Inside the City 18 November 2022 Edition

Inside the City of Tumwater

Date: November 18, 2022

To: Mayor Debbie Sullivan

City Councilmembers City Employees

From: John Doan, City Administrator

PEOPLE

Cliff Fredrickson Coming to Finance

Cliff Fredrickson has been the Finance Director for Aberdeen and worked in budget and financial services leadership positions in community colleges. He is also an adjunct professor at Grays Harbor College. Cliff will be joining us on December 16 and filling the senior accountant position currently held by Bill Sampson.

Bill will be retiring after many years of service to the City of Olympia and most recently, to Tumwater putting together our budgets, among other things. Congratulations, Bill and welcome Cliff!

New Network Administrator Joining Team

The IT Team is so excited to have Jeremy Mullins coming on board as the Network Administrator. He comes to Tumwater from freelance IT security consulting and the Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity. He has a bachelor’s degree in cyber security from Clover Park. Welcome, Jeremy.

Three New Maintenance Techs Join Us

Tim Bell and Bob Toy are joining the Stormwater Crew in the Water Resources and Sustainability Department. Tim started on Nov. 1 and comes from the City of Lacey, where he was a seasonal maintenance worker in stormwater. He retired from the US Army last year after 22 years of service. He will be working with the Stormwater Team.

Bob is starting Dec. 19 and is also joining our Stormwater Team, but from the City of Lakewood, where he has been working for ten years working in street and storm maintenance. He has two years of experience in the construction business as an equipment operator, truck driver, and laborer. Welcome, Bob!

Matthew Arnold started on Nov. 16 in our Transportation & Engineering Department He first worked for the City of Tumwater in 2012 as a seasonal while attending Washington State University. In 2016, he graduated from WSU with a degree in Landscape, Nursery, and Greenhouse Management. He worked for a while leading the groundskeeping for Panorama. Welcome back, Matthew, and Go, Cougs!

Mark Armstrong Firefighter of the Year

Fire Prevention Officer Mark Armstrong has been selected as the 2022 Firefighter of the Year. Mark joined the City in 1999 and has excelled as a firefighter and demonstrated expertise as an apparatus driver/operator. In the autumn of last year, he started in the new role of Fire Prevention Officer, re establishing the inspection program, helping launch community education, and building relationships and training between inspection and duty crews. Congratulations, Mark! Great to have you on the team and serving the community.

Kudos to Officer Jacob Rodriguez

We received an email that was sort of a long story about Police Officer Jacob Rodriguez following up on a welfare check on a woman at her home, but the story ends with the woman being doing well and the husband writing us this note:

“Now in this era of extreme budget shortfalls, short staffing, and misinformation, I am happy to say the Officer R simply provided one of the best services I have ever experienced from a government employee. If Officer R is an example of the high performer he seems to be, then Tumwater Police are indeed lucky to have such an individual representing the department.”

Thank you Jacob for modeling our beliefs to this family.

EVENTS

There’s Still Time to Live United

Every year we partner with United Way to put on the United Way Workplace Giving campaign. This is an amazing opportunity for staff to give back and support our community. The campaign started on October 26 and will run through November 23 Giving through United Way is easier than ever, simply fill out their online form. As an added bonus, every person who turns in a form will automatically be entered to win a $100 Costco gift card!

Holiday Giving

Every year the Tumwater Education Foundation works with the City and Tumwater School District to provide toys, shoes, coats, and food to children during the holiday season. The program began over 20 years ago by City staff as a community service project and now the Tumwater Education Foundation sponsors it. The program assists children 18 and under for families residing in Tumwater city limits and/or attending a TSD school.

If you want to help make a child’s holiday brighter, there are a couple different way you can participate: 

Pick up a gift request tag and shop for a child. Tags will be available at Tumwater City Hall starting November 21. Unwrapped gifts mustbedropped off to the TSD districtoffice by December 9. 

