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News and events from the Seattle Fire Department

Don’t Let Icy Decks (or Stairs or Walkways) Give You the Slip – Frosty Weather Can Still Cause Havoc

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As winter weather makes it presence known, it doesn’t necessarily take a blizzard to make conditions in the Pacific Northwest hazardous.

With so many of us working or going to school at home, it’s especially important to take precautions around the house. Freezing nighttime temperatures combined with moisture on decks, stairs and walkways, can result in icy conditions that can quickly give you the slip. Keep yourself upright by following these tips:

Use extra caution when conditions gets frosty.
  • If you can, stay indoors until conditions improve.
  • Prevent ice from forming with ice melt. Sprinkle an even layer on outside stairs, decks and walkways when the forecast calls for low overnight temperatures. Ice melt is considered a safer option around children and pets.
  • If ice has already formed, use rock salt or de-icer, to cut through what is there. De-icer begins melting ice as soon as it is applied but loses effectiveness in sub-freezing temperatures.
  • If the weather catches you by surprise and you or your pets must go out, spread sand or kitty litter to create traction and help prevent slipping. It doesn’t melt the ice, but it can provide extra grip.
  • Before stepping out, consider covering steps or ramps with a non-skid runner.
  • Wear proper footwear – rubber or neoprene composite soles provide better traction than leather or plastic.
  • Add traction cleats or ice grips onto the bottom of your shoes. These items go by many names, depending on brand and manufacturer.
  • Take small steps and walk carefully. Avoid a rigid or marching posture.
  • Keep your hands out of your pockets and avoid carrying heavy loads.
  • When entering or exiting a vehicle, hold onto the vehicle for support.
Consider adding ice cleats over your shoes to prevent slipping on ice.

Just a little advanced planning and forethought can greatly reduce your change of slipping up when it comes to icy weather. Stay safe out there!

Know the warning signs of a heart attack

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1.5 million Americans will suffer a heart attack or stroke every year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Learn the signs of a heart attack because early detection and fast action can save lives. While some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience any of these heart attack warning signs:

  • Chest discomfort: pressure, pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes. The pain may go away and then return.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath: can occur with or without chest discomfort.
  • Other possible signs: breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Below are more more resources on learning hands-only CPR for if you witness someone collapse or suffer a heart attack:

February is Black History Month

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February is Black History Month, and we’d like to share this video about the King County Fire Chiefs Association’s promise for equity in public safety. We are listening to our communities and stand united in support of a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce and community. In 2017 our association established a Diversity Subcommittee, which was created to recruit, hire and retain a workforce that reflects the diversity of our county. This committee is dedicated to being an active voice in addressing and breaking down barriers that disproportionately impact Black and underserved communities, and we know there is more work to be done.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year safely

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COVID-19 safety guidelines have prohibited large gatherings, but many families will be celebrating at home for this Lunar New Year (Feb. 12).

Celebrations mean cooking and sharing food. Cooking related fires remain the main cause of fires during holidays and celebrations.

When cooking:

  • Most fires start from cooking left unattended. Always use a timer when cooking and never leave the kitchen area, especially when cooking with oil.
  • If a pot or pan is on fire, cover it with a lid or flat metal pan. Do not throw water on a grease fire.

If using incense and candles:

  • Use battery powered candles instead of wax candles to be extra safe.
  • Keep incense and candles away from drapes, pillows, bedding and anything that can burn!
  • Burn incense or candles in a sturdy, heat resistant container.
  • Put incense and candles out before leaving the room or before going to bed.

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms:

  • Install smoke and CO alarms on every level of your home
  • Smoke alarms should never be disabled. Use a dish towel to stop the alarm from beeping if cooking smoke sets it off.
  • Test the smoke alarm by pushing the test button every 2 months. Replace battery yearly.
  • When the smoke alarm goes off, that is the signal to follow the escape plan. Get out and call 9-1-1 from a safe location.

Fireworks & Firecrackers:

  • Firecrackers are loud. Use earmuffs or earplugs, especially for children.
  • Leave all fireworks activities to the professionals. Fireworks are not allowed in Seattle except for certain ceremonial purposes with a permit from the Seattle Fire Department .

February is heart month: learn CPR and download PulsePoint

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Knowing how to perform hands-only CPR (without breaths) can save a life. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, you should know the risk of infection is low. According to the Seattle Fire Department Medical Director, Dr. Michael Sayre, “performing Hands-Only CPR is essential to help buy precious time for help to arrive. Even if the victim has a contagious disease (and few victims of sudden collapse are contagious), your risk of catching anything is quite low since you are not giving mouth-to-mouth breaths.”

