The Seattle Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. The department is responsible for an area of , including of waterfront, with a population of 713,700. There is a total of 1,065 employees with 981 uniformed personnel and 84 civilian employees.
History
The Seattle Fire Department started as a volunteer fire department that was taken over by the City of Seattle on April 11, 1884. On June 6, 1889, the Great Seattle Fire broke out and destroyed over of the city. Insurance investigators charged the city with not having adequately trained firefighters to provide protection for the residents. As a result, the Seattle Fire Department was officially established on October 17, 1889, as a paid professional department.
The Seattle Fire Department is contracted with American Medical Response for basic life support transport.
Fire stations and apparatus
the department operates out of 34 fire stations spread across the city.
Apparatus types and callsigns
- Engine (E)
- Ladder (L)
- Aid Unit "Aid Car" - Basic Life Support (A)
- Air / Mobile Air Compressor Unit (AIR)
- Battalion Chief (B)
- Chaplain Unit (CHAP)
- Command, Control & Communication Unit (COM)
- Decontamination Unit (DECON)
- Deputy Chief of Operations (DEP)
- EMS/Paramedic Supervisor (M44 / M45)
- Fire Boat (FB)
- Rescue Boat (RB)
- Fire Chief (234)
- Assistant Chief of Operations (89)
- Fire Investigation Unit (FIU) / Fire Marshal (MAR)
- Hazardous Materials Unit (HAZ)
- Hose / Foam Wagon (HOSE)
- Marine Unit (MRN)
- Medic - Advanced Life Support (M)
- Medical Ambulance Bus (MAB)
- Metropolitan Medical Strike Team (MMST)
- Mobile Ventilation Unit (MVU)
- Mass Casualty Incident Unit (MCI)
- Power/ Unit (P)
- Public Information Officer (PIO)
- Reserve Aid - BLS Apparatus (All "80 Series" Designations) (A8_)
- Reserve Battalion Chiefs (B2_)
- Reserve Engine Apparatus (All "80 Series" Designations) (E8_)
- Reserve Ladder Apparatus (All "80 Series" Designations) (L8_)
- Reserve Medic - ALS Apparatus (All "80 Series" Designations) (M8_)
- Reserve Heavy Rescue Apparatus (All "80 Series" Designations) (R8_)
- Seattle Police Harbor Patrol Boat (Responds with Seattle Fire Department for most marine incidents) (PTRL)
- Squad & Wildland Unit (S)
- Staff & Incident Command System (ICS) Support Unit (STAF)
- Safety Chief (SAFT)
- Heavy Rescue Unit (R)
- Rehabilitation (REHAB)
Notable incidents
Great Seattle Fire
On June 6, 1889, the Great Seattle Fire broke out in a cabinet shop located at the corner of 1st Avenue and Madison Street. The flames spread rapidly and the small volunteer department was unable to slow the fire with the town's small water systems. By the time the fire was extinguished, of homes and businesses had been destroyed.
Pang warehouse fire
On January 5, 1995, the Mary Pang's Food Products warehouse burned in the International District. Four firefighters died when the floor of the warehouse collapsed. It was later determined that the fire was set by Martin Pang, the son of the owner. Seattle's Fallen Firefighters Memorial was built to remember the four who perished.
In popular culture
- In the 1965 film, The Slender Thread, starring Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft, the Seattle Fire Department dispatch center, as well as the interior of Fire Station # 2 are shown and Aid Unit 2 is seen responding to a report of a suicide attempt.
- In 1979, in the Emergency! TV series' movie-of-the-week "Most Deadly Passage", the main characters visit Seattle for a ride-along with Medic One. During the episode, a rescue is completed at the Kingdome, a skydiver leaps from the top of the Space Needle, and a fueling error causes a ferry to catch on fire in Elliott Bay.
- In 1985, the department released a cartoon film on fire safety, named The House on the Hill.
- The 2018 ABC television series Station 19, a spin-off of the Seattle-set medical drama Grey's Anatomy, is set in the department.
- In G.I. Joe, the Lifeline character is a paramedic with the SFD.
Gallery
References
External links