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News and events from the Seattle Fire Department

Don’t Get Spooked this Halloween – It Can Still Be Safe and Fun for All

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As with so many things this year, celebrating a holiday like Halloween during a global pandemic can still be done. It just takes on a different look and feel to keep everyone safe.

In addition to our Fire Safety tips above, consider these 2020 tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to keep your ghouls, goblins, sports stars and superheroes from getting unnecessarily exposed to COVID-19, which would be the scariest fright of all.

Virtual Costume Parties & Parades
Host a video chat for an online party where friends and family can show off their costumes and play games.

Spooky Movie Night
Celebrate with a movie night and dress as your favorite characters. Do this as a family at home or watch with friends while video chatting, with everyone starting the movie at the same time.

Pumpkins
Have your child draw a face on a pumpkin with markers, then have an adult do the cutting. Take care to take small strokes and direct the blade away from yourself and others. Consider using a pumpkin saw and avoid large blades that can become lodged in the pumpkin. Place a battery-operated candle or glow stick inside.

Check out Sparky’s Halloween pumpkin template to learn other carving tips.

Halloween-themed Treats

  • Bake and decorate Halloween cupcakes as a family.
  • Decorate a pizza with toppings in the shape of a jack-o’-lantern.
  • Make tangerine pumpkins by peeling a tangerine and sticking a thin slice of celery on top as a stem.

If You Do Go Trick-or-Treating …

Make sure decorated cloth face masks are breathable and non-toxic.
  • Look for an outdoor venue or event, but stay away from crowds and avoid clusters of people.
  • Keep a supply of hand sanitizer with you.
  • Use a cloth face mask as part of your costume, but avoid paint as that can be toxic.

At Home

  • Sweep wet leaves from sidewalks and steps.
  • Check outdoor lights and replace burnt-out bulbs.
  • Remove any trip hazards such as garden hoses, toys, bikes or other lawn decorations on the front porch or yard.
  • Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump or bite an unsuspecting trick-or-treater.

Have a Safe and Happy Howl-a-Ween Everyone!

World Restart a Heart Day 2020

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The 16th of October is World Restart a Heart Day

October 16 is World Restart a Heart Day. A day to build awareness about the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Even though the Seattle Fire Department is not offering in-person CPR classes during this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to review the simple and effective steps to perform hands-only CPR. Most out of hospital cardiac arrests happen at home. Bystander CPR can make a big difference.

If you see someone collapse, follow these steps:

  1. Call 911 – Give specific information to the dispatcher, starting with the location. Is an AED available? If so, send someone to retrieve it and use it as soon as you can.
  2. Make sure the scene is safe
  3. Quickly determine if the person needs CPR – If the person is not responsive or not breathing normally – tap them on the shoulder and shout, “Are you ok. Are you ok?” If the person doesn’t move, speak, blink, or otherwise react, then he or she is not responding.
  4. Begin Chest Compressions – Use two hands, with straight arms, and push down hard and fast in the center of the chest. Make sure compressions are at least 2-inches deep, and are at the rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. (list of songs with beats at this rate)
  5. Don’t stop compressions until help arrives or take turns with someone if you get tired

Hands-only CPR Resources:

CPR/AED Video in English

Hands-only CPR handout in 15 languages

Hands-only CPR video from the American Heart Association in English (in Spanish)

For a fun CPR video/dance party check out this video

Learn about and download the PulsePoint app and how it alerts community members when CPR is needed in real-time

Need a song that is between 100-120 beats per minute? Check out this playlist.

Fire Prevention Month: The Home Protection System You Can’t Afford to Be Without

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Pop quiz: You’re home sleeping in bed at night. Suddenly, the smoke alarm sounds, abruptly waking you from a sound sleep. What do you do?

a. Put the pillow over your head to drown out the noise.
b. Roll over and go back to sleep.
c. Curse and mutter about yet another disrupted night’s sleep
d. Get up, check your home or apartment for fire, alert others of the problem, and get everyone out quickly if you discover fire.

Don’t be a pillow head when the alarm sounds!

The answer is obvious, no?

