S. 38th & Fawcett Ave House Fire

Incident Date: 4/21/2011
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 3813 S. Fawcett Ave
Incident Type: Residential Structure Fire

Narrative: At 11:23 a.m., eight companies of Tacoma Firefighters (five engines, one ladder, one medic unit, and command staff) responded to a reported residential structure fire.

First arriving companies found heavy smoke and flames showing from the side and rear of the 1 ½ story house. In a well-coordinated effort, crews quickly extinguished the fire using attack lines, positive air pressure and vertical ventilation techniques. Primary search and rescue revealed that no one was home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries to report.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Heavy Rescue and Structural Collapse Training

Over the past few weeks, members of the Tacoma Fire Department Technical Rescue Team have attended a heavy rescue and structural collapse course funded by a federal grant through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). The 80 hour course, hosted by the Seattle Fire Department, consists of 30 hours of pre-course work and 50 hours of hands on practical training. Firefighters from Bellevue, Renton, Tukwila, North Highline and Snohomish County fire departments participated.

The course is designed to help develop the skills necessary to rescue and care for patients in confined spaces and structural collapse situations (e.g. a bridge or building collapses after an earthquake). The team receives hands on training in crane operations, the use of metal cutting torches, breaching walls, cutting concrete with hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical tools, hand rigging and the carpentry skills necessary for creating wall supports critical in stabilizing scenes and rescuing victims. All of this training culminates in a mock disaster exercise with over 50 victims trapped in a wide array of difficult situations.