On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2022, the Seattle Fire Department would like to highlight the department’s Race and Social Justice Change Team and its efforts to eliminate race-based disparities and achieve racial equity.

The Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) ​is a citywide effort to end institutionalized racism and race-based disparities in city government. RSJI builds on the work of the civil rights movement and the ongoing efforts of individuals and groups in Seattle to confront racism. The initiative’s long term goal is to change the underlying system that creates race-based disparities in our community and to achieve racial equity.

The Seattle Fire Department’s Race and Social Justice Change Team is made up of uniformed and civilian employees who work together to challenge injustice and advance equity within the department and in the communities we serve.

Some of the recent work by the Race and Social Justice Change Team includes:

• Facilitating training for new firefighter recruits about the history of racism in the U.S. using the Race the Power of Illusion video series 
• Supporting and informing recruitment and hiring efforts for historically underrepresented members of our community for the fire service
• Assisting the department in applying a racial equity lens to current and new programs, practices, policies and procedures

This important work is challenging and ongoing and requires truthful conversations and analysis about the underlying conditions that continue to perpetuate racism and other forms of oppression in our society.

List of local events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day

Guide to local events to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from the South Seattle Emerald

On Sunday, January 9, 2022, a fire in a New York City high-rise apartment building killed 17 people, including eight children. This horribly tragic event is a grim reminder of the devastation that can occur from fires in residential buildings. The loss of life from major fires is always difficult and we want share important fire safety information with our communities with the hope of preventing such tragedies.

Early reports from this fire tell us that an electric space heater started the fire. While the details are not known as of this writing, we know that most fires involving space heaters start when items are placed too close to a space heater or when a space heater is plugged into an extension cord and not directly into the wall outlet.

Be safe with portable space heaters:

• Give your portable heater at least three feet of clearance from all items.
• Never use an extension cord with a portable heater. Plug the heater directly into a wall outlet.
• Turn off and unplug portable heaters before leaving the room or before going to bed.

More on heating safety from the National Fire Protection Association

We also learned from this fire that the apartment door where the fire started was left open after the residents fled the apartment. In addition, some exit doors did not self close which allowed for smoke to enter stairwells and hallways and spread throughout the building and made evacuating the building dangerous and deadly. Fire doors should never be propped open. An open fire door allows smoke to travel throughout a building or enter an exit stairwell. Most of the victims died from smoke inhalation, not fire, which is what kills most people in a fire.

Smoke is what kills people in most fires, so it’s important to make sure fire doors are never propped open. An open fire door allows toxic smoke to travel down hallways or enter an exit stairwell putting all residents at risk.

What to do if a fire starts inside your apartment

If you can evacuate, do so immediately.

1. Leave your apartment if there is no smoke in the hallway.
2. Close the door behind you as you exit. This will contain the smoke and fire to your apartment and protect others on your floor.
3. Use the stairwell and go down if it is safe to do so. Pull the fire alarm as you exit if the building alarm is not sounding. Do not take the elevator to leave the building.
4. Go to your building’s outside meeting place and call 911 to report the fire.
5. Wait for instructions. Do not re-enter the building until given permission.

If you are unable to use the stairs or if smoke is blocking your exit, shelter in place:

1. Stay inside your apartment.
2. Keep your doors and windows closed.
3. Place a towel or clothing at the base of the door to keep smoke from entering.
4. Stay near a large window. Do not wait in a bathroom or balcony.
5. Call 911 if smoke comes into your apartment.

Make a plan before the next fire alarm sounds. Your plan should include all members of the household.

Please watch and share this video on responding to a fire in an apartment building.

Fire Safety Handbook for Multi-Residential Buildings.

For more information on fire prevention and safety visit the Seattle Fire Department website.

SEATTLE – On Jan. 7 around 1:30 p.m., Seattle’s Fire Alarm Center dispatchers received a 911 call about a house that had slid 15-20 feet off its foundation at the 2400 block of Perkins Ln. W. The steep slope area behind the house had slid likely as a result of high levels of precipitation which resulted in the top floor of the structure partially collapsing on top of the first story.

Upon Seattle Fire’s arrival, there were reports of an adult male trapped inside, along with a fire involving propane tanks on the back side of the house. An adult female was also inside of the home at the time of the slide and was able to escape on her own.

Engine 41 from Fire Station 41 in the Magnolia neighborhood arrived first on scene and quickly conducted a size-up of the incident and began to put a strategy in place to conduct a rescue and mitigate the fire simultaneously.

Additional fire units arrived on scene to help as part of the “Heavy Rescue Major” response, including the department’s Rescue 1 Company (technical rescue). Firefighters utilized hydraulic struts to shore the structure to stabilize it enough for entry and bring the trapped person to safety. He was pinned underneath debris on the first floor and transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition, along with the woman who self-extricated. Crews also searched the structure for two missing dogs; unfortunately one was found deceased and the other was not located. Firefighters laid hose lines to reach the fire on the backside of the house that involved two 500-gallon propane tanks and had it under control in approximately 25 minutes.