Early warning of impending danger makes all the difference in saving the lives of your family should fire erupt in the middle of the night. With fire known to spread and double in size in just minutes, time is of the essence. A smoke alarm, better yet, a hardwired, integrated system of combo smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms throughout your home or apartment, is something you can’t afford to be without.

During these pandemic days, with many of us spending more time at home, maintaining a working smoke alarm has never been more important. Even the most vigilant among us cannot stay awake 24 hours a day. We need something we can depend on.

A smoke alarm is your “nose at night.”

Check your home for the following:
• We have smoke or smoke/CO alarms installed on every level of the house.
• Our smoke alarms are hardwired and inter-connected; if one goes off, they all do.
• Our smoke alarms are placed at or near ceiling-level, in hallways, bedrooms and other main living areas.
• We test our alarms regularly and change the batteries at least annually.
• We keep our alarms clear of dust, spider webs and insects by vacuuming them.
• Everyone in our household recognizes the sound of the alarms and knows how to escape quickly in the event of fire.

Think of a smoke alarm as your “nose at night,” staying on guard while you sleep. That should bring peace of mind and help ensure a restful night, knowing your home is protected.

Fire Prevention Month: Cooking Safety

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October is Fire Prevention Month and the Seattle Fire Department is publishing weekly tips on their Fireline Blog and social media to inform and promote fire safety. Fall signals the beginning of cold, rainy weather and shorter days which prompts Seattle residents to close their windows, wear warmer clothes and dust off their portable heaters. As a result, Seattle Fire wants to ensure everyone’s safety — starting in the kitchen.

Most home fires start in the kitchen when a person starts cooking and forgets about the food on the stove.  It is easy to get distracted by a person, a phone call or an electronic device. A fire can start in seconds.

How to be safe:

  1. Stay in the kitchen when cooking with oil or grease
  2. Always use a timer when cooking to remind you that the stove is on
  3. Keep the stove area clean
  4. Keep a lid near the stove in case of fire
    • Never pour water on a grease or oil fire
    • The best way to put out a small pan fire is to slide a lid over the pot or pan.
    • Turn the burner off
    • Do not try to move a burning pan.
    • Remove the lid only after the fire is out and cooled off.

Kids can have a burning curiosity: Seattle’s Fire Stoppers program can help

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To say 2020 has been a year like no other is an understatement. The pandemic still persists, local businesses are struggling, and so much of our lives remain disrupted.

With the onset of a new school year and most families still largely at home, parents have more to juggle than ever. With so many distractions at hand, don’t let basic safety take a back seat, especially when it comes to matches and lighters in your home.

Supervision, good role modeling, and proper match and lighter storage are some of the best things a parent can do to prevent a child-set fire. Treating matches and lighters with the same respect you give other dangerous tools around the house – knives, hammers, sharp appliances – also goes a long way.

Take a moment to consider the following.

Myth or Reality?

  • It is normal for children to play with fire.
  • If you burn a child’s hand, they will stop.
  • Firesetting is a phase the child will grow out of.
  • Youth firesetters are obsessed with fire.

Maybe not surprisingly, these are all myths. Let’s counter each one:

  • Fact: Curiosity about fire is common, playing with fire is not.
  • Fact: If you burn a child’s hand, you only create fear and scars. The reason behind fire use must be discovered and addressed.
  • Fact: Firesetting in children is not a phase. It is a dangerous behavior. You cannot afford to wait for fire behavior to change. It only takes one match to cause serious injury or death.
  • Fact: Very few children are obsessed with fire or would be considered “pyromaniacs.” There is almost always a reason behind the behavior.

If you experience a child-set fire, the Seattle Fire Department can help. Trained interventionists can meet with you and your child to talk about any incidents and provide educational resources to help prevent firesetting from continuing.

For more information, please call 206-386-1338, email firestoppers@seattle.gov or go to Fire Stoppers on the Seattle Fire website.

Keeping your family safe and well through these uncertain times is critical – please let us know if we can help.