Make a donation and School District staff can do the shopping for you. Donation can be made in cash or by check to Tumwater Education Foundation (621 Linwood Ave SW, Tumwater, WA 98512 ATTN Becky Parsons)

Toys for Tots

The 2022 holiday season marks the 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program! Tumwater Fire Department is collecting toys to bring hope and the magic of Christmas to children and families in Tumwater. New toys can be dropped off in the lobby of Tumwater Headquarters Fire Station T1.

1 5:30 p.m. | Saturday, December 3

Tumwater Headquarters Fire Station

It’s time to celebrate the season together again! Join the Parks & Recreation Department for choir performances, crafts, treats, food trucks, and more. Santa’s elves will be accepting donations for the Thurston County Food Bank. Don’t forget to get your picture with Santa Claus between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Want to be an elf yourself? Volunteers are needed for this fun, family event. More details are available on the City website.

PLACES

More Projects at DRC

The Development Review Committee has kept up the pace reviewing potential development proposals. Most recently, their work has included: 

Feasibility of some minor renovations to the Jiffy Lube on Capitol Blvd. 

Feasibility of a 5 story, 44 unit residential building at 723 727 Israel Road in the Town Center. 

Preliminary Review of a 1,100 s.f. addition to the Pilot Travel Center. 

Feasibility Review of an unassisted senior housing facility at 6746 Kirsop Road SW. 

Feasibility of a 1,900 s.f. modular building at 621 Linwood for the Tumwater School District 

Preliminary Review of a 5,300 s.f. flooring and cabinet store at 1710 Lake Park Dr. SW. 

Feasibility of a small office on Black Lake Blvd. associated with an environmental study.

INSIDE THE CITY

Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.

Our long awaited Capitol/Trosper Project is about to get started. We’ve awarded the contract and construction will start in January This project has been in the works for a long time and now has the approvals, right of way, and funding. It is being paid for with City transportation dollars and impact fees, utility funds, and State grants. We are thankful to have the State Transportation Improvement Board’s support.

This project is going to impact all of us for 18 months I’ve frequently said that for years the community told us the #1 priority for improvement is the Capitol and Trosper intersection/interchange. The good news is that we are going to fix it. The bad news is also, that we are going to fix it. You can find the drawings of the improvements on our website.

When construction starts, the utility work will be done first. Most of this work to upgrade water, sewer and storm sewer, along with other utilities, will happen underground and is essential to the improvement of services in that area. We also want those improved before the surface pavement is done to reduce the likelihood we have to cut into it later. After the utilities are done, the surface improvements start sidewalks, roundabouts, lighting, and pavement. That is when drivers really get to see how this will work and look.

In many ways, this project is a metaphor for the City. Some of our operations, like police officers, firefighters, utility maintenance techs and recreation coordinators are in front of people being seen and representing the City to their community all the time. They have to do their jobs, be professional, and provide great services. At the same time, there are parts of the City that are no less important, but are not seen all the time. They are managing our finances, making sure we get paid, keeping vehicles running, communicating with the community, and routing permits. Just like the underground utilities, these folks are also keeping the City running. Nothing would work without all of the parts, just like Trosper and Capitol.

Thank you all for what you do to keep the City moving. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tumwater Christmas Tree Lighting Festival

Police Department Monthly Report

To: John Doan, City Administrator

From:

Jon Weiks, Chief of Police

Date: November 15, 2022

Re: October 2022

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

2022-1978 Reckless Endangerment/Malicious Mischief 2nd Degree - Tumwater officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of Trosper Road for a report of a disturbance involving a man on a bulldozer. The reporting party reported that she and her adult son reside in a trailer on the property, and the property owner used a bulldozer to try to remove them from the location. Officers responded and observed the son involved in an altercation with the property owner. The investigation revealed that the 90 year old property owner wanted to evict the tenants and didn’t go through the proper channels. The property owner (suspect) became angry with them and attempted to use his bulldozer to move the trailer from his property. The suspect pushed the trailer with the bul ldozer while the female was still inside. The bulldozer caused a small amount of damage. Other residents on the property tried to stop the suspect, and the victim’s son tried to pull him from the seat of the bulldozer. Officers removed the suspect from the bulldozer and conducted their investigation. The suspect denied knowing the trailer was occupied and claimed he did not intentionally strike the trailer with the bulldozer. The suspect was arrested, and officers attempted to book him at the Nisqually Jail for Malicious Mischief 2nd and Reckless Endangerment. However, due to the suspect’s age and medical considerations, they could not secure him at the jail, and he was returned home.

