Inside the City of Tumwater Date: October 29, 2021 To:
Mayor Pete Kmet City Councilmembers City Employees
From: John Doan, City Administrator
PEOPLE
Kudos to Team Members
A former Councilmember wrote to thank the street
team for fixing a bump in the road in his neighborhood.
A Director sent a note to thank Hanna Miles for being extraordinarily helpful and friendly. Her
Shawn Crimmins Promoted to Assistant Chief
Chief Hurley announced Wednesday that Medical Services Officer Shawn Crimmins has been promoted
to Assistant Chief. Shawn has been with the
Department since 2002 and previously served in
Paramedic/Firefighter and Paramedic Lieutenant roles. Shawn has developed programs to bring CPR
to area schools and chaired the Medic One Mass
organization and speed were highlighted.
Thurston County Corrections wrote a note to Chief
Hurley to thank our Fire Department staff who
responded to an overdose incident at the County
Jail, especially Lt. Adam Phinney, who coordinated
the response in a difficult situation.
EVENTS
Casualty Incident Committee. With the arrival of
COVID, he was instrumental in developing the Fire
Department
COVID
Congratulations, Shawn!
safety
protocols.
New Fleet Tech Joining Us
Travis Burk is starting as the Fleet Tech 1 in the Transportation and Engineering Department. Travis lives in Tenino and has worked at Chrysler Dodge
Jeep dealerships for the last four years and a
Police Win Pumpkin Contest
his ASE certifications. Welcome, Travis!
Police Department’s rendition of the headless
Firestone store before that. He is working towards
The City’s Pumpkin Carving Contest was won by the
horseman. Congrats PD! Thank you to everyone who submitted pumpkins and voted! Have a safe and fun
weekend!
Pivoting in COVID
PLACES
The Tumwater Recreation staff have been heavily
DRC Review Pace Slows
restrictions, etc. In October, to offer a viable version
Review Committee is an 8,500 s.f. truck maintenance
impacted by COVID-19, social distancing, school
The only project pending before the Development
of their wildly popular TYP (Tumwater Youth
building at the Pilot Truck Stop.
Program), they partnered with the Tumwater Valley Golf Club to offer two unique youth and teen events
on the golf course driving range.
With the help of 18 volunteers, they provided one
INSIDE THE CITY Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.
event for 2nd – 5th grade students on Friday, October
1, and one event for 6th – 8th grade students on
Friday, October 8. Combined, the two events were attended by 211 youth. Activities included a DJ, an
inflatable bounce house, dodgeball, Archery Tag, arts and crafts, video games, volleyball, and cornhole. Congrats to the Recreation Team for pivoting in the time of COVID.
United Way Serves Our Community
Thurston County United Way is an efficient and
effective way to help our community. Whether you
give to United Way and let them decide the biggest
need or you specify a charity for your donation, the
United Way Program makes our community better
and helps those in need. Make a one-time donation
or use payroll deduction, which takes a small amount every two weeks and turns into a big deal by the end
of the year. The City United Way Campaign ends November 5. Complete the online pledge form, or
drop off a one-time check with the Finance
Third Donkey Award I’m now accepting nominations for the “Third Donkey Award.” Wondering what the Third Donkey is all about? Check out this video. We have all sorts of obstacles to doing our work and serving the community. Some are regulations and laws, some processes and procedures, some are other interpersonal conflicts, and others lack resources. The Third Donkey Award recognizes the opportunities we have and take advantage of to make things easier or work better or more efficiently.
Department.
In the meantime, let’s all be third donkeys.
TUMWATER FIRE DEPARTMENT
September 2021
September 2021
Message from the Chief Business and occupancy fire inspections are key to fire prevention efforts and community risk reduction. The Tumwater Fire Department will again schedule fire inspections with area businesses and occupancies such as schools and churches. The purpose of these inspections is to ensure the safety of the occupants and firefighters who may respond to an incident at the location. The City Fire Department has a webpage that discusses the most common fire code violations. Our Fire Prevention Officer will work with area businesses and occupancies to identify potential issues and suggest ways to correct them. Our goal is to have the safest community possible concerning fire and life safety.
