SVFD Report – May 2023

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Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 151 emergency incidents for May 2023.

By the numbers:

Emergency Medical Services 119

Fire Suppression 19

Other 5

Tech Rescue (includes 6 Motor Vehicle Collisions) 4

Cancelled 1

HazMat 1

Wildland Fire 1

Of note in Liberty Lake:

• Emergency Medical Services accounted for 78.81% of all SVFD incidents.

• Fire Suppression (fire and Building Alarms) was 12.58% of all SVFD incidents.

Safety Message

• We continue to emphasize Driving Safely. Schools will soon be out, and more children will be in parks and on roads.

• Be careful with yard equipment and anything that can spark a fire. As we move into those warmer temperatures be aware of anything that can potentially start a fire.

• Wear your life jacket (PFD) while recreating near or on rivers and lakes. Every year SVFD rescues people not wearing life jackets out on area rivers and lakes.

Media Release:

On Thursday, May 25th, at 9am, the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) had members of the media to tour our brand new SVFD Basic EMT School.

The Basic EMT School was designed to offer high-level EMS training to current and new SVFD employees, while also providing an educational resource to local and regional partners. EMS curriculums, such as Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) require special certifications from the Washington State DOH to administer a course.

When SVFD made the decision to pursue an EMS training facility, it was based on the current availability and cost of equivalent training in the area.

“It is one of SVFD’s top priorities to provide the highest level of emergency medical care to its citizens,” said SVFD Fire Chief Frank Soto Jr. “SVFD determined that for its new employees to receive the level of instruction and training needed in a timely and cost-efficient manner, steps needed to be taken to develop an in-house program.”

The EMT Basic School will offer multiple types of training for all levels of experience. The courses will be designed to provide reallife training that can be used in the field to treat patients with the best quality of care. Once certified, students will be able to perform lifesaving skills and respond to medical emergencies such as: cardiac arrest, motor vehicle accidents, falls, and gunshot wounds.

“SVFD is now the only Department in our region that will have its own in-house training center,” said SVFD EMS Division Chief, John Leavell. “This will add another avenue to help recruit and mentor our next generation of firefighters.”

Media Release:

Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded around 1:05 p.m. yesterday, May 3, to the report of a HAZMAT chemical incident near the 3300 block of North Argonne Road at the Inland Empire Paper Company in Millwood. Initially a single engine company alarm, the incident was quickly upgraded to a 2nd alarm response when a chemical spill resulted in an exothermic chemical reaction causing a fire.

SVFD and City of Spokane HazMat crews have remained on the scene throughout the night as they continue to mitigate the situation. Management of an incident of this size and complexity takes an incredible amount of time and coordination of resources. Yesterday’s fire component was contained around 3:19 p.m. but further focus of efforts was needed to fully manage the remaining volatile chemicals which continued to smolder throughout the night.

Rotation of crews and equipment has been constant. Keeping crews fed, managing, resting, and even personal hygiene becomes part of the overall operational effort. Fuel has even been delivered to keep on-scene equipment operable. Bottles of breathable air (SCBA) have been continually swapped out throughout the incident to keep Firefighters in full PPE supplied and breathing clean air, safe from the environmental chemical contaminants. As crews rotate out for rest and decontamination, PPE must be washed and cleared for use again. Hoses on trucks must be cleaned and swapped out. Management of a large multioperational period incident involves more than just the managing of the chemical’s mitigation, it includes prioritization of the safety of Firefighters, the needs of all the resources, and the proper handling and preservation of equipment as well.

Additionally, Firefighters have had to be protected from the heat. Unusually high temperatures for this time of year are also contributing to a challenging situation. Management of Firefighter health in hot environments is always of the highest concern.

Lengthy and intensive conversations with (regional, local, and paper mill) knowledge experts, regarding how to properly contain the chemicals (contaminants) and dispose of any damaged containers that held the chemicals continued through the night.

The fire department is very grateful that the City of Spokane Fire Department Special HAZMAT

Team has remained on scene and has been a major contributing factor to the strategy and management of the chemical component of this incident.

The area has not seen a major incident like this since 2007 when the Whitley Fire threatened the Hamilton neighborhood, challenging City of Spokane Fire Department in a like fashion. Like this HAZMAT incident, management of the Whitley Fire was complex and required a multiple agency response to manage.

“Incidents of this size and magnitude take a toll on area Firefighters and resources,” said SVFD Deputy Chief Zack Bond. “Having good relationships with our neighboring Fire District and public safety agencies is incredibly important for the continued safety of all our Spokane area communities.”

The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 142,000+ over 75-square miles, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas. In 2021, our cross-trained Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 23,235 emergency calls.

Established in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and by SVFD’s Class 2 fire insurance rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.