2022 2070

Possession of a Stolen Vehicle

A Tumwater officer was driving northbound in the 7000 block of Littlerock Road when the officer observed the taillights of a vehicle stopped in the back parking lot of a closed business. Due to previous reports of trespassing and illegal dumping, the officer entered the parking lot to investigate further. Upon entry into the lot, the officer observed that the vehicle did not have a license plate and was attempting to exit the lot. The officer initiated a stop on the car and made contact with the driver. The driver provided a reason why he was back there, and when the officer inquired about the vehicle, the driver reported that a friend had loaned him the car. A vehicle check revealed it had been reported stolen in Mason County. The driver was ordered to turn the car off when the officer discovered the ignition had been punched, and the driver used a Ford key to operate a Honda car. The suspect was notified that he was under arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle. The suspect also admitted to being associated with two other unoccupied cars parked in the lot. The vehicles appeared to contain items

suspected to be stolen in car prowls and as a result of retail thefts, but no actual victims were positively identified. A search of the stolen Honda revealed a scanner actively monitoring local law enforcement channels. The suspect was booked at the Thurston County Jail for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle

2022 2093 Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Firearm A Tumwater officer was dispatched to a report of a weapons violation in the 6600 block of Littlerock Road The complainant reported hearing the sound of a gunshot or an explosion from a nearby apartment complex. When the Officer arrived, he observed a green Subaru Legacy running and its lights on in front of the reported complex. The officer parked his vehicle to investigate and was partially blocking the exit. A passenger from the Legacy exited the car and started yelling at the officer. The officer immediately recognized the passenger from previous contacts, and he pointed out another avenue of exit to him. The passenger continued yelling at the officer instead of getting into the vehicle and leaving. The passenger was very confrontational with the officer and his presence there. Ultimately, the passenger got back into the car and started to go As officers were checking the area of the complex to investigate the report of the gunshot/explosion, they walked to the back of the building. The passenger then returned and re engaged with the officers claiming to have an aggressive pitbull in the back of the building. Officers walked to the back, and there was no animal, but the passenger and the driver continued to verbally and angrily engage. The passenger entered his apartment, got his dog, and threatened to release him. In the back of the building, the officers could see several items strewn about on the lawn, including tools and torches. Additionally, they observed a large tent with mesh sides containing a l arge black safe for securing firearms. The safe door had either been blown or pried open, and the interior appeared empty. Due to the suspicious nature of what they observed, officers started documenting what they saw and the surrounding area, including the cars parked in the lot. One officer looked in the window of the now unoccupied Legacy and observed a firearm on the passenger floorboard, where the known passenger had been seated minutes earlier. Because of the officer’s prior contacts with this person, he knew the passenger was not allowed to possess firearms and had previous arrests for unlawful possession of weapons He was now standing nearby, watching the officers. Officers were able to confirm that he was still a convicted felon and unable to possess a firearm. The suspect was then detained regarding his apparent unlawful possession of a gun. The officer applied for and was granted a telephonic search warrant to recover the weapon from the vehicle. The vehicle was searched, and the firearm was removed as evidence. The gun was found to be loaded, with a round also in the chamber. The suspect was then advised that he was under arrest. A check of the firearm serial number revealed the gun had been reported stolen out of Kent in 2021. The search of the v ehicle also revealed a loaded magazine for a different caliber gun. The suspect was transported and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Firearm. He was noted to be an armed career criminal.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX

The public deposited 35 pounds of prescription drugs in October. The total deposited for the year is 693.5 pounds.

BUDGET

At the end of the month, the police department budget is 83% for the year and 87% spent for the biennium.