The Seattle Police Department responded quickly to the scene as well, and helped to evacuate a neighboring home and blocked roads to ensure members of the public did not enter the slide area. Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light were requested to the scene to shut off water and electricity to the structure. Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) also sent a structural inspector to the site to investigate damage to existing buildings and determine if neighboring structures could be reoccupied. SDCI will make recommendations to the homeowner on next steps and coordinate with other City agencies. The home that partially collapsed has been “red tagged” which means no one can enter due to structural instability.

SAFETY TIP: During the wet season – with snow melt and sustained rain, it’s important for homeowners in areas on or near steep slopes to periodically evaluate the state of the hillside for signs of soil movement. This can include leaning trees or cracks in the soil. More landslide prevention information can be found here.

1/13 UPDATE: Today, firefighters rescued the second dog who was unaccounted for during the initial rescue response to the landslide. Crews also recovered the deceased dog.

2400 block of Perkins Ln W: pic.twitter.com/HO9Ko0WqZp

— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) January 13, 2022

Snow and cold temperatures are in the forecast for the Seattle area in the days to come. Please consider these safety tips related to driving.

Road safety

If you are not able to stay home and off the roads, consider these tips for increasing your safety.

• Drive for the conditions. Assume roads are icy and take extra precaution. Leave space between you and the vehicle ahead.
• Keep your fuel tank more than half-full.
• Pack an emergency kit in case you become stuck in your car. Items to include: flashlight, first aid kit, necessary medications, water, food, emergency contact information, blanket or sleeping bag, extra warm clothes, jumper cables and mobile phone charger.
• Keep an ice scraper/brush and small snow shovel in your vehicle. Roof tiles, sand or kitty litter can give your tires traction in icy conditions.
• Tire cables, chains and four-wheel drive are recommended for traveling in the snow. Icy conditions are treacherous for any vehicle.

Downed power lines

Calls to 911 about downed power lines increase during snow and wind storms. Always assume they are energized and can result in possible electrocution. Here’s what you should do if you encounter one.

If your vehicle collides with a light pole:

• Call 911 to report your location.
• Warn others to stay away from your vehicle.
• If wires have fallen on your car, stay in your vehicle until firefighters arrive.
• If you MUST exit the vehicle because of fire or other danger: (1) JUMP away from the vehicle; (2) LAND with both feet together; (3) SHUFFLE away. Take short steps and keep your feet in contact with each other and the ground constantly until you’re at least 35-feet away.

If you see a downed wire:

• Call 911 to report the location.
• If you have caution tape on hand, block off the area so others see the danger. Do not get any closer than 35-feet to the downed wire or touch it with any object.

Thank you to our community partners in 2021 who have helped Seattle Fire to become better trained for emergencies

For many years, the Seattle Fire Department’s Training Division has provided valuable hands-on training for recruit training and Operations members. SFD’s Acquired Structure Training (AST) program regularly works with community partners, homeowners, contractors, developers and architects to provide safe and realistic training inside structures scheduled for demolition. These structures are an incredible learning platform and provide one last community service at the end of their useful life.

This training would not be possible without the generous donations of members in our community. These donations have allowed Seattle firefighters opportunities to train extensively inside real buildings. The team of dedicated firefighters who run the AST program have worked diligently to provide the best possible training that better equips firefighters to respond to all types of emergencies. The valuable lessons and realistic environmental conditions learned from AST buildings could not be replicated in a fixed training facility.

In 2021, SFD facilitated thousands of hours of realistic training in 38 buildings scheduled for demolition across the City. The Training Division staff provided live-fire, destructive and non-destructive training to firefighters from Seattle and from neighboring jurisdictions in every neighborhood of the City.  

We thank all of Seattle for allowing us to spend some time practicing in your neighborhood. We are actively seeking out buildings to use for training in 2022. If you or someone you know has a building scheduled for demolition and would like to support our program, please reach out to: AcquiredStructures@seattle.gov. Or visit our website at: https://www.seattle.gov/fire/about-us/about-the-department/resource-management/training-division/acquired-structure-training

We would like to thank the following community partners for allowing training in their buildings in 2021:

Thomas James Homes

Kamiak – Real Estate Investment Firm

STS Construction Services

Constantine Builders Inc.

Blackwood Builders Group

Greater Seattle Capital

University Temple United Methodist Church

Coho Collaborative

The Seattle Girls School

Abbott Construction

Construction Planning and Management

GRS Properties, LLC

Kohary Builders, LLC

Roosevelt Holdings, LLC

Beacon Crossing

Brightpath Consulting

Early Edge Services

Kim Echols

Karen Wheeler

Andrew Young

Michael McCann

Hector Martinez, Epic Life Church

Health One program that helps those with mental/behavioral health or substance abuse disorders and those with non-emergency issues to expand primary service area to South Seattle

Third unit expected to be operational in early 2022, staffed with two firefighter/EMTs and a Human Services Dept. case manager

SEATTLE (Dec. 16) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Councilmember Herbold, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27 President Kenny Stuart and Human Services Department (HSD) Director, Tanya Kim announced the launch of a third Health One unit to expand regular service of the program to South Seattle. The third unit is expected to become operational in early 2022 and will primarily serve the Rainier Valley, Mt. Baker, Beacon Hill and Central District neighborhoods, and provide additional coverage to Pioneer Square and West Seattle.  

