Local first responders are talking about ongoing issues they face when responding to 911 calls. Fire and EMS providers now rely on GPS systems that sometimes take them far from where they need to go. Fire Chief Jerry Hanson says it’s an issue for East Prospect Fire Company about once a month. “There was a fire last month on Otter Street, which is literally two miles from here, but the way it came up on mapping, it wanted me to go to Columbia,” Hanson said.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WHTM-TV ABC 27 News

The office of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan launched a new performance dashboard Wednesday, providing residents both a central hub to access information about the city’s many services and a series of data visualizations showing well the city is delivering on its promises. The new website, called Performance Seattle, uses charts, maps and descriptions of its goals to provide a window into the city’s performance across seven domains, such as homelessness response, capital projects, and “future of work.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: State Scoop

A Pasco firefighters union donated $500 to help the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels repair or replace a delivery van that was stolen and vandalized last month. Local 1433 Pasco Union Firefighters Charitable Foundation learned about the stolen and damaged van and wanted to help out. Union president, James McGrath, said he holds a personal connection to Meals on Wheels and even traveled to Nashville, Tennessee with the Nutrition Services Director, Kristi Thien, to learn more about the program.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2019 7:38:43 PM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

San Juan County Manager Mike Thomas brought a draft resolution in front of the county council that could help fund a radio upgrade for emergency services. During its regular meeting on Dec. 3, the council was presented with a resolution to put a sales tax increase on the February ballot that would pay for improving outdated EMS communication.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2019 2:04:35 AM - SOURCE: Journal of the San Juans

A City of Newburgh Fire Department union leader is denouncing what he described as a new structure for the impending layoffs of first responders on Dec. 31, but City Manager Joe Donat contends this method is the fair and right way to do business. The 2020 city budget calls for 14 firefighters to lose their jobs at the end of the year.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Times Herald Record - Metered Site