City of Seattle’s Mobile Integrated Health Partnership Wins National Award

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Health One, High Utilizer Program, Vulnerable Adult Program round out successful models of Seattle Fire and Human Services partnership

On September 22, Aging and Disability Services, a division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), received a 2020 n4a Aging Innovation Award from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) for their involvement in the City of Seattle’s Mobile Integrated Health partnership. The award was presented on the second day of the n4a’s four-day virtual national 2020 conference.

Aging and Disability Services (ADS) is the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County—one of 600+ “AAAs” in the country authorized by the federal Older Americans Act and recognized by the federal Administration on Community Living and state DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.

For four years, HSD has partnered with the Seattle Fire Department through programs focused on high utilizers and vulnerable adults. In 2019, Health One—a dedicated, dispatched response model that links individuals with appropriate healthcare, behavioral health, and social service providers—was born, rounding out the city’s Mobile Integrated Health partnership.

“As one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, our ability to respond to non-emergency 911 calls has been tested,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “Our Mobile Integrated Health partnership, including Health One and the High Utilizer and Vulnerable Adult programs, has resulted in significant reductions in 911 calls as well as unnecessary trips to emergency rooms. With these resources our community can receive the care and service they need while ensuring our first responders are available for true emergencies.”

In 2019, about 44 percent of nearly 73,000 medical calls received by Seattle’s 911 dispatch center were non-life-threatening, including behavioral health and addiction issues and calls from people with chronic conditions. Less than eight percent of those calls required paramedic transport. To address non-emergency requests, the City pioneered Health One, a program that includes a dedicated vehicle staffed with two firefighters (who are also emergency medical technicians) and an HSD social worker with experience serving people with diverse needs, including chronic conditions experienced by older people and individuals with disabilities.

“HSD social workers follow up with 911 callers whose complaints do not present immediate danger, and they help identify adults at risk for abuse and self-neglect,” said ADS division director Cathy Knight. “Our staff has provided training and resources for high-utilizing locations like shelters and assisted living facilities. Through Health One, our social workers are involved in triage, assessment, referrals, transport, and warm handoffs to other providers. They provide on-scene resources that address the root causes of distress.”

The MIH also collaborates with law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Public Health—Seattle & King County, and area hospitals to improve identification of at-risk adults, connect them with resources needed for stability, increase care coordination, provide feedback to reporting agencies, and improve health outcomes.

In March 2020, the Mobile Integrated Healthcare partnership adapted protocols to respond to the COVID pandemic. Initially, firefighters continued to go out on the Health One rig and ADS case managers helped remotely, either at SFD headquarters or from telecommuting sites. Once adequate safety protocols were established, ADS case managers returned to riding the rig with the firefighters.

Initially, Health One focused on serving people in the downtown core, Pioneer Square, Belltown, and Capitol Hill. As part of COVID response, service was expanded to SODO, Mount Baker, Rainier Valley, the University District, Ballard, and West Seattle. Citywide, any Seattle Fire unit can refer a client experiencing secondary impacts of the virus or quarantine.

“Seattle’s Mobile Integrated Health partnership has been an innovative and critical lifeline for those in need, with the demands of quarantine, isolation, and social distancing further impacting already vulnerable people,” said Seattle Human Services Director Jason Johnson. “Disconnection from healthcare, social services, and behavioral networks have increasingly taken a toll on our community. Our social workers are highly skilled in connecting vulnerable individuals with services and supports they need for stability. Kudos to HSD and Seattle Fire staff for their incredible work.”

“Our Mobile Integrated Health partnership had already increased efficiency and effectiveness of our emergency response system when COVID hit,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, who helps lead the City’s COVID response efforts. “Meeting the medical and social needs of low acuity and socially vulnerable patients—housed or not, in shelters, apartments, supported housing, camps and RVs—means that more people are able to complete the recommended period of quarantine or isolation, and will be better served in the future.”

For more information about Seattle’s Mobile Integrated Health program, visit www.seattle.gov/mobileintegratedhealth; about Aging and Disability Services, visit www.agingkingcounty.org; and about n4a’s 2020 Innovation and Achievement Awards, visit www.n4a.org/Files/2020%20AIA%20FINAL.pdf.