Brian Hurley
Operations Division On Monday, September 13, TFD crews were dispatched to a residential structure fire on Ebbets Drive. Engine T2 arrived first and reported a working fire on the back of the house and in the attic. Mutual aid companies from Olympia, East Olympia, Black Lake McLane, and West Thurston assisted TFD with this structure fire. The fire was contained to the exterior and attic due to the crews’ quick response and extinguishment on the scene. Medic 5 evaluated one person for minor smoke inhalation, and the person was not transported to the hospital. The home had working smoke detectors that activated just as the occupants became aware of the fire.
SEPTEMBER 2021
2
Emergency Medical Services Division
Training Division, cont.
Crews ran on eight cardiac arrests during August and continue to use all precautions related to COVID-19 on all responses.
On September 21, Lt. Jon Kalar attended an annual review on “Tree Rescue” with SORT. Tree rescue is a -group of SORT members working on techniques to rescue people stuck in trees. These could be an arborist injured in a tree or parachutists that miss a landing and get suspended in a tree and cannot reach the ground.
The Tumwater Fire Department provides Emergency Medical Services coverage for all Tumwater and Black Hills High School Football games.
Ten Fire Department members completed their Annual Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention (EVIP) refresher training conducted by Capt. Cathey. TFD Working with Airlift NW Thurston County Medic One is accepting applications to create a Paramedic hiring list. Applicants must take the Public Safety test by October 22 and apply to Thurston County Medic One by October 25. Paramedic candidates that pass are eligible for employment at the City of Tumwater as a Paramedic/Firefighter. Please contact Thurston County Medic One for more information at (360) 7042780.
Training Division On September 14, Capt. Brad Ridgeway, FF Spencer Kast, and FF Shane Brady began instructing a 40-plus hour pump academy for FF’s Jennifer Lindstrom, Trenton Brazie, and Jacob Ley. The pump academy is an apprenticeship program requirement that employees complete within the first three years of becoming firefighters. The pump academy also brings in other departments to assist with multi-company operations and is an excellent opportunity for members to work with other departments. This year we also incorporated all shift staff in the training. On September 14, Volunteer Firefighters Michael Dennin, Piper Schofield, and Brent Wood completed a cardiac arrest review. September 14 & 15, Lt. Jon Kalar was an evaluator for the Special Operation Rescue Team (SORT) annual skills review. The review consists of five skills: rope rescue, patient packaging, confined space rescue, structural collapse/heavy lifting, and trench collapse. These are the core requirements to continue to be an active member of SORT. September 18, FF Mark Armstrong completed and tested for his NFPA Fire Inspector I certification. Congratulations Mark!
Numerous staff completed quarterly and annual requirements related to the use of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). Training
Hours
Administrative
43
Emergency Medical OTEP/In-service
12.5
Fire Suppression Fire Prevention
190
Special Operations Technical Rescue
34
WAC Requirements
12
Total Hours
291.5
SEPTEMBER 2021
3
Call Volume and Response Data
Community Outreach
Total Response for August - 460
During September, eight families received car seat safety instructions and education on the correct installation process for their car seats. Car seats have specific requirements for the age and size of the child while also considering the make and model of the vehicle in which the seat is being installed.
Monthly Call Volume by Shift 117
105
120
118
A Shift
B Shift
C Shift
D Shift
ALS Responses M5 & M14 Calls 80 60 40 20 0
60
45
0
M5
67 M14
City
County
Station T1 and T2 Response Times Station to Station
Average Response Time per Response Zone
ET1 – ET1
5:89
ET1 – ET2
8:31
ET2 – ET2
5:49
ET2 – ET1
5:98
Staff Accomplishments Milestones
and
Congratulations to Administrative Assistant Cathy Blakeway on being recognized by the Washington Fire Chiefs Administrative Section for six years of service on the Executive Board. The group also recognized Cathy for being the first Alumni member of the Administrative Section. Congrats Cathy! Fire Training Lt. Jon Kalar was appointed to the position of Deputy Team Leader for the Thurston County Special Operations Rescue Team. Lt. Kalar is recognized county-wide for his abilities as a rescue teams specialist.
