Spill Response in the Thea Foss

Incident Date: Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Issuing Officer: Jeff Chandler

Incident Type: Spill Response

Incident Location: Thea Foss Waterway

Narrative: At 11:24 a.m. today, Engine 2, Engine 11, Fireboat Commencement and the Department of Ecology responded to the south end of the Thea Foss Waterway for a reported fuel spill.
Firefighters deployed 400 feet of oil containment boom to contain the spill to the south end of the waterway. TFD maintains two oil spill response trailers carrying a total of 1600 feet of containment boom made possible by a regional grant.

The crew of Fireboat Commencement located the suspected source of the leak and inspected the vessel to ensure the discharge had stopped. The Department of Ecology representative concluded that there was not enough fuel in the water to warrant recovery operations. TFD units returned to service at 3:12 p.m.

Technical Rescue Trench Training

One of the most potentially challenging and multidisciplined incidents fire service personnel may face is Trench Rescue. It is a dynamic environment that tends to be physically and mentally challenging due to the duration and unpredictable environment. Earlier this month Tacoma Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team conducted their monthly trench training. The goal of this training was to address rescuer safety; understanding WAC regulations covering trenches and excavations; preplanning; assessing soil composition; cave-in evaluation; stabilization and shoring using wood and air shores. Not only must the mechanical issues of stabilization be considered, but patients may also be facing traumatic injuries, hypothermia or experiencing the often forgotten complications of Crush Syndrome. Trench and excavation incidents are "Low Frequency, High Hazard" rescues. This ongoing training provides the necessary skills and knowledge for TFD's Technical Rescue Team to respond to Trench Rescue emergencies.

Thank You For Attending

The Tacoma Fire Department would like to thank all of you who attended our E-10 dedication ceremony. Despite the blustery weather conditions we had a great turnout; said a heart felt goodbye to our outgoing apparatus, and introduced the south end neighborhood to our new Engine #10. We hope you enjoyed the festivities as much as we did!