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Posted: Aug 17, 2017

WFC Express Concerns Regarding Chlorine Gas Evacuation

The WFC recently sent a letter to the Washington Congressional delegation outlining concerns regarding chlorine gas evacuation.  Please click to see the full letter.

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Posted: Aug 17, 2017

Firefighters Seek To Block Industry Tool Said To Ease RMP Compliance

Washington state firefighters are urging Democratic senators to halt development of a novel dispersion modeling approach for assessing risks from toxic gas releases, arguing the federal agency and industry collaboration underestimates risks to the public in filings with EPA and other agencies, though an industry group says the method is based on sound science and may still be revised.

In an Aug. 2 letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and other senators, Washington Fire Chiefs Executive Director Wayne Senter argues that chemical and railroad industries are pushing the new assessment approach -- developed in conjunction with the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DOD) -- that downplays risks from potential disasters by dramatically reducing the distance toxic gases are projected to travel.

“The industry-initiated but federal agency-enabled and Congressionally-funded effort . . . has all along explicitly aimed at significantly modifying in a risk-minimizing direction the downwind toxic cloud estimates in all of the major national emergency response guidance documents, including . . . chemical facility submissions to the US EPA's Risk Management Program,” Senter writes....

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Posted: Jul 25, 2017

Bereavement Uniform Program

The Bereavement Uniform Program, after almost five years, has come to the end of its beginning.  The program is up, running and available to all and the opportunity for every firefighter, paid or volunteer, active or retired, to answer their ‘last call’ in a Class A at no charge to the family, is now a reality… 
 
… and it is time to thank those organizations and individuals who were instrumental in getting the program to where it is today. 
 
A big thank you is in order to Washington’s Fire Service Organizations and this note is to recognize those associations and acknowledge their efforts in creating awareness with their membership. 
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Posted: Jul 25, 2017

Emergency Response a Training Conflict

The primary responsibility for any fire department is to respond to calls from the public. Emergency response has steadily increased year after year. However, the response model and staffing are slow to respond to the growth in call volume. Training officers must evaluate the training plan and determine if calls are undermining the efficiency of training.

In high call volume systems, it is a constant battle between quality training and units being forced to break away to respond to calls. Online training has become a popular method for dealing with this conflict, though overuse of this format of training can be detrimental to core competencies. Drill ground evolutions and Instructor-Directed courses should be the primary method of training for the fire service. Online-individualized training and group Instructor managed training must be able to strike a balance. 
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Posted: Jul 17, 2017

Lynden Fire Department suffers loss of their Fire Chief - Chief Robert Spinner

Lynden Fire Department

It is with deep regret that we announce the line of duty death of Fire Chief Robert Spinner of the Lynden Fire Department.  Chief Spinner died after noon on Friday July 14, 2017 from an apparent heart attack.  This is the first line of duty death in the 107 year history of the Lynden Fire Department. 


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