Police Department Monthly Report
To:
John Doan, City Administrator
From:
Jon Weiks, Chief of Police
Date:
October 15, 2021
Re:
September 2021
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY 2021-1413 Burglary 1st/Unlawful Possession of a Firearm - Tumwater Police Officers responded to a local hardware store for a reported activation of a silent alarm. The alarm company reported to Dispatch the location of the alarm activation and had a video of a suspect on the premises. The alarm company gave a clothing description for the suspect, which matched the description of a suspect that had burglarized the business earlier in the evening but was never located. When officers arrived on scene, they heard a noise in the bushes adjacent to the property and saw a beam of light from a flashlight. The officers walked in that direction, a male emerged from the brush. The subject matched the description provided by the alarm company and was in possession of several bags of property. The suspect began walking away from officers, who verbally engaged the suspect and identified themselves as police. The suspect refused to stop and disappeared into the brush as officers ran towards him. The suspect was located lying down, attempting to hide in the bushes. The suspect was given several commands to come out of the brush, and he was uncooperative and argumentative. As the suspect moved, an officer observed he had a holstered firearm on his hip. The suspect was given commands to show his hands, keep them visible, and crawl out to officers. The officers used time and distance as the suspect continued being uncooperative. Officers requested additional resources, and Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded. Upon their arrival, the suspect was advised he was under arrest, and officers were able to place the suspect into custody without further incident. Once in custody, the suspect was identified and the firearm removed from his possession. Officers learned the suspect was a convicted felon and not legally allowed to possess a firearm. When officers inspected the firearm, they observed the serial numbers had been filed off and were no longer visible. Officers recovered the bags of merchandise stolen from the business the suspect had been carrying. An employee of the business responded with video of the same suspect committing a burglary earlier in the evening, as well as and The suspect was transported and booked into the Thurston County Jail for Burglary 1st degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Altering of Identifying Marks of a Firearm, and Obstructing.
2021-1432 Intimidation with a Weapon/Concealed Firearm without a Permit – A Tumwater Police Officer was dispatched to a harassment complaint at a local storage unit business. The officer called the reporting party and learned a customer had displayed a firearm during an argument with an employee over money owed. The officer responded to the business and contacted the reporting party. The investigation revealed a customer had been inside the business office to take care of money owed when the suspect was told he owed more money than he thought he did. The suspect argued that he had already paid some of the money owed and became increasingly angry and argumentative. During the argument, the suspect pulled a revolver from his coat and placed it on the counter with the barrel facing the employee. The employee felt threatened by this and requested multiple times for the suspect to remove the revolver, which he refused to do. The employee turned to get her manager, and when the manager came to the counter, the suspect had already removed the gun but continued to yell obscenities and be argumentative. The manager handled the remainder of the transaction with the suspect, and the suspect left. The investigating officer called and talked to the suspect, who accused the employee of being the one who was argumentative. The suspect acknowledged he removed the firearm from his jacket and put it on the counter but stated he did not point it at the employee. The suspect stated he had removed the gun from his jacket to get his phone from his pocket. The officer learned the suspect did not have a Washington State Concealed Pistol License that would allow him to carry a concealed firearm in his jacket in a public place. The officer requested the suspect respond to the police department to provide a statement. When the suspect arrived, he was issued a criminal citation for Intimidation with a Weapon and for carrying a concealed firearm without a permit and released with a court hearing date. 2021-1490 Unlawful Possession of a Firearm 2nd - A Tumwater Police Officer was parked along Littlerock Road when he heard and then observed a grey Ford Mustang pass him well in excess of the posted speed limit. The officer caught up to and got behind the vehicle. Then the driver committed another traffic violation by making an illegal left turn into a business. The officer activated their emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop. The officer contacted the driver, who identified himself with a Washington State Identification Card. The officer checked the driver’s information through dispatch and learned the driver had a misdemeanor arrest warrant out of the Olympia Police Department for two counts of violation of a domestic violence protection order. Once the warrant was confirmed, the officer placed the driver into custody for the arrest warrant and secured him in the patrol vehicle. The officer observed what appeared to be a .22 caliber rifle in the backseat of the driver’s vehicle. The officer checked the suspect’s criminal history and learned the suspect was a convicted felon and unable to legally possess a firearm. The officer re-contacted the suspect and read him his Miranda Warnings. The suspect waived his rights and acknowledged he knew the rifle was in the car and that he was not allowed to possess a firearm. The suspect reported he had put the rifle in the car to keep it out of reach of his children. The officer contacted a Thurston County judge, applied for, and was granted a search warrant for the suspect’s vehicle. The officer then conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered a box of ammunition and the rifle, which was found to have a bullet loaded in the chamber. The officer asked the suspect about the ammunition and loaded round in the chamber, and the suspect denied knowing the gun was loaded. The suspect stated his wife was the last one to have shot the gun. The gun was seized as evidence, and the suspect was transported and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm 2nd Degree. The Olympia Police Department was notified of the felony charge in order to arrange for the suspect to be seen on the misdemeanor arrest warrant in their court.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX The public deposited 180 pounds of prescription drugs in September and a total of 915 pounds for the year. Of the 180 pounds deposited this month, the community dropped off a total of 135 pounds during the annual City of Tumwater Clean-Up, Drop-Off event.