STATISTICS

Officer Russ Mize initiated the Tumwater Police Department K9 program over 15 years ago and has been this agency’s only K9 handler since then However, K9 James is approaching the end of his career, and Officer Mize has decided to step aside and provide another officer the opportunity to be the next TPD K9 handler. Officer Mize requested and was approved to be involved in the selection process and training of the new dog and handler. Officer Chase Grimmett applied for and was selected to be the next handler.

Officer Mize and Officer Grimmett have been working with a local dog breeder and set a two year old Belgian Malinois named Thor to be our next police K9. Officer Grimmett and K9 Thor are currently in a ten week training course. At the end of the training course, the team will go through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission K9 testing and certification process. The team is expected to be ready for patrol functions in the 1 st quarter of 2023.

Officer Mize and K9 James had no deployments in October.

SRO ACTIVITY

School Resource Officer Rosco Rollman responded to a report of an angry parent at Cascadia High School. The parent was mad about an incident involving his son that was resolved by school staff. The parent was upset that the incident was not handled by law enforcement. SRO Rollman decided on the issues with the parent after explaining why law enforcement did not take it

SRO Rollman responded to a report from T umwater Hill Elementary staff regarding a reckless driver who drove through a crosswalk while the crossing guard and a student were in the crosswalk. SRO Rollman obtained the vehicle information from the principal and attempted to address the driving concerns.

School Resource Officer Tyler Boling investigated a report of an assault at Bush Middle School between two students. SRO Boling resolved the issue through counseling and notifying the student’s parents. The matter was referred to the school administration to handle any discipline.

SRO Rollman investigated a reckless driver around Black Hills High School, which ended up being a student in crisis. SRO Rollman talked to the student about his driving behavior and spoke to his parents. The incident was resolved through counseling

SRO Rollman investigated a report of a collision involving a vehicle and an unlicensed mini bike at Black Hills High School SRO Rollman spoke with both involved parties and their parents. The parents decided to resolve the incident civilly.

SRO Rollman responded to a report of a disturbance at Tumwater Middle School An angry student arrived at school, walked into a classroom, attempted to assault a student, started knocking over desks, and threw chairs at the teacher. SRO Rollman was able to intercept the thrown items and de escalate the student. The incident was resolved with counseling

SRO Rollman de escalated a Tumwater Middle School student who was a victim of an attempted assault. The student’s anger escalated after the attempted assault, as he started punching walls and lockers. SRO Rollman worked with the student until he calmed down and returned to class. The incident was resolved with counseling.

SRO Boling was contacted by a parent of a Bush Middle School student, who reported that her child was assaulted at school. The parent requested that an investigation be conducted. SRO Boling completed a study, which resulted in the charge of Assault 4th degree being referred to the Thurston County Juvenile Prosecutor for review.

SRO Rollman assisted Tumwater Middle School staff, whom a student in crisis was assaulting SRO Rollman was able to de escalate the student, and the incident was resolved with counseling.

SRO Boling investigated a verbal harassment incident involving several Tumwater High School students being verbally accosted on their way to school. The student responsible was talked to, and the incident was resolved with counsel ing and followed up by the school regarding any discipline.

SRO Rollman responded to Peter G. Schmidt Elementary to de escalate a student in crisis who was physically assaulting staff members. SRO Rollman de escalated the student, and then the school handled the remainder of the incident.

SRO Boling investigated a report of vandalism at Tumwater High School The involved student admitted to committing the destruction, and after talking to the student’s parents, they decided to handle the issue civilly with the school.

SRO Boling received a report from a parent of a T umwater High School student that their child had not been going home after school and had not been home in days. SRO Boling talked to the student about support options involving issues at home, and the student felt safe returning home.

SRO Rollman and Traffic Officer Kelly Clark monitored traffic on numerous days throughout the month in the area of the Mirasett neighborhood and around Black Hills High School . Several traffic stops were conducted in the mornings and afternoons to address students speeding through the site

SRO Rollman provided security at the Black Hills High School Homecoming dance.

