More than 70 City employees entered the City’s National Safety Month Campaign. The activities that were part of this month long event demonstrate our commitment to a culture of safety. Congrats, Shannon great to have you keeping yourself and the Operations workgroup safe. Even though we will recognize National Safety Month again next year safety is every day here at the City of Tumwater.
Thank you Bobbie, Amanda, and your crew. It has been a long couple of years, and you helped us get through it safely and with a smile.
Kudos to Recreation Crew
To: Mayor Debbie Sullivan City Councilmembers City Employees
Shout Out to Bobbie! An employee passed along a terrific suggestion to recognize the outstanding work of Bobbie and her crew. The message said, “I feel like she goes above and beyond, keeping our facilities clean and safe. She puts so much effort into everything she does, and it shows. She is always willing to do the extra and does it with a great attitude every time.” Although she and her crew are often working when most of us are gone, there are parts of the City where the 24 hour operation has her and her crew working around employees, particularly Police officers. Because of that, the employee said that Bobbie “doesn’t just work here, she is definitely part of the family.”
From: John Doan, City Administrator
The Association of Washington Cities announced that Councilmember Leatta Dahlhoff has earned the Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership. This accomplishment requires a demonstrated commitment to local community service and at least 60 hours of training in five core areas.
Inside the City of Tumwater
Ashleigh Clark Starts in Police August 16th Ashleigh comes to the City from the Thurston County Superior Court. She lives in Tumwater and is a WSU Criminal Justice graduate. She is filling the vacant Police Services Specialist position created when Elizabeth Anderssen retired. Welcome, Ashleigh!
Shannon Geary Wins Tactical Backpack
Councilmember Dahlhoff Achieves AWC Recognition
These notes demonstrate not only the great work from our Parks and Recreation Department making Tumwater a great place to live, raise a family, and visit but also the incredible diversity of programs in that department.
PEOPLE
Date: August 18, 2022
To engaging staff on sustainability and climate change topics, the Water Resources & Sustainability Department is conducting a survey. It will provide baseline data regarding staff understanding of the science, causes, and impacts related to sustainability. Take the survey!
• The Parks Maintenance Crew received a note thanking them for “doing a fantastic job taking care of Tumwater.”
• Finally, the Nisqually Red Wing Casino wrote to thank us for the opportunity to participate in the 4th of July at the Golf Course. They had 1,684 visitors to their booth that signed up for a drawing. They were very satisfied with the work with our staff.
Learn more about the Brewfest or get tickets at www.tumwaterartesianbrewfest.com
• Neighbors in the Deschutes Ridge Neighborhood, who had been out cleaning up trash, wrote to say thank you for the program.
• A parent wrote to say thank you for offering the Tumwater Trippin’ Program.
DRC Looks at Project Proposals
The Master Brewers Association will hold its District Conference in Tumwater and Olympia this fall. The ability to tour and visit the Craft Brewing & Distilling Center at the Craft District was instrumental in the Association coming here. They are eager to learn about the exciting things happening in Tumwater and SPSCC.
• One of the baseball coaches in the Youth Baseball program wrote to thank Charlie Groth “and staff” for doing a great job this year and saying “You were on top of everything.”
• A golf group that usually holds their event in Lewis County, wrote to thank Tyler Trimble for another “great event” at the Tumwater Golf Course.
Craft District Draws First Conference
PLACESEVENTS
The regional publication of the American Public Works Association, Washington State Public Works, recently included an article by Tumwater Transportation Manager Mary Heather Ames. The article “The Importance of Friendships at Work” (page 24) explores the value of meaningful friendships to team and organizational success. Great information and suggestions, Mary Heather! Brewfest Celebrates Brewing Legacy
Mary Heather Ames Authors Article
Committed to Sustainability
This Saturday is the Tumwater Artesian Brewfest at the Golf Course. Tumwater is known for the legacy of brewing that began before the start of the 1900s.
• Self described “Alumni Firefighter” Larry Dibble (and retired Olympia fire chief) wrote to say thank you for the parade on the 4th and adding, “It was one of the best parades or events for that matter that we have been in.” Congresswoman Strickland similarly said thank you for the invitation and participation in that parade.
