Operation Warm - Firefighters Coats for Kids

Tacoma Firefighters proudly distributed 200 coats to area head start children this week. Part of the national Operation Warm campaign with the International Association of Firefighters, the goal of the program is to provide new warm coats to those most in need.

Firefighters raised $6,000 to purchase the 200 American made coats, and spent two days visiting four Tacoma Elementary Schools making deliveries.

“This is our first year participating in this charity and it has been a great opportunity to give back to the community,” said Tacoma Firefighters Local 31 president Ryan Mudie. “We really got a kick out of all the big smiles and really excited kids – we put the coats right on their backs.”

National Burn Awareness Week, February 2-8, 2014

National Burn Awareness Week (Feb. 2-8), is a great reminder to parents and caregivers that fire is just one cause of burn injuries - children can also be seriously injured by hot foods and beverages, heating appliances, hot pots and pans, electrical currents and chemicals. Of particular emphasis this year is the prevention of scald injuries.

According to the American Burn Association and Shriners Children’s Hospital, about 95 percent of scald burns (which are caused by hot liquids, steam or foods) occur in the home. Scalds are the most common burn injury among young children and one of the leading causes of accidental death in the home for children under age four. U.S. hospitals treat an estimated 16,000 children under five for scalds every year.

Here are some recommendations to help prevent scald injuries.

• Install anti-scald devices on water faucets and shower heads
• Use knob covers on faucets
• Create “kid free zones” in the kitchen near the stove
• Reduce water temperature - the maximum recommended residential water temperature is 120° F (48° C)

Additional resources:
NW Burn Foundation
Center for Disease Control
Safe Kids

GO HAWKS!

GO HAWKS! From your fans at Tacoma Fire Department.

Firefighters battle house fire on David Ct. E. in Fife

Incident Date:  1/29/14
Issuing Officer:  Joe Meinecke
Incident Location:  2407 David Ct. E., Fife
Incident Type:  Residential Structure Fire

Narrative:  At 7:19 pm, Firefighters from Stations 1,2,8,9,11,12 and 14 responded to a reported residential house fire.

Initially dispatched as a single engine company response, the first arriving company found heavy smoke and flames showing from the approximately 1,200 square foot one-story house. The incident commander quickly upgraded the incident to a full fire response, bringing additional resources on-scene to battle the well-entrenched blaze. Crews mounted an aggressive interior attack, ventilated the structure, and conducted a search to confirm no one was trapped inside the vacant house undergoing renovation.

Fire investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire that appeared to have started in a bedroom area. Damage estimates are $160,000 to the building and its contents and the house is considered a total loss.

Tacoma Fire Department Awarded $3.4 Million SAFER Grant

The Tacoma Fire Department has received notification that they have been awarded $3.4 million from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The grant would provide funding for up to 20 existing front-line firefighter positions for two years. 

According to Fire Chief Jim Duggan, should the City Council accept the award, the department would hire and train the new firefighters this spring. In accordance with the grant’s requirements, the new firefighters would replace firefighters who have recently retired or who have officially notified the department they will be retiring later this spring.

“The grant allows us to hire new firefighters, but does not add new firefighter positions or expand our current deployment model,” said Duggan. “While the grant does not provide funding to re-open the station that was closed as part of the 2013-14 budget process, it is a significant step toward maintaining our current staffing levels into the 2015-16 biennium.”

The SAFER grant is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

TFD food drive supports YWCA Shelter - 2013

An annual event since 2003, Tacoma Fire Department takes great pride in supporting our local YWCA Women's Shelter. Firefighters and YWCA staff created a human supply chain to unload and stock thousands of pounds of non-perishable staples, toiletries and infant care items that TFD employees donated to help support program participants in the coming months. 

Established in 1906, the YWCA Pierce County has devoted over a century to creating opportunity and safety for women and children in our community. A forerunner in the domestic violence service provision field, the YWCA established Washington State's first domestic violence shelter in 1976.

Deputy Chief Faith Mueller earns Executive Fire Officer designation

The National Fire Academy has conferred upon Deputy Chief Faith Mueller the title of Executive Fire Officer. Requirements for the rigorous four year program include the completion of an annual applied research project, and two weeks of annual residency at the National Fire Academy campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Prerequisites for entrance into the competitive program include current standing as a chief officer and prior completion of a baccalaureate degree. The curriculum focuses on executive development, leadership, community risk reduction, and fire service operation in Emergency Management. Congratulations Deputy Chief Mueller!