December 2020
Here’s the latest news impacting Seattle Fire Fighters…
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2021 City of Seattle Budget adds more resources for Seattle Fire Fighters
Mayor Jenny Durkan recently signed a final City budget for 2021 that includes funding for automatic external defibrillators, Bunking gear, ballistic vests and additional Health One mobile units. The new budget ensures the Seattle Fire Department can continue to provide world-class service to the people of Seattle.
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Happy Anniversary to Health One
Happy 1-year birthday, Health One! Launched in November of 2019, this program helps to address non-emergency 911 calls to assist people with requests for issues like substance abuse, non-emergent medical issues and a need to access services.
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Seattle Fire Fighters Celebrate Veterans Day
To all who have served our nation in the Armed Forces, we give our thanks and gratitude on this Veterans Day.
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COVID-19 spike stirs concern about shortage of hospital space, PPE
Local health officials expressed concern on Tuesday that the rising number of COVID-19 cases could lead to a shortage of hospital space to treat patients or result in inadequate level of personal protective equipment. Dr. John Lynch, associated medical director for Harborview Medical Center, said there is not much time left to act. "We really need to make that call to action," he said during a briefing for the news media Tuesday afternoon. "People are still getting very, very, sick.”
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Seattle Fire Fighters welcomes Recruit Class #111
Seattle Fire Fighters Local 27 is proud to welcome the 19 fire fighters who successfully completed the recruit academy training and their one-year probation. These fire fighters are ready to serve the City of Seattle and the Seattle Fire Department for many years to come. Congratulations!
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Fire fighters douse Cedar Park car fire
At approximately 2:20pm, Fire fighters rushed to the 13200 Blk. of 35th Ave. NE in response to a car fire that extended to a residential structure. Crews were able to get water on the fire and extinguish the flames within 20 minutes, but not without extensive property damage. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
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Photo courtesy of Heather Spell |
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Fire envelops U-District homeless encampment
Fire and smoke engulfed a homeless encampment Sunday evening under the University Bridge at the public art installation, “The Wall of Death.” Two residents of the encampment, Derrick Shelton and Lucy Walker, said a grill they used to cook caused the fire that burned tents and other items, creating billowing smoke across the southern edge of the U-District.
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Photo courtesy of KOMO News |
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3 injured as propane tank explodes in RV in Seattle
Three people were injured when a propane tank exploded in an RV in Seattle Monday morning. Dispatchers received multiple calls reporting explosions and flames around 7 a.m. inside an RV at 24th Ave SW and SW Myrtle Street, according to David Cuerpo with Seattle Fire.
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Long lines, hours of waiting at COVID-19 test sites
The surge in coronavirus cases has people lining up for hours at COVID-19 test sites across the Sound. Many are wanting to get tested before the Thanksgiving holiday.
“We’re seeing an incredible surge in demand for testing this week. A lot of that demand is related to planning for holidays. And unfortunately, this demand is straining our capacity at the test sites,” said Capt. Brian Wallace, with the Seattle Fire Department. Wallace is also the city’s COVID-19 testing coordinator.
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1 dead, 1 injured when ladder strikes power line at Madrona church
A father and son who were painting the exterior of a Madrona church were injured — the older man fatally — when the aluminum ladder they were moving touched a power line. The accident happened around 3:20 p.m. Saturday at the Madrona Grace Presbyterian Church, located at the corner of Marion Street and 32nd Avenue in Seattle. The older man, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene by Seattle Fire Department crews who had worked to save him. The younger man, 27, was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, according to Detective Mark Jamieson of the Seattle Police Department.
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2 injured after van crashes into Seattle smoke shop
Two men were injured after a van crashed into a smoke shop in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood Wednesday evening, authorities said. Officers responded to Beyond the Cloud Vapory, located at 17th Avenue Northeast and Lake City Way Northeast, just before 6 p.m., said Seattle police spokesperson Valerie Carson. The driver of the van was going northeast on Lake City Way and was attempting to turn left onto 17th Avenue when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the shop, Carson said.