• A parent of a 5 yo in the SoccerTots program wrote to say how great the coach was and how they made it fun for the kids.
• A participant in the Active Older Adult program complimented Chad Harvell on driving and making a “nice low keyed day trip” to the Bloedel Reserve.
The Development Review Committee will look at a proposed laydown yard associated with the existing Michels Construction business at 2440 93rd Ave SW, a proposal for eight residential units at 7732 Arab Dr.
Library Going Green
The City’s library building is undergoing a lighting upgrade to convert the 800 standard light bulbs and their fixtures to LED The $47,000 project moves us closer to our climate change goals and will be paid off in energy savings in 8 9 years. Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action. The City’s decision to explore the Regional Fire Authority (RFA) was neither quick nor easy. Back in 2017, the City Council identified the need to explore regionalization options for fire and emergency medical services. The costs of providing these services have risen rapidly over the past decade, at a rate faster than the rest of the City. Regional services, such as Olympia’s Mark Noble Training facility and shared apparatus maintenance, were two examples of how regionalization at some level has reduced costs and resulted in improved service. In 2019 a study was completed that illustrated that there were efficiency and improved service opportunities for Tumwater working with Olympia, Lacey, and/or East Olympia. Although COVID and Chief LaVielle’s retirement slowed us down, at the end of last year, Olympia and Tumwater began working together to explore the possibilities of a Regional Fire Authority.
As the RFA process moves along, we will update you on the progress and answer questions you may have. Please feel free to pass them www.OlympiaTumwaterRFA.comalong.
• The City would reduce the property tax by $1.00/$1,000 and the RFA would start with a property tax in the same amount. The difference between the Fire Department budget and the $1.00/$1,000 would be used to pay for the fire engine commitment, an emergency management program, the police radio system, and a police officer.
The question has been asked, what does it mean for the remainder of the City to have the RFA pass? Here are a few highlights of the impact:
Our RFA Planning Committee has three councilmembers from Tumwater and three from Olympia. They are joined by non voting IAFF and fire chief representatives. They will prepare a plan for an RFA that will go to the two City Councils in October. The Councils will have to decide whether to move the plan forward to the voters in April of next year. If approved, the RFA would operate mostly independently at the start of 2024. The RFA may contract back from the cities for certain support services until they are fully operational.
• All the employees, vehicles, buildings, and equipment would transfer to the RFA. For the most part, the City would not be responsible for those costs beyond 2023. There may be continued services contacts for IT, facilities, fleet, and HR and finance until the RFA is up and running.
• Some reserves saved for equipment or facilities would be turned over to the RFA.
• In the 2011 Levy Lid Lift, the City made a commitment to the community to purchase four fire engines over time. The City would maintain that commitment using the additional property tax approved in the levy RFAlidlift.Wewouldprovidetheequivalenttotheincash.
INSIDE THE CITY
SE, and a 15 unit apartment at 7321 Henderson Blvd. Previously,SE. the Committee looked at a proposed house conversion to a B & B at 7325 Henderson Ct. SE, a single family house at 6416 Littlerock Road SW, mixed use development for 6501 Capitol Blvd. with 123 residential units and 8,500 s.f. of commercial, and a covered workspace at 2601 Mottman Road., 192 single family lots at 3717 49th Avenue SW, a 37,000 s.f. warehouse for the Winemaker Depot, a 55 acre subdivision with 192 single family lots at 3717 49th Ave. SW, and a proposed hiking and biking trail by the City of Olympia at 2549 Black Lake Blvd.
