Airway Heights Fire Department (AHFD) officially christened its part-time firefighter program with the April 1 hiring of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Brenda Wittig. Wittig, who lives in Spokane Valley, has been a volunteer firefighter with the department for the past two years. "It is exciting," Wittig said.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cheney Free Press

Paul Parker’s introduction to the fire service in Mattawa came not long after he and his wife Bonnie moved to town. “When I got here in 1957, into the trailer court, a guy came over to welcome us and told me, ‘You’re on the fire department and you’ve got to have a shovel and a garden hose in your car at all times,’” he said.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Columbia Basin Herald

Investigators declared the blaze that destroyed multiple businesses on April 7 in the town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island an act of arson. City officials said the four-alarm fire that caused millions in damage originated on the deck behind the commercial building housing Crystal Seas Kayaking. Multiple agencies were called to battle the fire that lasted for hours.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

Seven people were displaced when a fire broke out on the second floor of a multi-family home on the 1800 block of W. 7th Avenue Thursday morning. Fire crews were called out to the location just before 10 a.m. and said they were able to get the fire under control in about 10 minutes. No injuries have been reported at this time.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

Ames Fire Department invites the public to a “Push-In Ceremony” to celebrate a recently acquired fire and rescue vehicle. The event will begin at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 18, at Fire Station No. 3, 2400 S. Duff Ave.

The new $1.16 million apparatus, the department’s first tower, features a basket at the end of the aerial device. The basket can hold several firefighters and provides access to high-rise structures for rescues while also allowing for elevated water streams. The vehicle was custom-made for Ames Fire by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wis., and has been named Tower 1. Tower 1 was a scheduled vehicle replacement that expands firefighting capabilities to the department.

“We continually look for ways to improve our ability to respond quickly to any public safety incident with the most effective equipment,” said Fire Chief Rich Higgins. “We are excited about the additional resources Tower One provides to Ames citizens.”

Push-in ceremonies are a fire service tradition dating back to the late 1800s. Horse-drawn fire equipment, especially pumper trucks, had to be disconnected from the horses and pushed into fire stations by firefighters. Due to limited parking, those attending the Tower One Push-In Ceremony should plan to park along the frontage road in front of the fire station.

The Ames Fire Department is a full-service municipal department comprised of 59 firefighters located at three fire stations. Ames Fire focuses on prevention, suppression, emergency services, and fire safety inspections.