BUDGET At the end of the month, the police department budget is 65% spent for the year.
K-9 STATISTICS 1 Narcotics Detection • Assisted the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force with searching a residence and a vehicle after detectives had detained a suspect and obtained a search warrant. Officer Mize responded to the scene and deployed K9 James around the exterior of the vehicle and then within the residence. K9 James provided alerts to the presence of narcotics in both the vehicle and the home. Officer Mize advised detectives of the locations of the alerts, and then he cleared the scene. Officer Mize was later advised detectives had recovered: 413 grams of fentanyl, 248 grams of heroin, 547 grams of cocaine, $54,000 cash, and five firearms, one of which was stolen. 1 Building Search • Assisted Tumwater Officers with attempting to locate an Assault 2nd – Domestic Violence suspect believed to be hiding inside an apartment. Officers could hear music playing inside the apartment, but multiple commands for the suspect to surrender went unanswered. Officers applied for and were granted a search warrant for the apartment. Officer Mize retrieved K9 James from his patrol vehicle, and after additional commands to surrender and multiple K9 warnings went unanswered, K9 James was deployed inside the apartment. The apartment was found to be unoccupied. Officers later located the suspect in another area of the City, sleeping in his vehicle, where they were taken into custody without incident.
SRO ACTIVITY Detectives Tyler Boling and Rosco Rollman returned to their role as School Resource Officers (SRO) this month. SRO Boling’s primary responsibility is service to Tumwater High School and George Washington Bush Middle School. He also supports the three elementary schools aligned with this side of the school district: Michael T. Simmons Elementary, Peter G. Schmidt Elementary & East Olympia Elementary. SRO Rollman’s primary responsibility is service to Black Hills High School and Tumwater Middle School. He also supports the three elementary schools aligned with this side of the school district: Tumwater Hill Elementary, Black Lake Elementary, and Littlerock Elementary. Both SROs provide service to the local alternative schools: New Market Vocational Skills Center, Cascadia High School, and True North Assistance and Treatment Services. The impacts of COVID resulted in extremely heavy traffic volumes surrounding our schools. Both SROs continue to work with these schools in the district to address this issue. Additionally, the SROs and patrol staff monitor these areas when available. SRO Rollman provided multiple drug and alcohol presentations to 6th, 7th & 8th grade students at Tumwater Middle School during health classes. The SROs investigated the following incidents: • Both SROs investigated several incidents of vandalism in school bathrooms. These were discovered to be happening around the nation and were tied to a Tik Tok challenge. No charges were filed, and the incidents were turned over to school officials for any discipline. The SROs are
•
•
•
aware of the Tik Tok challenges listed for each month of the school year. They are working with the schools to mitigate the impact and talking with students about potential legal ramifications. SRO Boling investigated an assault between two dating students. The investigation determined no crime had been committed, but SRO Boling did spend time counseling the primary aggressor about potential consequences had it escalated further. SRO Rollman investigated a harassment complaint involving 7th grade students at Tumwater Middle School. The harassment was determined to be a continuation of incidents that occurred over the summer break. SRO Rollman was able to resolve this situation through coaching/ counseling with the involved students. The SROs handled 23 student consultations this month. These consultations resulted in the matters either being resolved, additional coaching/counseling, and/or being turned over to the schools for any potential discipline.