2022consideration.1250/2022
1254 Theft 1st Degree/Burglary 2nd a Tumwater officer was dispatched to the State of Washington Department of Transportation Headquarters building in the 5700 block of Capitol Blvd for a report of a commercial burglary clear. The reporting party had surveillance video and still photographs of the two suspects who committed the burglary. The quality of the video was very good, and the suspects were quickly identified by another Tumwater officer It was discovered the male suspect was arrested by Tumwater Police the previous morning for burglarizing a building in the 5500 block of Capitol Blvd , but was no longer in custody. Officers did not locate the suspect to make an arrest at that time. A couple days
Re: July 2022 CRIMINAL ACTIVITY 2022 1227 Burglary 2nd Tumwater officers were dispatched to a business in the 5500 block of Capitol Blvd for an alarm The alarm company reported there was an alarm trip from the roof hatch door, and there were motion detector activations within the building, indicating someone had made entry Tumwater Officers and Thurston County deputies arrived on scene and set up a perimeter around the building A K9 was requested to assist with the search and a K9 officer from the Olympia Police Department responded. Announcements were made into the building and no one presented themselves or exited the building A search was conducted inside for anyone who remained unlawfully in the building Officers located an open roof hatch and requested assistance from the Tumwater Fire Department to access the roof They located a bag containing bolt cutters near the hatch, indicating someone had unlawfully entered the building The K9 was placed in the attic area to search for anyone hiding in the attic space, but he did not locate anyone When no one was located in the building upon the initial search, a secondary search with the building manager was conducted. As an officer was showing the manager damage the suspect/s has caused in one of the conference rooms, the officer observed items had been moved after the initial search. Upon further evaluation, the officer located the suspect hiding in the room they had not been hiding in earlier The suspect was taken into custody for Burglary 2nd When the suspect refused to identify himself Officers used a fingerprint scanner to positively identify him prior to being transported to the jail Due to booking restrictions at the Thurston County Jail, officers were unable to book the suspect for Commercial Burglary Officers transported and booked the suspect at the Nisqually Jail for Obstructing a Police Officer and referred the charge of Burglary 2nd degree to the Prosecutor’s Office for
Police Department Monthly Report
To: John Doan, City Administrator
From: Jon Weiks, Chief of Police
Date: August 15, 2022
later, the same officer was dispatched back to the same location for another burglary that occurred involving the same suspects It was discovered the suspects had re entered the building overnight and had dismantled multiple HVAC systems and removed the copper The suspects caused damage to the building and HVAC units, totaling approximately $150,000 worth of damage and theft. Washington State Patrol and Tumwater officers then responded across the street to the last known residence for the two suspects, They located the suspect’s truck and it appeared there were stolen items inside the truck consistent with the reported burglaries from around the area. The suspects were contacted, arrested, and booked for Theft 1st and Burglary 2nd degree Since this arrest, Detectives have been identifying additional cases throughout Tumwater and all over Thurston County that are believed to have been committed by these same suspects This is still an active investigation.
A Tumwater Officer observed a vehicle parked in the lot of Overlook Park late at night Since the park closed at dusk, the officer made contact with the occupants of the vehicle to explain the park was closed and they were trespassing. During the contact, the officer discovered the female in the vehicle was a protected person in a protection order, but the male in the vehicle refused to speak to, or identify himself to officers. The officer positively identified the passenger using other investigative methods as he fit the description of a respondent to a protection order When the order was confirmed to be valid and served, the suspect reached over the victim, started her car, and tried putting it into gear while yelling at her to drive away. The passenger was ordered to get out of the car, to which he refused and locked his door Now concerned for the victim’s safety, an officer opened her door and unlocked all the doors to remove the suspect from the vehicle. As officers were removing the suspect, he was throwing punches, kicking, and assaulting all three officers. The officers arrested the suspect and de escalated. The suspect acknowledged he knew there was a protection order between him and the female, and he told officers he would also be calling her from the jail, intentionally violating the order. The victim reported she had requested to meet with the suspect and this was not the first time they have hung out in violation of the order. The suspect was then transported and booked at the Thurston County Jail for two counts of Assault 3rd degree and one count of Violation of a Protection Order.
