Every day, the Seattle Fire Department responds to emergencies where the patient is transported to a local hospital with injuries requiring blood. Unfortunately, while the need for blood remains high, local blood donation centers are seeing a drop off in blood donations due to the coronavirus outbreak and calls to stay home.

Donating blood is not a restricted activity at this time because of its critical importance. While most blood drives have been canceled by local blood centers, people can still donate by making an appointment.

Join the Seattle Fire Department and donate blood if you can. Donating blood is safe and is considered an essential service due to the importance of blood and plasma for our area hospitals.

Where to donate:

Bloodworks Northwest

American Red Cross

In response to Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home Order, the Seattle Fire Department remains operational but has closed in-person access to the following buildings to the public: 

• Headquarters (301 2^nd Ave. S.) is closed to the public except for supply deliveries; most staff are working remotely. Members of the public can visit our website for information or call the main line (206-386-1400) with questions.  
• The Fire Prevention Division is staying open for customers because building safety and fire mitigation are essential public services. The walk-in counter at the Fire Prevention Division (220 3^rd Ave. S.) is temporarily closed, however all services and inspections can be arranged by email or phone (206-386-1450). See service adjustments and contact information here.
• Fire Stations are closed to the public for blood pressure checks, visits and tours. Members of the public who need a blood pressure check are encouraged to visit a nearby pharmacy where the equipment is available or their doctor’s office.   

Emergency services are NOT impacted. First responders are here to provide you the help you need when you need it. For life-threatening emergencies, please dial 911.

The Seattle Fire Department has received multiple 9-1-1 calls this year from concerned residents because of chirping carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. While it’s important to call 9-1-1 if your CO alarm is sounding continuously without stopping, a CO alarm that chirps every 30 seconds is not an emergency. It probably means your CO alarm has reached its end of life and should be replaced.

CO alarm life span

CO alarms have a life expectancy of around seven years. All CO alarms produced after August 1, 2009, have an end-of-life warning notification that alerts the resident that the alarm should be replaced. The CO alarm will beep every 30 seconds or display ERR or END.

If a CO alarm is at its end-of-life, replacing the battery will not stop the beep. Some CO alarms have a feature that will silence the signal for 30 days, but this will not solve the issue as the CO alarm will continue to beep after the 30 day period ends.

What people should know

In January of 2013, Washington State law (RCW 19.27.530) required CO alarms to be installed in new residences and in existing rental properties. Owner-occupied single-family residences, legally occupied before July 26, 2009, are not required to have CO alarms until they are sold or when a building permit application for interior remodeling is submitted.

Homeowners should consider replacing all CO alarms that were installed in or before 2013. A CO alarm that signals that it’s at the end of its life should be replaced as well.

Renters should notify property managers or landlords immediately if their CO alarm is beeping every 30 seconds indicating its end-of-life. They should also know that intermittent beeping CO alarm is not reason to call 9-1-1.

A CO alarm that beeps continuously without stopping could indicate that carbon monoxide is present. If you your CO alarm is sounding continuously and you have signs of CO poisoning such as dizziness, headache, vomiting or flu like symptoms, find fresh air and call 9-1-1 immediately.

More information on carbon monoxide alarm requirements

State Building Code Council’s Carbon Monoxide Alarm page.

Seattle Fire Department’s CAM 5121 Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements in Residential Occupancies

With greater numbers of people not eating out and cooking meals at home, it’s a good time to review and practice cooking safety. Unattended cooking is the main cause of home fires.

Please consider taking these precautions before and after using the stove and oven.

• Never leave the kitchen when frying, broiling or grilling food. If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the stove or set a timer to remind you to check on the food.
• Keep all things that can catch fire away from the stovetop – oven mitts, towels, papers, food packaging, cooking utensils and groceries.
• Never use the stovetop as a counter or the oven to store items including pots and pans.
• Keep a lid or cookie sheet nearby when cooking with oil or grease in case a small fire starts.

If there is a fire:

• If a fire occurs in a pan on the stove, slide the lid over the pan to smother the fire. Turn off the stove and leave the pan covered until it completely cools.
• If the fire is large or has spread to other items, get out quickly. If possible, close the door behind you as you leave to keep fire from spreading to other rooms.
• Call 9-1-1 after you’ve left the house or building.

Learn more cooking fire safety.

Seattle firefighters and police officers with symptoms of COVID-19 can now receive testing at a designated City location in South Seattle

SEATTLE (March 19, 2020) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, and Police Chief Carmen Best today announced the nation’s first COVID-19 testing for first responders, conducted by first responders. The pilot program began on March 14 for Seattle firefighters and police officers and similar models are expanding in the coming weeks throughout the county.

First Responders who have been placed in isolation and are showing symptoms of COVID-19 are prioritized and eligible for testing at this new site. The City is also allowing neighboring fire department personnel and private ambulance company employees who are symptomatic to receive testing as capacity allows with approval from their own agency’s leadership.

“Our first responders are on the frontlines of this pandemic, working around the clock to respond to the needs of Seattle’s communities and it is of the upmost importance to ensure that they are safe and have the equipment they need,” said Mayor Durkan. “Limited access to testing hampered our ability to respond and made protecting our most vulnerable communities and saving lives a challenge. Chief Scoggins and Seattle Fire Departments didn’t wait for the federal government – they acted, and I am grateful for their leadership to keep our first responders safe.  A pandemic response requires robust testing and modeling so leaders can escalate effective, science-based policies, and access to the proper equipment to protect our frontline workers. This pilot is a very promising pivot in the right direction and will help us combat the spread of COVID-19.”