Similar to the other two units, the third unit will be staffed with two specially trained Seattle Fire Department (SFD) firefighter/EMTs and a case manager from the Human Services Department Aging and Disability Services division. All three of the units have primary emphasis areas but can also respond City-wide to serve people with non-emergency issues like substance abuse or behavioral health/mental disorders, non-emergency medical issues and a need to access services. Health One focuses on providing alternatives to hospitalization and offers referrals to a wide array of services, crisis intervention, as well as alternative transport, such as to shelters or clinics. 

“Seattle has continued to pioneer community safety initiatives like Health One. As we work to reimagine public safety, have expanded civilian public safety alternatives like Health One that sends firefighters and a social worker to 9-1-1 calls. I am happy that we have continued to scale up Health One to serve our entire city, including this new crew serving the South Seattle neighborhood,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Our Seattle Fire Department has led the way in serving our community in new ways, and their work is connecting more people to the right resources in our community.” 

With a third Health One unit becoming operational early next year, the City has added capacity to further help meet the demand of those who have a need to access services. In 2020, 50% of those served by Health One were reported to be experiencing homelessness and 95% of all clients are on public insurance or uninsured. The third unit will respond out of a location in the Mt. Baker neighborhood and is expected to operate during weekday hours, staggering its in-service hours with the first two units to increase coverage.  

Health One units are dispatched through SFD’s Fire Alarm Center by calling 9-1-1 and cannot be contacted by members of the public directly. Additionally, the teams that staff the units form relationships with individuals they serve and conduct proactive outreach visits to check clients’ welfare, offer services and connect them with resources. Firefighter/EMTs and paramedics working on other units in the City (aid cars, fire engines, ladder trucks) can also refer patients to the Health One team. Through November, the team received 1,763 internal referrals and accepted 1,147 (65%) of these for direct response or indirect care coordination. 

In 2020, over 37% of SFD’s medical calls were deemed “low acuity” calls, many of which were related to social service needs including homelessness, mental health crises, drug and alcohol use and chronic medical issues. Prior to the launch of the Health One program in late 2019, low acuity calls dispatched an SFD unit and generally resulted in no action or a non-emergency transport by an ambulance provider to a hospital’s emergency department. In 2020, only 17% of clients seen by the Health One units resulted in transport to a hospital. The other clients served required on-scene services from Health One, referral to support services or transport to an alternative non-hospital setting (over 11%).  

“The Health One program has proven to safely and effectively provide services to those who need it most, including our unhoused population and those suffering from behavioral/mental health disorders and substance abuse. Firefighter/EMTs and case managers staffing these units have received specialized training and always respond with patience and compassion when interacting with clients. We look forward to launching our third unit into service next year, and expanding our emphasis service area to South Seattle,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.    

“Ensuring a safety net that allows our most vulnerable and in need to grow up and grow old is critical,” said Tanya Kim, Acting Director of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD).  “Health One provides a model of mobile integrated care that serves communities most likely to experience disparities in healthcare, social services, and other ways.  Together with Seattle firefighters, our social workers help stabilize and support people at risk of falling through the cracks.  Expanding services like Health One means we succeed in connecting people to resources and solutions during times they are most in need so that they have the opportunity to thrive again.”   

In addition to urgent care, referral and transport resources utilized by the program include primary care, in-home care, next-day appointments, connection with behavioral health organizations, referral to city-contracted homeless outreach providers and shelters, case management with SFD’s High Utilizer and Vulnerable Adult programs and more. In addition to standard emergency medical services equipment, the vehicles are also equipped with outreach supplies including food, beverages and clothing for unsheltered clients.  

“Seattle Fire Fighters are excited that Seattle continues to expand the Health One program, because our City needs to lead with common sense initiatives that prioritize public safety, deliver appropriate services to the people who need them and are effective,” said President Kenny Stuart of the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27. “Caring for the people of Seattle is our business, our mission and our passion. Meeting people where they are, and providing professional, respectful and culturally competent service to help solve their problems is what we do best.” 

“During a ride-along, I saw how a response of a team of case managers and firefighters was able to better connect an individual with necessary care and services. These low-acuity calls, without Health One, would use scarce resources better focused on emergencies,” said Councilmember Herbold. “This expansion in the spring and again this fall, as funded by the Council, is part of the City’s strategy to reduce reliance on sworn officers. Health One allows us to right-size crisis response so police and fire can refocus time to their core functions and reduce the chance of the combination of an armed police response and individuals in behavioral health crisis leading to tragic outcomes.” 

The City’s Emergency Response Interdepartmental Team, which includes representatives from SFD, HSD, Seattle Police Department and Public Health Seattle-King County, continues to assess how the City can best address the needs of the people who most frequently utilize the City’s emergency response system, and how interventions might mitigate challenges faced by emergency responders when engaging with frequent utilizers of the 911 system. This team will also coordinate with the newly established King County Regional Homeless Authority.