2022 1331 Assault 3rd/Violation of a Protection Order
2022 1406 Assault 2nd/Harassment Threats to Kill Tumwater officers were dispatched to a call for service regarding a disturbance at an apartment on Sunflower Lane. All but one Tumwater Sergeant were unavailable to respond, so the Olympia Police Department and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office assisted. There were multiple callers regarding the incident and it was reported there was a disturbance involving multiple people, there were kids involved, someone was stabbed, and someone else was armed with a sword. Upon arrival, officers made contact with all involved parties and were able to secure the scene. The alleged suspect in the incident was found to have been stabbed by the victim, and medics were called to the scene to evaluate him Tumwater Detectives were called to assist with the investigation It was determined that the suspect arrived at his step daughter’s apartment. Her mother sent him to remove her from what her mother felt is an unsafe situation The suspect was not supposed to be at the apartment because the stepdaughter had obtained an order of protection against him two days prior. The suspect was aware of the order, but felt it was not valid because he had not yet been served When the suspect got to the apartment he ordered his adult stepchildren to leave the apartment with him , His stepdaughter refused and an altercation occurred between the suspect and her boyfriend The suspect struck the victim with a wooden staff and broke it over his torso The two then started fighting and the suspect threatened to kill the victim. They went to the ground and the suspect was on top of the victim with the broken wooden staff and was going to strike the victim again. The victim removed a folding knife from his pocket and stabbed the suspect to stop the altercation. The victim got off and they separated from each other The suspect refused to leave the area and continued to verbally argue with the victim and his stepdaughter until the police arrived The suspect was detained while the incident was investigated He was evaluated by medical personnel and cleared At the conclusion of the investigation,
SRO ACTIVITY
The public deposited 45 pounds of prescription drugs in July The total deposited for the year is 407.5 pounds.
Changed 2022
QUANTIFIABLE ACTIVITY Monthly YeartoDate 2022
Changed
STO/CE Officer Ross Rutledge retired this month after 20 years of service The department is running a second hiring process to fill this position.
Code Enforcement closed three cases this month: Overgrown vegetation from a residential property onto another residential property was removed after issuance of a courtesy letter.
The School Resource Officers normally work in the Detective Division and take their primary vacations while the schools are not in session However, staffing issues resulted in Detective Tyler Boling assisting in our patrol division this month Detective Rosco Rollman remained with the Detective Division and spent the majority of the month on vacation.
Overgrown vegetation from an undeveloped residential property was found not to be encroaching upon the sidewalk as reported. The case was closed as unfounded.
the suspect was transported to the hospital for further medical evaluation and then booked at the Thurston County Jail for Assault 2nd Degree and Felony Harassment Threats to Kill.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX
Code Enforcement has 13 open cases. 2021 % 2021 %
BUDGET At the end of the month, the police department budget is 58% spent for the year and 74% spent for the biennium.
K 9 STATISTICS
Graffiti was removed from the exterior of an unoccupied commercial building after issuance of a courtesy letter.
Code Enforcement opened two cases this month: Overgrown vegetation and garbage from a commercial property partially blocking a sidewalk Overgrown vegetation from an undeveloped residential property blocking a sidewalk.
K9 Officer Russ Mize spent the majority of the month on vacation The team had no deployments.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
Calls for Service 1,625 1,591 2% 10,531 10,292 2% Self Initiated* 1,048 862 22% 6,604 8,712 24% Arrests 43 37 16% 249 306 19% Citations Issued 23 20 15% 169 321 47% New InvestigationsCases 29 17 71% 182 113 61% Public RequestsDisclosure 79 73 8% 607 619 2% CPL/Gun Transfers 84 112 25% 1,026 813 26% Court Documents 66 97 32% 531 461 15% Evidence 147 115 28% 1,077 838 29% Overtime 728 368 98% 2,982 1,949 53% Annual Leave 1,078 1,049 3% 3,697 3,105 19% Sick Leave 275 212 30% 2,117 1,404 51% * SelfInitiatedincludes: investigativefollowups,civilpaperworkservice,areachecks,business checks,schoolvisits,residentcontacts,trafficstopsandback-upactivity. PERSONNEL Russ Mize, K9 Officer 21 years Tim Rios, Officer 5 years Patrick Long, STO/CE Officer 4 years Samuel Hammon, Officer hired July 18th TRAINING Two members attended a 4 day ABLE Train the Trainer course Three members completed ACCESS Level I certification training One member completed ACCESS Level II certification training Two member completed JBRS Basic User training One member completed Draeger/SFST refresher training One member completed on line investigative training courses Four TPD members of Thurston County SWAT attended monthly training One member continued in the Field Training Program 276 total training hours COMMUNITY ACTIVITY Detective Tyler Boling attended the City of Tumwater Parks and Recreation Camp TumTastic day camp. He played with the kids and talked to them about law enforcement. COMMENDATIONS/LETTERS OF APPRECIATION Lieutenant Jennifer Kolb, Sergeant Chuck Liska, and Detective Brandt Baker received a letter of appreciation from another local law enforcement agency for their assistance with an investigation.
