warehouse that had already extended inside and up into the exposed rafters. Crews from Engine 13 worked quickly to put water on the fire while Rescue 1 gained access inside the warehouse to conduct a primary search. Ladder 3 arrived shortly thereafter and climbed onto the roof to cut holes to provide ventilation.

At 6:59 p.m., Battalion 5 upgraded the response to a 2-alarm fire requesting more resources to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures. Ten minutes later, crews had the fire under control and completed a primary search confirming no occupants were inside the building.

At 7:24 p.m., the fire was knocked down and crews transitioned to overhaul to check for hot spots. At the height of the incident, more than 70 firefighters were dispatched.

Fire investigators determined the incident was accidental and likely caused by improperly discarded oily rags. Estimated loss is $100,000.

Photo by John Odegard

Safety message:

Oils commonly used in oil-based paints, stains and varnishes release heat as they dry. A pile of oily rags can be dangerous because as they dry, the heat is trapped and builds up to potentially cause a fire.

Here are a few safety tips for storing wet, oily rags:

  • Never leave cleaning rags in a pile. At the end of the day, take the rags outside to dry.
  • Hang the rags outside or spread them on the ground. Weigh them down. Do this so they do not blow away. Make sure they are not in a pile. Keep them away from buildings.
  • Put dried rags in a metal container. Make sure the cover is tight. Fill the container with a water and detergent solution. This will break down the oils.
  • Keep containers of oily rags in a cool place. Keep them out of direct sunlight. Keep them away from other heat sources. Check with your town for information on disposing of them.

Vapors from flammable and combustible liquids can also ignite, causing a fire. Many commonly used flammable liquids include gasoline, lacquers and nail polish while common combustible liquids include paint thinner, oil-based paints and stains.

Safety tips for storing flammable or combustible liquids:

  • Flammable and combustible liquids should not be used near an open flame. Do not smoke when working with these liquids.
  • If you spill liquids on your clothing, remove your clothing and place it outside to dry. Once dry, clothing can be laundered.
  • Keep liquids in their original containers. Keep them tightly capped or sealed. Never store the liquids in glass containers.
  • Use gasoline only as motor fuel. Never use it as a cleaner. Never use it to break down grease. Never bring gasoline indoors, even in small amounts.
  • Store gasoline ONLY in a container that is sold for that purpose. Make sure the container is tightly capped when not in use. NEVER store gasoline containers in a basement or in the occupied space of a building. Keep them in an outbuilding, a detached garage, or a shed outdoors.

Stage 2 burn ban in effect in Seattle

by

All outdoor recreational fires prohibited, outdoor cooking and heating appliances are restricted

The City of Seattle has joined King County under a State 2 burn ban effective immediately. During a Stage 2 burn ban, any outdoor fire such as a backyard fire pit or campfire using chopped firewood or charcoal is prohibited.

Under the ban, any person with a recreational fire who fails to take immediate action to extinguish or discontinue when ordered or notified to do so can be charged with, up to and including, a misdemeanor. Seattle firefighters have also been directed to extinguish any illegal fires during this ban.

Manufactured portable outdoor devices are allowed, including barbeques and patio warmers that are used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Approved fuel devices – including those that rely on charcoal, natural gas or propane gas – are also allowed.

Seattle has experienced two large brush fires along I-5 this week, and the long spell without significant rainfall, the risk of fire in vegetated areas remains high. Let’s do all we can to reduce the risk of an unintentional fire:

• Follow the State 2 burn ban
• Safely discard any smoking materials (e.g. don’t snuff out in potted plants)
• Check your vehicle to make sure nothing could drag and create sparks while driving
• Avoid parking on dry grassy areas as hot components could start a fire

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you see a brush fire so we can send crews right away.