CODE ENFORCEMENT Code Enforcement initiated one new case this month: trash stored outside a residence. Code Enforcement closed nine cases this month: • Garbage and an abandoned vehicle were removed from an undeveloped commercial property after issuance of a notice of violation; • A billboard was removed from a commercial property after issuance of a courtesy letter; • A billboard was removed from another commercial property after issuance of a courtesy letter; • Garbage and appliances were removed from a residential property after issuance of a notice of violation; • Overgrown vegetation was cleared, and inoperable vehicles were removed from a vacant residential property after issuance of notice of violation; • Roosters were removed from a residential property after issuance of a courtesy letter; • Inoperable vehicles were brought into compliance, and vehicle repairs being done in a residential area were discontinued after issuance of a notice of violation; • An anonymous complaint about a noisy logging truck in a residential area was closed unfounded; and, • Graffiti on a water tank was removed, and overgrown vegetation was cleared from an undeveloped residential property after issuing a courtesy letter. Code Enforcement currently has 13 open cases.
PERSONNEL • • • •
Jay Mason, Commander – 28 years Jacob Rodriguez, Officer – 6 years Riannon Patterson, Police Services Specialist – 2 years Tyler Brown, Officer – Hired September 20th
QUANTIFIABLE ACTIVITY
Calls for Service Self-Initiated* Arrests Citations Issued New Cases – Investigations Public Disclosure Requests CPL/Gun Transfers Court Documents Evidence Overtime Annual Leave Sick Leave
*
2021 1,508 794 32 30
Monthly 2020 1,341 1,091 51 36
% Changed 13% -27% -37% -17%
2021 13,074 10,358 378 374
15
12
25%
95
70
111 67 141 357 501 323
Year to Date 2020 13,213 10,448 521 340
% Changed -1% -1% -28% 10%
148
148
0%
36%
800
671
19%
156 72 114
-29% -7% 27%
1,025 610 1,118
1,070 564 1,206
-4% 8% -7%
287 599 131
24% -16% 147%
2,724 4,697 1,990
3,353 3,607 1,320
-19% 30% 51%
Self-Initiated includes investigative follow-ups, civil paperwork service, area checks, business checks, school visits, resident contacts, traffic stops, and backup activity.
TRAINING • • • • • • • • • • •
One member completed ACCESS Level 2 recertification One member attended a NIBRS webinar One member attended a three-day Code Enforcement Officers conference One member completed a five-day Explosive Breaching for Law Enforcement course One member completed a five-day Crisis/Hostage Negotiation Level II course One member completed a five-day Pre-Supervisor course One member attended a three-day WSPCA K9 conference One member completed several online legal update courses One member attended Leadership Thurston County Two TPD members of Thurston County SWAT attended monthly training Twenty-eight members completed a department training day covering defensive tactics and firearms
479 TOTAL TRAINING HOURS
COMMUNITY ACTIVITY Our School Resource Officers provided security at the home football games for Tumwater High School and Black Hills High School. Community Volunteer Dianne Powers assisted the Department by personally visiting all the storage unit companies throughout the city. Dianne provided them with notice of an increase in burglaries targeting storage units and discussed crime prevention strategies to help safeguard their properties.