TRANSPORTATION & ENGINEERING
This project includes proposed improvements to Capitol Boulevard, from Israel Road to M Street. The project will include full corridor improvements of Capitol Boulevard to provide enhanced access control to local businesses and multi model improvements for pedestrian, bike, and ThetransitCity has reviewed the consultant’s plans showing the North/South Connector and X Street roundabout designs. The consultant is actively working on completion of designs for the Dennis Street and T Street roundabouts and the Capitol Boulevard improvements.
Project The Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration project is currently advertised for bid. If a successful bidder is selected, construction is expected to start in October and anticipated to be complete by end of December 2023
Project Israel Road / Linderson Way Pedestrian & Bicycle
Improvements The first phase of the project includes utility improvements that will replace 4,300 linear feet of aged water main along Israel Road SW, from I 5 to Capitol, and a portion of the water main on Linderson Way from 73rd Avenue to Israel Road SW A topographic survey has been completed and design work is currently 60% complete.
The second phase will be roadway improvements along Israel Road SW and Linderson Way that will include repaving, sidewalks, and sidewalk ramp locations to meet current ADA requirements A new refuge island and flashing beacon crossing is planned near the intersection of Israel and New Market to help address conflicts between pedestrians crossing the street and vehicle Thetraffic.City is actively working with PSE and other private utility providers to complete underground conversion of the existing overhead utilities. UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES
Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard
PERSONNEL
The City successfully obligatedfederal fundsto the project and is pursuing additional federal funding. It is expected that full obligation of additional federal funds will be completed by the end of August.
Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration
Reconfiguration
Starting Soon! Work on the 2022 Pedestrian Improvements project is beginning soon Council has approved the contract with Sound Pacific Construction. The project includes new enhanced pedestrian crossings at the Barnes Boulevard and Crosby Boulevard intersection and a mid block crossing on Capitol Boulevard near KFC and Happy Teriyaki. The project also includes construction of a crossing on the south approach of the Custer Way and Capitol Boulevard intersection and multiple sidewalk panel replacements in the north east area of the city.
Projects in Design Capitol Boulevard, Israel Road to M Street
David Schwen WRS Maintenance Tech I | 08/01/2018, 4 yrs. Jeff Query TED Engineer II | 08/01/2018, 4 yrs. Eric Lysne WRS Maintenance Tec I | 08/06/2018, 4 yrs. Jeffrey Cota WRS Maintenance Tech I | 08/16/2021, 1 yr. & Engineering Water Resources & Sustainability August 2022 Sustainability Month Year
Transportation
2022 Pedestrian Improvements Project
Construction is scheduled for the summer of 2023.
WRS staffer Alyssa Wood stands in front of the Douglas fir
A topographic survey for the project is complete and the design phase has started. It is expected that plans will be 40% complete by the end of September. The City has received several phone calls from residents along the project route who are excited to see additional pedestrian improvements being constructed.