Around 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home so you’re more likely to perform hands-only CPR on someone you know. A cardiac patient’s chance of becoming a long-term survivor are more than doubled if a someone on the scene administers prompt CPR.

Administering hands-only CPR is a simple technique that only takes a few minutes to learn. Watch this short video to learn the steps for performing hands-only CPR – you could save a life.

Download the PulsePoint App

We partnered with PulsePoint, a free mobile app used to alert Seattle residents when a person is suffering from sudden cardiac arrest in their immediate vicinity. We encourage you to learn CPR and download the PulsePoint App onto your mobile phone.

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.
  5. Don’t stop compressions until help arrives or take turns with someone if you get tired

More CPR/AED Resources:

Firefighters rescue teen in residential fire in Beacon Hill neighborhood

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Photo courtesy of KOMO 4 News

The incident is currently under investigation. Information on this fire has been shared with the Seattle Police Department for a follow-up investigation.

Seattle — Jan. 22 at 3:58 a.m.: Our fire alarm center received 911 calls reporting a fire in a 2-story residence at the 9300 Block of 39th Ave. S.. Engines 28 and 33 along with Ladder 12 were the first on scene and confirmed flames coming out of a window near the main entrance to the home. Four occupants were able to safely evacuate on their own and immediately informed our firefighters that a fifth occupant was still inside on the second floor.

Firefighters from Engines 28 and 33 poured water onto the fire as they gained entrance into the home to search to the remaining occupant. They found the patient on the second floor and crews from Ladder 12 removed him from the burning building to rendezvous with Medic 28. Paramedics then performed lifesaving efforts on the patient while loading him into their ambulance to transport him to Harborview Medical Center. The patient is an approx. 14 year-old-male who is in critical condition.

Firefighters had the fire under control within 20 minutes from the first units arriving on scene. Crews conducted additional searches within the home and confirmed no additional occupants were inside. We evaluated three of the four occupants that originally evacuated and none required hospitalization. No additional injuries were reported. Estimated damage is $350,000.

NEW! Multi-lingual and ASL cooking fire safety video

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Damaged kitchen after a fire on the stove

Every year, the Seattle Fire Department responds to hundreds of cooking-related fires. With more people cooking at home because of the pandemic, the concern for cooking fires is elevated. Cooking fires remain the main cause of home fires in the U.S.

To help try to reduce cooking-related fires, the Seattle Fire Department, in collaboration with the King County Fire and Life Safety Association, recently developed cooking fire safety videos in 12 languages and in American Sign Language.

The videos focus on how to prevent cooking fires and how to respond to a stovetop fire.

The videos are in the following languages and can be viewed below.

Video script:

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.

For questions or more information, contact the Seattle Fire Department.

City of Seattle Approved to be Vaccine Distributor; Seattle Fire Department Launches Mobile Vaccination Teams to Focus on Adult Family Homes

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Reposted from the City of Seattle Mayor’s Office.

SFD Mobile Vaccination Teams to Vaccinate Adult Family Homes Not Served by the Federal Partnership with CVS/Walgreens

City’s Goal to Vaccinate Nearly 1,000 Adult Family Home Residents and Staff Within Next Two Weeks

SEATTLE (January 12, 2021) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced new City of Seattle actions to support vaccination efforts in Seattle and Washington state. On January 9, 2021, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) approved the City to serve as a vaccine distributor, meaning the City is eligible to receive weekly shipments of vaccine from DOH and can administer vaccine to Seattle residents and workers. Following this approval, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) will quickly launch two mobile vaccination teams to vaccinate nearly 1,000 residents and staff at Adult Family Homes (AFHs) within the next two weeks.

“While we had a difficult start to 2021, I believe we have so much hope on the horizon with vaccinations. Seattle continues to have the lowest cases and hospitalizations of every major city, and our bold collective action shows that together we can save lives and combat the pandemic. There is so much at stake to quickly get our communities vaccinated. Most somberly, more than 375,000 people have lost their lives in our country due to the COVID-19 virus. And the burden of the pandemic has fallen disproportionately on our Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities,” said Mayor Durkan. “We know that Seattle’s road to reopening and economic recovery starts with vaccinations, and today is the first step in the City’s efforts to significantly increase the vaccination rate and ensure the vaccine is easy and accessible to our City’s workers and residents. Even as more of us begin to get vaccinated, we’ll need to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and following all public health guidance.”