SRO Boling assisted a Tumwater High School student with a vehicle lockout and another student with a dead vehicle battery. He used the tools available to get the students on their way.

SRO Boling received a report of two students who ran away from Bush Middle School shortly after arriving at school. SRO Boling investigated into the evening hours, and a bulletin was released via social media. The students were later discovered in downtown Olympia and returned to thei r families.

SRO Boling assisted with the welfare of a Cascadia High School student who did not have a place to live. The student’s grandparents could not house the student, and none of the other area resources he checked would accept the student. The school principal was able to access their emergency funds for the student and their grandparent to get a motel room for the night so C hild Protective Services could help find the student housing the following day.

SRO Boling investigated a physical altercation at Bush Middle School involving students playing games and taking people's hats. The students’ families were notified, and the school handled any discipline.

SRO Boling provided presentations at Bush Middle School to the health classes about the dangers and consequences of juvenile alcohol and drug usage.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

Code Enforcement opened five cases this month:

• Overgrown vegetation and vegetation waste at a residential property;

• Odor from a marijuana grow in a commercial area extending beyond the property line;

• Overgrown vegetation, gar bage, and inoperable vehicles at a residential property;

• Piles of brush at a residential property; and,

• Unsecured, unoccupied residential property with garbage and an abandoned vehicle.

Code Enforcement closed two cases this month:

• Inoperable vehicles and garbage cleaned up at a residential property upon issuance of a courtesy letter; and,

• Overgrown vegetation and garbage were removed from a residential property after issuing a notice of violation.

Code Enforcement has 16 open cases.

QUANTIFIABLE ACTIVITY

Monthly Year to Date 2022 2021 % Changed 2022 2021 % Changed Calls for Service 1,762 1,370 29% 15,849 14,444 10% Self Initiated* 983 1,020 4% 10,043 11,378 12% Arrests 43 38 13% 374 416 10% Citations Issued 28 24 17% 252 398 37% New Cases Investigations 21 23 9% 231 171 35% Public Disclosure Requests 90 87 4% 914 887 3% CPL/Gun Transfers 70 87 -20% 1,308 1,112 18% Court Documents 114 83 37% 793 693 14% Evidence 107 118 10% 1,580 1,259 26%

Overtime 556 270 106% 4,393 2,993 47% Annual Leave 423 405 4% 5,661 5,101 11% Sick Leave 145 260 44% 2,514 2,250 12%

* Self Initiated includesinvestigativefollow ups,civilpaperworkservice,areachecks,business checks,schoolvisits, residentcontacts,trafficstops, andbackupactivity.

TRAINING

• Thirsty members completed Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training

• Two members completed ACCESS Level I recertification

• One member attended an Advanced Leadership for Police Reform Era1 course

• Two members completed a five day Patrol Tactics Instructor course

• Four TPD members of Thurston County SWAT completed monthly training

• One member continued in the 10 week Police K9 Handler training

• One member continued in the 17 week Basic Law Enforcement Academy training

712 total training hours

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

SRO Boling and SRO Rollman provided security at the THS and BHHS football games held at Tumwater District Stadium.

Transportation & Engineering Water Resources & Sustainability

November 2022

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Nhan Vo

Senior Engineer | 11/06/2006, 16 years

Cory Hale

WRS Maintenance Tech II | 11/01/2013, 9 years

Brandon Hicks

Transportation & Engineering Director | 11/16/2016, 6 years

Jennifer Radcliff

GIS Program Coordinator | 11/01/2017, 5 years

Matthew Bartlett

TED Signal & Street Light Tech | 11/16/2020, 2 years

TRANSPORTATION & ENGINEERING

PROJECTS IN DESIGN

Capitol Boulevard, Israel Road to M

Street Design

The City has completed a review of 90% of the plans for the X Street Roundabout and 90% for the new connector road (between Linda Street and Lee Street SE). The consultants focus on completing 100% plans for these two projects and 60% designs for the Dennis Street and T Street roundabouts. Design work for the project is expected to be completed by early 2023

Israel Road / Linderson Way Water Main Project

The City received two separate federal grants for transportation improvements on Israel Road to ensure the new roadway improvements do not have to be disrupted for future replacement of the existing asbestos cement watermain. Also included in this project are overhead conversion of power and other dry utilities funded by the Transportation CFP.