Linwood Avenue Sidewalk, Susitna Lane to 2nd Avenue
On August 1 of this year, City Council approved the designation of the City’s 25th Heritage Tree. According to our City Code (Tumwater Municipal Code 16.08.075), trees that have historical significance by virtue of age, association to a historical structure, district, person or event, a rare or unique species, or a significant stand of trees can be designated as Heritage Trees. Any resident, staff, or Tree Board members can nominate a tree to be designated as a Heritage Tree by completing an online form on the City’s website. This designation provides extra protection to these special trees and honors them as esteemed members of our ecological community. This new Heritage Tree is a large Douglas fir located in the Glenwood Park neighborhood on the shores of Trosper Lake. Many thanks to local resident, Kate Thedell, for recognizing this tree’s value to our community and formalizing that through the Heritage Tree process.
HERITAGE TREE City Designates 25th Tree
WATER RESOURCES & SUSTAINABILITY
The former Public Works Department has seen many changes in the past couple of years that included a complete reorganization and creation of the new Water Resources & Sustainability (WRS) and Transportation & Engineering (TED) Departments. As part of the reorganization, WRS and TED Operations Divisions developed five dedicated maintenance crews for Water Distribution, Water Quality, Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater, and Transportation Operations and Maintenance. There has been a lot of staff movement between the various crews that has provided new development pathways and opportunities for growth. We have created an organization chart to illustrate this new structure and better understand the roles in our department The full size organization chart can be found on page 11.
Reorganization and Creation
Public Works Department Changes
Visit
More water demand means more water pumped from our wells. Every summer, the City closely monitors daily well production and other system parameters to determine if there is enough water to serve the community. As seen in the adjacent chart, the average daily production in March was 2.4 million gallons. Skip forward to our heatwave in late July and you see the daily average has more than doubled to 5.9 million gallons per Thatday! is a lot of water to pump, treat, and distribute to every home, business, park, and school. Because of this drastic increase, we implement Stage 1 of our Water Shortage Response Plan every summer. Stage 1 is an advisory stage that encourages the public to use water wisely and incorporate voluntary reductions. The City can accommodate many changes in the water system. Increased demand during the summer is expected and planned for. However, some circumstances cannot be forecasted and can put stress on the water system’s ability to keep up with demand. These include environmental, infrastructure, and emergency factors In recent years, the City has not moved beyond Stage 1, and our hope is that regular, voluntarily conservation will help us continue to meet the needs of every customer.
All that we need to is continue to use water wisely. Water conservation is important, especially when there are extended periods of hot and dry weather that we are seeing more regularly in the Pacific Northwest. Every drop saved helps the community preserve water today and into the future. To help with water conservation efforts, the City provides residents with free water savings kits and rebates on water saving devices such as high efficiency toilets, washing machines, and weather based irrigation devices. Commercial incentives, like water audits, are also available upon request. the City’s website for Rebates and incentives helpful tips on water conservation visit the Water Use It Wisely website.
For
Summer Water Use A Saved Drop Can Create Ripples Summer brings warm, dry, sunny days to western Washington. With these warmer days, comes more demand for water. Demands double in the summer compared to the spring. Whether you are keeping the lawn green, growing vegetables, or filling the kiddie pool, every extra drop adds up.