The Department of Health granted the City’s application to be a COVID-19 vaccine distributor on Saturday, January 9, 2021. The City will distribute the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, and will request vaccine allocations from DOH weekly. The City has requested a 1,000 dose vaccine allocation for the first week of the SFD mobile vaccination teams; this allocation aligns with the total number of individuals SFD expects to vaccinate within the next two weeks.

“It is crucial that we step up efforts to rapidly vaccinate vulnerable Seattle residents. The City of Seattle has shown true leadership in the fight against coronavirus from the start, in the absence of federal coordination. Early on, we stood up City-run COVID testing sites that have provided more than 560,000 free tests for Seattle residents, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the Seattle Fire Department, coordinating with Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Finance & Administration Services, Seattle Police Department, and others. This new effort to speed vaccination will save lives and help us not replicate the unacceptable disparities we have seen in infection rates in BIPOC communities,” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle and South Park).

The Seattle Fire Department’s mobile vaccination teams have a goal of vaccinating nearly 1,000 residents and staff at Adult Family Homes (AFHs) within the next two weeks. SFD will begin vaccinating AFHs Thursday, January 14, 2021. The mobile vaccination teams will be comprised of two registration technicians and one firefighter/EMT or firefighter/paramedic, and the two teams expect to vaccinate 10 AFHs per day. The SFD teams will vaccinate AFHs not served by the federal government’s partnership with CVS/Walgreens, and locations were identified in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Based on vaccine supply, the SFD teams expect to vaccinate every AFH in Seattle not served by the federal program by January 24, 2021, with the second dose provided at each home by February 21, 2021. SFD will vaccinate both residents and workers at each AFH. AFHs serve both older adults and people with disabilities. 

“Seattle Fire is the first fire and emergency medical services agency in the state to be approved to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. At the beginning of the pandemic, we sought approval to test community members for COVID-19, and we are prepared to pivot our work again to help in this new capacity. Through our Mobile Vaccination Team program, we will be able to deploy to congregate facilities to administer the vaccine to those who need it most. I am proud of our members for stepping up to serve others once again, and know that through widespread vaccination, we can save lives … and we can end this,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

“For almost one year, the CoVID-19 Prevention Network has worked to ensure that the National Institutes of Health-funded vaccine trials included participants that represent the diversity in this country. We can now say that we have efficacious vaccines that work for all of us,” said Michele Andrasik, Ph.D., Director of Social & Behavioral Science Research and Community Engagement at Fred Hutch. “The vaccines, however, will not improve the health of our communities. Vaccination – people actually getting the vaccines – is what is needed to see an impact on COVID severe illness and death, disproportionately experienced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.”

Based on vaccine supply, the City of Seattle can broaden its mobile vaccination efforts during the interim period between the first and second vaccination dose at the initial group of AFHs. The City’s expanded effort will likely focus on partnerships with community-based organizations and providers who serve older adults who may be unable to receive a vaccine through traditional health care systems. As vaccines become more widely available to the City of Seattle or other providers in Seattle, the City is prepared to partner and launch mass vaccination hubs – similar to the existing mass testing sites. More information will be available in the coming days.

The State Department of Health – based in part on national best practices – determines who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, and when they are eligible. Currently, Washington is in phases A1 and A2 of the vaccination effort, in which high-risk workers in health care settings, high-risk first responders, and long-term care facility residents are eligible to get the vaccine. Later in January, Washington will begin phase B1, in which all people over 70 years old and people over 50 years old who live in multi-generational households (households that include more than one generation) are eligible to get vaccinated. For more information on vaccination phases, please visit https://coronavirus.wa.gov/.

Even as more residents get vaccinated, public health measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands remain critical. Please continue to follow all public health guidance, and visit this website from Public Health – Seattle & King County for more information.

Residents and businesses can find a list of existing COVID-19 relief resources and policies on this website.

Seattle Fire members win King County Fire Chiefs Association Awards

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The King County Fire Chiefs Association Executive Board travelled to several locations in the county this week to recognize fire personnel who have gone above and beyond to serve others. Several of our personnel were nominated to receive awards through the newly developed Distinguished Service Awards program, and we are proud to announce that multiple Seattle Fire members were selected as winners. This is an incredible honor, as each of these individuals were competing against a large number of personnel nominated in each category from across the county. Congratulations to all!

  • Chief of the Year – Fire Chief Harold Scoggins
  • Firefighter of the Year – Acting Lieutenant Josh Materi
  • Special Recognition for COVID-19 community testing development – Acting Captain Brian Wallace
  • Special Recognition for excellent medical direction during COVID-19 – SFD Medical Director Dr. Michael Sayre, King County Medical Director Dr. Thomas Rea