Personnel are instructed to drive to the site in their personal vehicles at a designated time and are tested by Seattle Fire Department (SFD) and Seattle Police Department (SPD) emergency medical technicians through the vehicle window. Testing takes approximately one to two minutes and consists of taking nasal swabs. The testing swabs are sent to the University of Washington Virology lab for processing, and results are received within 72 hours. Personnel administering the tests are wearing a more durable level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to minimize PPE consumption during the process of collecting nasal swabs.

Testing for first responders at this site was approved on March 13 by the Washington State Department of Health and is funded by King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the City of Seattle. First responders were initially trained on March 14. The site currently has capacity to test over 50 first responders per day. As of March 18, a total of 38 local first responders have received testing at this site.

“We are working diligently to protect our personnel so we can continue to respond to the medical needs of our community. This new testing site allows us to prioritize testing for our firefighters and professional staff, and police officers who have symptoms of COVID-19 to help them on the road to recovery and maintain full staffing,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. “I want to thank our SFD Medical Director Dr. Michael Sayre, and the King County Emergency Medical Services Program Director Dr. Thomas Rea for their help on moving this idea forward and into implementation.”

“These critical tests are administered to first responders by first responders,” said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. “This system was designed by police and fire from the ground up to ensure our first responders are effectively positioned to provide continuous service to our community.”

Seattle fire and police departments remain fully operational but have already seen impacts to the workforce. First responders are on the frontlines of helping community members in need and are wearing enhanced PPE to protect themselves and the people they respond to.

“Since the beginning of March, when this pandemic broke out in the Seattle area, I’ve sought the priority testing of our first responders who put their lives on the line every day and who have an increased risk of exposure because of their work,” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold, District 1 (West Seattle/South Park). “I am glad to see that our first responders not only have priority testing but are able to conduct the tests themselves in order to expedite the process.”

SFD has been notified by Public Health – Seattle & King County of numerous incidents between late February and mid-March where the patients they treated have since tested positive for COVID-19. Each time a notification is received of a positive COVID-19 case, an immediate and thorough investigation of the incident is conducted to determine if any other individuals were exposed. As of March 19, 24 SFD members are currently either in quarantine (if asymptomatic) or isolation (showing symptoms) as a precaution. There are 60 Seattle Police employees in quarantine, and one is in isolation. They remain on leave until 14 days from their initial exposure have passed. Those who develop symptoms can now be tested at this new designated location.

Since the beginning of tracking COVID-19 responses, 45 SFD members have been impacted; 21 have completed their 14-day quarantine and have been approved to return to work. The department wants to stress the importance of the public relaying if they have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing when calling 911 for something other than COVID-19 (i.e. fall or vehicle collision), to allow personnel to respond with the appropriate protective equipment.

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As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to unfold, it’s important we all take steps to protect our firefighters, paramedics and private ambulance companies who are on the frontlines of treating sick people. Please follow these steps to help us continue to provide the best service we can to our community:

• If you have minor to moderate symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (cough, fever, difficulty breathing, runny nose), consult via telephone with your primary care physician. The Washington State Department of Health Hotline (1-800-527-0127) and the King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center (coronavirus@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-3977) are also available to answer questions about next steps to take.
• If your condition worsens and becomes more severe, call 911 and relay important information regarding your symptoms to the dispatcher. While you will likely be asked these questions on the call, be sure to mention if you have any symptoms and if you’ve been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient. Relaying this information is pertinent so responding personnel arrive to the scene with the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.
• If you are calling 911 for a reason other than COVID-19 (i.e. fall, vehicle collision, etc.), it is still critical to tell dispatchers if you have symptoms. If you flag down emergency responders on the street – be sure to shout out before they meet you that you may have symptoms.

We are in this together. Let’s continue to check on our older population and those with underlying health conditions, who have proven to be more vulnerable to this disease. Remember that even if you are young and healthy, you may still be a vector for the disease, and should take appropriate precaution. #WeGotThisSeattle

A working smoke alarm is known to reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 50%. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, audible smoke alarms do not provide sufficient notification to alert a person to a fire. Fortunately, there are smoke alarms made for people who are deaf such as a smoke alarm with a flashing strobe light.

Seattle residents who are deaf may qualify for a strobe smoke alarm that plugs into an outlet. To qualify, a person must be deaf or hard of hearing and live in Seattle. Renters need permission from landlords before we can install them. There is no cost for the smoke alarm or installation.

Any Seattle resident who might be interested in a free strobe smoke alarm, should contact the Seattle Fire Department via email or by calling 206-386-1337.

Learn more about the Seattle Fire Department smoke/CO alarm program.

We would like to pass along important news for our small business community about grant funds being made available to help those struggling with the effects of COVID-19 on our economy.

The Office of Economic Development announced on March 12 the infusion of nearly $1.5 million in community development block grant funds to the Small Business Stabilization Fund. This emergency fund provides up to $10,000 in working capital grants for qualifying small businesses.

To learn more about the fund and who may qualify, visit the Office of Economic Development’s website here.

With the start of daylight saving time this weekend (2 a.m. Sunday, March 8), make sure you replace smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm batteries and test the alarms. The Seattle Fire Department recommends replacing batteries yearly or as needed.

Changing smoke and CO alarm batteries at least 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. The Seattle Fire Department can install 10 year long-life combination smoke/CO alarms free of charge in homes where the homeowner is either an older adult, living on a low income, or has a disability. If you live outside the city of Seattle, please contact your local Fire Department to request assistance.

To request a free smoke/CO alarm from the Seattle Fire Department fill out an online form or call (206) 386-1337 or email fireinfo@seattle.gov.

Learn more about smoke/CO alarms.