House Fire on South 9th Street

Incident Date: 4/28/2011
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 1716 S. 9th Street
Incident Type: Residential Structure Fire

Narrative: At 12:35 p.m. seven companies of Tacoma Firefighters (four engines, one ladder, one medic company, and command staff) responded to a reported residential structure fire.

First arriving companies found heavy smoke and flames showing from the 2nd floor of the two story 1,932 square foot house.  Initial reports were that one occupant was trapped in the house, but primary and secondary search and rescue revealed no one was home at the time of the fire.  Firefighters battled the fire with hand lines and the ladder companies crew completed vertical ventilation techniques to address the heavy fire in the attic area.

There were no injuries to report and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

UPDATE: Investigators have determined that the cause of the fire was an unattended cigarette, resulting in $20,500 damage to the building and its contents.   

Entry Level Firefighter Exam

Over the past two days, candidates for entry level firefighter positions have been hard at work completing the written test phase of the application process.  Designed to establish an eligibility list, the written exam is only one part in a series of steps taken to join the ranks of TFD.  Nearly 3,000 applications were received, and most attended one of 4 testing sessions held at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.  This eligibility list will be used to fill TFD's vacant positions for the next couple of years. However, it is not yet been determined when the next recruit class will be hired.

"We are always looking for ambitious, energetic and diverse candidates to strengthen our department," said Assistant Chief Jolene Davis.   

Hazardous Material Spill - Port of Tacoma

Incident Date: 4/26/2011
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 1815 Port of Tacoma Road
Incident Type: Hazardous Material Spill

Narrative:  At 3:51 a.m. five companies of Tacoma Firefighters (1 engine, 1 ladder, 1 medic unit, haz-mat 44 and command staff) were dispatched to a reported hazardous materials spill on a cargo ship in the Port of Tacoma.

First arriving companies were informed by employees that a small quantity of a highly flammable liquid - Chlorobenzotruiflouride (an ink solvent used in the printing industry) had spilled in a container on the terminal dock and in the hull area of the "Hyundai Oakland" cargo ship moored at the Washington United Terminal.

Tactically, the ships crews were sheltered in place for precautionary measures, the Haz-mat team investigated the scope of the spill and monitored the atmosphere for fume/explosion hazards, and the businesses contracted technical clean up crew was called in to conduct the clean up of the spill.

Two employees that were initially exposed to the spill were evaluated by paramedics and released at the scene.  There were no injuries to report.