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Dan Smith Director Water Resources & Sustainability Steve Craig Mon ManagerOperationsFri Administration Curt Shields Tues Fri Water Quality Field Crew Lead Shaun Carney Mon Thurs Maint Tech Evan Osaza Mon Thurs Sewer Collections Field Crew Lead Cody Smith Tues Fri Maint Tech Dennis Ashe Mon Thurs Maint Tech Water Quality Forrest Bailey Tues Fri Maint Tech Cross ControlConnectionSpecialist Cory Hale Mon Thurs Maint Tech Jerry Leaming M Th ElectricalElectrcian Mary Heather Ames Transportation Manager Brian Frankowski Mon Thurs Maint StreetsTech Jason Mcintyre Mon Thurs Maint Tech Charles Deuel Tues Fri Maint Tech Streets Dale Kapsandy Tues Fri Maint Tech Eldon Newell Tues Fri FieldStreetsCrew Lead Justin Anderson Mon Thurs Fleet Technician Fleet MaintVacantTech Matthew Batlett Tues Fri Traffic Signal Technician Streets Walter Renaud Tues Fri Maint Tech Streets Cody Scharber Mon Thurs Maint Tech Michael Erickson Mon Thurs Water Distribution Field Crew Lead Jeff Cota Mon MaintThursTech David Moorehead Tues Fri Maint Tech Jacob Norton Mon Thurs Maint Tech Kahle Waters Tues Fri Maint Tech Erik Lysne Tues Fri Maint Tech David Schwen Tues Fri Maint Tech Shannon Geary Tues AssistantDepartmentFriIII Mark Teigen Tues Fri FieldStormwaterCrewLead Travis Burk Tues Fri Fleet Technician Fleet Daniel Sullivan Mon Thurs Maint Tech Rich Hutchins Tues Fri Maint Tech Levi Loewen Tues Fri Maint Tech TED/WRSOrganizationOperationsChartJuly18,2022 Rodney (Rocky) Smith Tues Fri Maint Tech Utility Locator Brandon Hicks TransportationDirector&EngineeringServicesMarcLaVack Mon OpsTransportationThursManager Bonnie DepartmentHale Assistant II MaintVacantTech MaintVacantTech Electrical Water Distribution Water Quality Sanitary Sewer StormwaterStreet Maintenance Fleet Maintenance
Crews ran on a total of three cardiac arrest calls and provided ten residents with compression only CPR. Crews staffed standby units for the 4th of July events and had two emergency responses during the Thunder Valley Fireworks event. They assisted with non emergent issues and gave tours of the Congratulationsapparatus to Monti Sorem, who was promoted to Paramedic Lieutenant! Monti will be the B Shift Paramedic LT. Community Outreach
Medical Services Officer
The Department provided fire extinguisher and CPR training for 33 City employees. Fire Prevention Officer Armstrong provided extinguisher training for City employees using the Department’s fire prop.
TUMWATER FIRE DEPARTMENT August 2022
On August 14, the Washington State Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service was held at the State Fire Academy. Twenty five firefighters whose deaths were classified as “Line of Duty” were honored during a beautiful day in the mountains east of North Bend. The Tumwater Fire Department was directly touched by two of those honored. On December 17, 2020, Training Lieutenant Darlene Raffelson passed from duty related cancer. On November 15, 2019, former Tumwater volunteer firefighter Phillip Oldham also succumbed to duty related cancer. Phil was employed as a Lieutenant/Paramedic with Grays Harbor FD2 in Central Park at the time of his passing. I was honored to present a plaque to Darlene’s son Chris and his family, honoring her career. We must continue aggressively promoting efforts to reduce carcinogen exposure and properly address the cumulative stress firefighters face today. We truly miss Darlene and Phil and will continue to honor them by doing all we can to ensure that our workforce is properly supported and protected.
Message from the Chief
Brian Hurley
Crews responded to a residential structure fire, a fully involved shed extending to large fir trees on the property.
Crews visited The Preserve neighborhood during the local National Night Out event and participated in a friendly game of street hockey.
Suppression Report In July, crews provided mutual aid to a reported structure, wildland, and multiple vehicle fires with West Thurston Region Fire Authority.
TUMWATER FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS | August 2022 2
• Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors.
• The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
• Keep the grill clean by removing grease or fat from the grill and trays below the grill to prevent flare ups.
There is nothing like outdoor grilling. It’s one of the most popular ways to cook food. But, a grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. Grills can be very hot, causing burn injuries and property damage Follow these simple tips, and you will be on the way to safe grilling:
• Use an extension cord rated for outdoor use.
• When you are finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing of them in a metal container.
• Keep charcoal fluid out of reach of children and away from any heat source.
• To check for a gas leak when using a propane grill, apply a light soap and water solution to the hose and fittings. A gas leak will produce bubbles. If a leak is present, turn off both the grill and the tank. If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using it again. If the leak does not stop, call the Fire Department for assistance.
TUMWATER FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS | August 2022 3
Fire Prevention
• There are several ways to get the charcoal ready for use. Charcoal chimney starters use newspaper as fuel to heat the charcoal. If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire.