City staff is designing this project in house Current efforts include preparing the 90% design package with construction plans, contract specifications, and a construction cost estimate. The design team is on track to successfully deliver advertisement of this project by February 2023.

Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard

Reconfiguration Project

TheI 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration Project is intended to address traffic congestion, provide multimodal facilities that do not currently exist and remove mobility barriers It is the first and most expensive capital project derived from the Capitol Boulevard Corridor Plan The construction contract between the City of Tumwater and ACI Construction, Inc. of Tacoma has been executed

The next step for the project will be a pre construction meeting to prepare for construction It is expected to take one and a half years to complete fully.

Planned improvements for the project

Linwood Avenue Sidewalk, Susitna Ln to 2nd Ave.

This city designed project will provide improved pedestrian safety and walkability near Michael T Simmons Elementary School. The school has an active Walk and Roll Pedestrian and Bicycle Program. However, the current sidewalk infrastructure with narrow and missing sidewalk sections has limited access and creates mobility issues for the students. The proposed improvements are intended to increase the number of children safely walking and bicycling to school

Current design efforts remain concentrated on developing a 30% design package that includes preliminary construction plans, draft contract specifications, and a preliminary cost estimate.

Old Hwy 99 and 79th Avenue Roundabout

The City will be constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Old Hwy 99 and 79th Avenue. The roundabout at this location is in response to local development and the future Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Facility This work includes all frontage improvements for the O&M facility project, the new Trails End Park, and upgrades to the sidewalk along a portion of 79th Avenue.

The City has selected HDR Engineering to be the design consultant for this project We are currently negotiating with the consultant and expect to complete negotiations by November 2022

Design work is expected to commence before the end of the year.

WATER RESOURCES & SUSTAINABILITY (WRS)

Tap Sampling Success

Tumwater’s Lead and Copper Program, Another Big Success!

This year, the City completed its required lead and copper tap sampling for the Washington State Department of Health with the most significant number of volunteers ever! Over 230 residents showed interest in participating and signed up through a phone call, email, or with our new online sign up form, with 142 customers qualifying for the program. That is over four times the number of samples we have received in years past!

Thirty of these samples were sent for compliance testing. Compliance testing was from homes that were built between 1971 and 1987. Houses built between 1983 and 1987 are the primary focus of testing, as they are more likely to be constructed with copper pipes and lead solder.

PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION

2022 Pedestrian Improvements

The City’s Contractor, Sound Pacific Construction (SPC), has completed the concrete sidewalk repairs and concrete driveway entrances. The remaining work includes the completion of electrical items for the new rectangular rapid flashing beacon installations at both Barnes Blvd SE and the 5100 block at Capitol Blvd SE, as well as the new pedestrian signal at the south leg of the Capitol Blvd SE and Custer Way SW intersection. All construction operations are currently on hold due to material procurement delays

Conceptual roundabout design for Old Hwy 99 and 79th Avenue intersection

Testing results show that the water utility did not exceed action levels for lead and copper and is in compliance. However, four homes did exceed the action level, and staff are completing follow up testing and will provide education on how to reduce their exposures

Special thanks to all the volunteers who participated and our City Operations staff who delivered and picked up all of these samples within a two week window All 142 pieces needed to be organized, labeled, and lab paperwork filled out, put into boxes, and brought to UPS for shipping to the lab. Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon, which means 135 one liter bottles weighed 280 pounds! Whew what a workout!

Tree & Vegetation Protection Ordinance

Get Engaged!

The City of Tumwater is kicking off projects at the end of 2022 that will impact the City’s urban forest and engage our community. The first of these projects is a revision to our Tree & Vegetation Protection Ordinance, which officially kicked off in October.