National Preparedness Month – Week 4: Teach Youth about Preparedness

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family disaster plan

Knowing your family is prepared will help maintain peace of mind during a disaster. Take time to have a conversation together and talk about what each family member can do to keep themselves safe. Let your child know there may be time or communication delays when emergencies happen. Make sure everyone know and can access important contact numbers for key family members.

Take These Actions:

1. Watch video with your family: “When the Earth Shakes.”

  • Find earthquake “safe spots” in your own home. Look for places away from windows, under sturdy desks or tables, in corners or against supporting columns.
  • Practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On” with your children and loved ones.

2. Create an emergency communications plan for the whole family. Review important numbers and how to send text messages in case of an emergency.

3. Know the emergency plan for your child’s school and childcare facility.

  • What has changed in light of COVID-19?
  • Review and practice the plan with your child.

For More:

Falling is not a normal part of aging – Fall Prevention Week Sept. 21-25, 2020

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September 21-25, 2020 is National Fall Prevention Week. Falling is NOT a normal part of aging. Join the Seattle Fire Department in getting this important fall prevention information out to our communities.

Did you know?

  • Each year, 28% of Washington residents over age 65 experience a fall
  • In Washington State, fall-related injuries account for more than half of all injury-related deaths of adults aged 65+ and 70% of all injury-related deaths for adults aged 85+

Two thirds of seniors who experience a fall will fall again within six months.

1 in 3 people aged 65 years and older fall at least once every year. 1 in 40 of those will be hospitalized and only half of those hospitalized will survive the year.

60% of fatal falls occur in the home.

More information:

Seattle/King County Public Health Fall Prevention Resources

Washington State Department of Health – Older Adult Falls

National Council on Aging – Fall Prevention Week

Information in Spanish:

Start your Falls Free CheckUp

National Preparedness Month — Week 3: Prepare for Disasters

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Prepare for earthquakes and other hazards (2001 Seattle)

Earthquakes are this region’s disaster with the biggest impacts – loss of communications, damaged infrastructure, interruptions in the supply chain, etc. Know how your specific job may be affected, what workplace policies go into effect and what you’ll be expected to do.

Take These Actions:

  1. Find out what hazards are near your home and your neighborhood.
  2. Create a Smart 911 account and sign up for Alert Seattle.
    • NEW for 2020: Text “Seattle” to 67283 to be added to Alert Seattle emergency notifications.

For More:

National Preparedness Month — Week 2: Build a Kit

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Being prepared for any emergency is as simple as planning ahead and putting together an emergency kit does not have to be difficult or expensive. Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management recommends that your kit has enough supplies to last you seven to 10 days. It’s also good to have a smaller to-go kit in case you need to quickly leave your home. Having kits at work and in your car is also a good idea.

To get you started, here are five things that are absolutely necessary to have in an emergency kit.

Water

  • 1 gallon per person per day
  • 1/2 for drinking, 1/2 for cooking/sanitation

Food

  • Store food that’s high in calories and has a long shelf-life
  • Consider meal replacement bars, canned foods and dry food items that don’t need to be cooked to eat
  • Make sure to include food you like to eat 

Light Source

  • Avoid candles to minimize fire risk
  • Include safe light options like a battery-powered flashlight with extra batteries or a hand-crank flashlight
  • Light sticks are a long-lasting source of light that are inexpensive and fits easily into any size bag

Warm & Dry Clothes

  • Include at least one change of clothing
  • If you get wet, it’s important that you get dry as soon as possible because moisture pulls heat away from your body (wool or synthetic clothing that wicks moisture away from your body is recommended)
  • To stay warm and dry you can also pack extra blankets, a tarp or rain gear

First Aid Kit

  • Include items for basic care like adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, scissors, tweezers and pain-relief medication
  • Make sure to include medications and equipment specific to your needs

After the five basics, what you stock in your kit is up to you. The information below will give you a number of things you can add to your kit and some fun and easy ways to put them together, not only for your home, but your car, workplace and school.  The most important thing is to start.  Don’t be one of the people who after the disaster says, “I wish I had put a kit together.” 

Take These Actions:

  1. Check out Seattle OEM’s preparedness website to customize supplies to your own family’s needs.
  2. Download the infographic of essential supplies.

For More: