According to Puget Sound Fire Authority, paramedics evaluated nine people for exposure to hazardous materials at Kentridge High School in Kent Tuesday afternoon, including one student.

Two of the patients, both staff members, were transported to a medical facility for treatment, fire officials said.

Puget Sound Fire Authority, Renton Regional Fire Authority, the Port of Seattle fire department and King County Medic One responded to the high school around 2:40 p.m. Monday. The school had already been dismissed for the day, so no evacuation orders were issued.

Around 3:25 p.m., Hazardous Material response teams entered the school and conducted air monitoring. No hazards were detected.

It’s not yet clear what contaminant was the subject of the response.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue and South Whidbey Fire/EMS are exploring how increased collaboration between their two districts can continue to make operations more efficient, an ongoing effort that could lay the groundwork for a merger in the future.

Mergers are becoming increasingly common among fire districts, especially in Washington, and the possibility has been entertained on Whidbey. It’s “just what the industry has gone to,” Nick Walsh, fire chief at South Whidbey Fire/EMS, said.

Fire protection districts within “reasonable proximity” can merge or form regional fire authorities under Washington State law, specifically RCWs 52.06 and 52.26, although those may not be the only options for districts looking to combine. While mergers and regional fire authorities differ, their benefits and purposes are similar.

Merging is logical for districts seeking to improve service as call volume increases and funding decreases, explained Walsh. Merged districts may be able to put more firefighters on the scene of incidents faster than multiple separate districts.

South Whidbey Record – Metered site

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Brookfield Fire Department in central Vermont is without its tanker after a car struck it while crews responded to another crash.

The post VT Fire Department Tanker Totaled After Car Crashes Into It appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

La Mott Fire Company in Elkins Park, PA, plans a four-unit apartment building behind its firehouse to offer free or reduced-rent housing for volunteer firefighters.

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Longview fire officials are seeking a property tax levy to fund a third station.

The post Longview (WA) Fire Department Pitches New Station to Voters appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.