Tumwater’s urban forest provides environmental, health, and aesthetic benefits to the entire community. The urban forest is a dynamic ecological system that includes canopy trees and vegetation on both public and private land that contributes to the City’s character and a variety of benefits to our ecosystem.

The City will utilize a diverse suite of tools to ensure all who live, work, and play in Tumwater have an opportunity to share ideas and perspectives as we move through this important work. Visit www.TumwaterTreeCity.com to learn more.

City Stormwater Inspector Now Certified Matthew Joseph Receives Certification

In October, Matthew Joseph received his Stormwater Inspector Certification through the National Stormwater Center The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase 2 Stormwater Permit requires public and private stormwater facilities to be inspected on a routine schedule to ensure proper operation and performance.

Matthew looks forward to using the knowledge gained through this training to grow and support Tumwater’s inspection program.

Stormwater Maintenance

The Stormwater Maintenance crew has made significant progress in completing several important maintenance projects this past summer. The team, led by Mark Teigen with support from Dave Kangiser and Matthew Joseph, has made great strides in improving the conditions of the City’s drainage ditches, storm ponds, catch basins, and adaptive beaver management, all to protect our water resources and environment.

New Crew Members

Tim Bell joined the crew on November 1, and Bob Toy will join the team on December 16, filling two vacancies

Message from the Chief

The Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority Planning Committee is nearing completion of the plan to recommend to both City Councils for consideration. The Cities undertook this work jointly to address growing demands for emergency services sustainably. On October 20, there will be a Firehouse Town Hall presentation and an opportunity for questions at the Headquarters Fire Station (T1) in Tumwater. On October 25, a joint City Council meeting at the Olympia City Hall will be held to share more information on the proposed Fire Authority Plan document. On November 14, there will be a Planning Committee with a Public Hearing. Final Council action on the RFA Plan and consideration of a resolution to take place on the April 2023 ballot will be at the end of November or early December City and Fire Department staff look forward to answering questions about the proposed Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority. For more information, visit www.OlympiaTumwaterRFA.com.

Brian Hurley

Medical Services Officer

Crews responded to a total of 453 EMS calls during the month of September. Medic 5 responded to 112 advanced life support calls and responded to 64 advanced life support calls in the surrounding county area. Crews responded to several critical incidents this month including a fatality Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) With the weather change in sight, please remember to reduce speeds and leave extra distance for stopping.

CPR instruction has started again at the local schools. Each high school and middle school will receive CPR instruction. Compression only CPR by residents before medics arrive improves survivability. Tumwater Fire encourages all middle and high school students learn Compression-only CPR.

If you or someone you know would like to learn CPR, you can explore opportunities by visiting the Thurston County Medic One website

Community Outreach

Crews visited a local daycare to talk about fire prevention and to show them how our bunker gear and masks work.

Tumwater Fire offers car seat installation and safety checks.

The Department has a certified technician that provides these services and can inspect your seat for recalls, correct installation, and answer any safety questions you may have.

If you want to schedule an appointment, please call (360)754-4170.

Suppression Report

Crews responded to a report of a commercial structure fire at a local business The fire was located in a trash can near the front entrance. Crews extinguished the fire; however, the heat from the fire cracked the window behind the container.

Fire Prevention

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in observance of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance in 1925, making it the longest-running public observance in the country. In a fire, seconds matter.

During Fire Safety Week, our firefighters teach children, adults, and teachers simple but meaningful actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe during a fire. This year’s campaign is “Fire Won't Wait. Plan Your Escape". Today’s homes burn faster than ever, and you may have as little as two minutes to safely escape a fire from the time the smoke alarm activates Your ability to safely get out during a fire depends on early warnings from smoke alarms and having an escape plan. Having and practicing a plan for everyone in your home is essential Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need extra assistance to wake up and get out.

Crews responded to a report of a dumpster fire behind a local business. When crews arrived, flames were visible, and the dumpster was far enough from the building that the fire did not extend to it. Crews extinguished the fire and remained on scene to extinguish any hot spots.