COMMENDATIONS/LETTERS OF APPRECIATION Officer Tim Rios received a letter of appreciation from a resident he assisted with a reported stolen cell phone. The resident wrote, “We had a cell phone stolen last week and assumed that the phone would not be recovered. A person on the phone’s contact list received a call from a person allegedly trying to contact the phone’s owner to return the phone. The person who ‘found’ the phone left a number for the phone’s owner to call. We did not feel comfortable calling the number so we requested Tumwater Police call to determine that the number was legitimate. Officer Rios not only called the number but also picked up the phone and returned it to us at our home. He was very responsive, pleasant, and informative. What could have been a very unpleasant situation turned out well, thanks to Officer Rios. He is a credit to the Tumwater Police force and emergency responders!” Officer Oran Thompson and Officer Hannah Dale (Ritter) received a letter of appreciation from a couple they assisted with suspicious circumstances. The couple wrote, “We’re writing to express our appreciation to the Tumwater Police Department, generally, and to Officers Thompson and Dale, specifically. We live on a private drive in Tumwater Meadows and do not have unexpected visitors, so it was very distressing when, this past Friday evening, a shirtless man on a dirt bike twice circled our front yard, staring directly into our security cameras and drove onto our lawn, peering around the house, apparently identifying security systems and entrances. Neighbors have since recognized him as a known prowler over the last two years, but we’ve been here just under a year and were unaware of him. Officer Thompson and Officer Dale arrived within minutes of our call and it has been a tremendous comfort to know the Tumwater PD is watching over our neighborhood and our city, as we’ve now experienced and as our fellow neighbors have also attested to us. These officers’ fast response and professionalism reflects directly on the department and its leadership.” Officer James Moran received a verbal commendation from a resident he assisted with a disabled vehicle. The resident was grateful for the assistance he provided.
Transportation & Engineering Water Resources & Sustainability October 2021 PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES Cody Scharber Maintenance Tech II | 10/16/13 - 7 yrs. Matthew Joseph Stormwater Inspector | 10/16/19 – 2 yrs. Meridith Greer Water Resources Educator | 10/01/18 – 3 yrs.
TRANSPORTATION & ENGINEERING ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 2021 Pavement Maintenance
All major work for the 2021 Pavement Maintenance project is complete. City staff are working with the contractor to address final construction items and paperwork. Over the last few weeks, work included restoring raised pavement markers on Old Highway 99 and 93rd Avenue and adjusting raised utility castings near the Capitol Boulevard and Tumwater Boulevard intersection. Thirty utility castings were repaired by excavating the existing castings, replacing the concrete collars, and repaving the repair areas.
PROJECTS IN DESIGN
Capitol Boulevard: Israel to M Street
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 access control and increased pedestrian facilities. The City’s engineering consultant is finalizing the topographic survey of the project limits, and design efforts are underway. The initial design focus is the proposed roundabout at Capitol Boulevard and X Street and a new road located east of Capitol Boulevard connecting Linda Street to Lee Street. Design work is expected to be complete by the end of 2022. WATER RESOURCES & SUSTAINABILITY Sewer to Stormwater Cross Connection
Following a complaint from a concerned resident, staff from Water Resources uncovered a sewer-to-stormwater cross connection at a private residence and used dye testing to confirm the connection.
Dye testing at the catch basin
The Sewer Crew is cleaning the affected catch basins regularly while the Water Resources team works with the homeowner to fix the cross connection. Water sampling in the affected storm pond revealed elevated levels of E. coli bacteria. Utility casting repair.
Cleaning performed by the Sewer crew has helped lower the bacteria levels in the storm pond substantially, and continued maintenance is reducing potential public and environmental impacts downstream.
Public health advisories were distributed to the neighborhood, and signs were posted at the storm ponds warning of elevated bacteria levels.
Water Main Maintenance on Littlerock Road
Water main maintenance continues on Littlerock Road. The Water Distribution Crew, led by Mike Erickson, completed the abandonment of water services on Littlerock Road at the Fred Meyer/Costco entrance late Friday night. Additional work will be scheduled to replace isolation valves in that same intersection. New Sewer Lift Station Pumps Installed
Posted sign at the storm pond.
The Water Resources team continues to monitor water quality conditions and coordinate with other City departments to identify resources and solutions for the homeowner to repair the system. UTILITY OPERATIONS Improvements on Barnes Blvd & Crosby Blvd
The Storm Water Crew, led by Mark Teigen, is wrapping up drainage improvements at Barnes Boulevard and Crosby Boulevard to prevent groundwater from affecting the sidewalk and ADA ramp at the roundabout. These improvements will prevent water from ponding and freezing, allowing the sidewalk and ramp to remain open this winter. Looks Great!
Drain improvements at Barnes Boulevard and Crosby Boulevard
Evan Ozasa and the Sewer crew installed new sewer lift station pumps at Pioneer Park and Streamland Estates. The maintenance of the existing pumps was becoming a daily operation and significantly impacting the crew’s ability to address other system needs. The new pumps have been trouble free since their installation in September!