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Fuel spill from semi-truck causes traffic backup on I-5 through Seattle
Seattle Fire crews responded to a collision involving a semi-truck Thursday afternoon on southbound I-5 just north of I-90. Washington State Patrol says the semi-truck hit a barrier, causing fuel to leak from the truck. Several lanes were blocked while crews worked to clear the scene. The driver of the truck was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
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Photo courtesy of City of Seattle |
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City’s Recession-Era Budget Includes Modest Cuts To Police, Promises Of Future Investments In Community Safety
The Seattle City Council adopted a 2021 budget today that reduces the Seattle Police Department’s budget while funding investments in alternatives to policing; repurposes most of Mayor Jenny Durkan’s proposed $100 million “equitable investment fund” to Council priorities; and replaces the encampment-removing Navigation Team with a new program intended to help outreach workers move unsheltered people into shelter and permanent housing.
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Durkan announces 2 new mobile coronavirus testing kiosks in Seattle
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Friday afternoon the city will introduce two new mobile coronavirus testing kiosks in North and Central Seattle in the next few weeks, in an attempt to further ramp up testing availability as the holiday season nears. While the city is still in the process of nailing down the locations of the sites, which will provide free, self-administered oral testing, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said during a virtual news conference that they’re considering the Northgate or Lake City neighborhoods in North Seattle and the Capitol Hill or Central District neighborhoods in Central Seattle.
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Photo courtesy of Edmonds Police Department |
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Pickup carrying chemicals catches fire, causes hazmat response in Edmonds
A chemical fire involving a vehicle closed a stretch of SR 99 in Edmonds Wednesday morning and caused a hazmat response. KIRO 7 received word of the fire around 10:50 a.m. A pickup carrying pails of chlorine and other chemicals caught fire, South County Fire said. Several businesses were asked to shelter in place and some people are being evaluated as a precaution.
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International Association of Fire Fighters requests priority COVID-19 vaccine access for those on front lines
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) penned a letter to the nation’s governors requesting fire fighters and emergency medical personnel on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 be among those given priority access to a vaccine once it is available. According to the IAFF, over 30,000 fire fighters have been exposed to COVID-19 in the line of duty. At least 19 have died.
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Where to get tested for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19
Below is an evolving list of where COVID-19 testing is happening in the Seattle region.
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Atlantic City Boat Ramp walk-up, 8702 Seward Park Ave. S., Seattle, 98118 |
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9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday |
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3820 Sixth Ave. S., Seattle, 98108 |
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9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday |
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12040 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, 98133 |
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9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday |
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West Seattle wallk-up, 2801 SW Thistle St., Seattle, 98126 |
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8:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday |
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Seattle parks in peril after pandemic hits region
The Emerald City is filled with nearly 500 parks but if you look around, you'll see Seattle’s Park system is in peril. Since the pandemic hit, many city green spaces have become overcome by homeless encampments, drugs and crime. And now neighborhoods are facing an uphill battle to restore their community’s parks.
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Upstate congressman introduces bill to make National First Responders Day a federal holiday
A South Carolina lawmaker has partnered with a fellow congressman from Illinois to introduce a bill to designate October 28 as "National First Responders Day". Republican Congressman Ralph Norman who serves South Carolina's 5th District partnered with Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois to introduce the bill. If passed, the bill would add it to the current list of ten "legal public holidays" under current law.
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IAFF LINE-OF-DUTY
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jonathan J. Donaldson (Buffalo Fire Fighters Local 282): Passed away on 11/6/20 from Pancreatic Cancer.
Matthew D. Bennett (Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Local 416): Passed away on 11/14/20 from a Heart Disorder.
Sean D. Laffan (Oakland Firefighters IAFF Local 55): Passed away on 11/16/20 from Cardiac Arrest.
Donald Beauchene (Warren Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 204): Passed away on 11/17/20 from Infectious Disease.
Robert J. Rocha (Greater Kansas City Fire Fighters IAFF Local 42): Passed away on 11/21/20 from Infectious Disease.
REMEMBERING OUR LOCAL 27
BROTHERS & SISTERS:
Captain Jack K. Pringle (Ret.): Passed away on 11/11/20.
Fire Fighter Barney (Ralph) E. Hall (Ret.): Passed away on 11/13/20.
(Our Local 27 Remembrance information comes from the Pension Board and we are reliant upon its accuracy with regards to names, dates, and rank.)
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About Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27:
The Seattle Fire Department became a paid, professional department in 1889 with 32 fire fighters, but it wasn’t until 1917 that the original City Fire Fighters Union No. 15462 was organized. In 1918, the International Association of Fire Fighters was established and the City Fire Fighters Union was admitted as Local 27, one of 218 charter locals. Local 27 has made significant improvements in wages, hours, and working conditions. These advances were due to the hard work and dedication of union officers and the solidarity and support of the membership. For more information, visit iaff27.com.
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