Written by Paul CaseyPresident Cindy Runger welcomed Fire Chief Harold D. Scoggins and members of the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) at a recognition luncheon in honor of the SFD and other local agencies who work together to keep us safe. The gathering took place at the Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom to an overflow crowd of Rotarians and friends.
The ceremony began with the entrance of SFD Pipes and Drums, followed by the Walter Kilgore Memorial Honor Guard, who made the presentation of colors. KING 5’s Mark Wright and Seattle Fire Deputy Chief Tom Walsh emceed the
90-minute ceremony. Deputy Mayor Michael Fong thanked the SFD for their service and the Rotary Club of Seattle for hosting the event. Also, in attendance were Seattle City Council members Teresa Mosqueda, Sally Bagshaw, and Lisa Herbold.
Fire Chief Harold Scoggins reported that in 2018, there were over 150,000 calls to the SFD and 19,000 emergency responses. Chief Scoggins acknowledged the role of the SFD on the tragic day that a crane came down on Mercer Street. Chief Scoggins said what we didn’t hear that day was that at the same time, the SFD was rescuing five people who had fallen in the water. Chief Scoggins concluded his remarks by asking Rotarians to acknowledge the heroism of Eric Stark, a Metro bus driver, who after being shot in the chest, pulled his bus and passengers to safety. Rotarians gave Eric a standing ovation.
Seattle Fire Foundation Chair Lindsey Pflugrath followed Chief Scoggins. Pflugrath spoke of an immediate effort underway to raise money for custom design ballistic gear vests. So far $50,000 has been raised. This will allow the immediate purchase of 40 ballistic gear vests. Pflugrath noted that 85% of calls that the SFD receives annually have nothing to do with fires. This demonstrates how many other safety activities the SFD is involved with. Pflugrath also spoke of the need to raise funds for educating students about what to do in case of a fire.IAFF Local 27 Seattle Fire Fighters Union President Kenny Stuart expressed how proud he was of the 1,000 firefighters and paramedics that make up SFD. He said that he had no reservation in saying that Seattle firefighters were tops in the country. Stuart said that they are dealing with density challenges, affordable housing, mental health, homelessness, and opioid addictions on a daily basis.
Prior to moving into the awards part of the program, Mark Wright acknowledged firefighters who are currently deployed: Lieutenant Chris Carter, Captain David Pagan, and Firefighter Tyler Renner.
2018 Award Winners Administrative Citation:
Lieutenant Jon Goins, Lieutenant Josh Pearson, Paramedic Miki Mann, and Chief Warehouser Sundae Garner worked closely with the Seattle Police Department to train firefighters on responding to active shooter situations.
Commendations for Individual Actions Performed with Excellence:
- Lieutenant Ian Bennett implemented Flow and Move training for better coordination on the hose line.
- Lieutenants Steve Crothers and Tim Frank developed an aerial operator academy which will improve truck company operational effectiveness.
- Battalion Chief Geoff Wall and Firefighter Josh Materi created an elevator rescue class for ladder companies.
- Battalion Chief Casey Phillips, Firefighter Matt Lujan, and Firefighter Aaron Fields came up with a new way of configuring the hose bed layout on engines.
- Firefighters Roger Bianchi and Scott Kallstrom have provided logistical support for special events and large-scale training exercises.
- Firefighter Paul Guerra came upon a seriously injured motorcyclist and provided medical assistance until local responders arrived. He continued to help until the patient was airlifted.
- Lieutenant Spencer Nelson rescued a woman being pulled by the surf at Shark’s Cove while vacationing with his family in Oahu. He performed CPR until local responders arrived.
- Firefighters Lopez and Marissa Luchau were headed southbound on I-5 and came upon a serious motorcycle accident. Their quick actions were instrumental in saving the victim’s life.
- Firefighter John Gorman observed an adult and two children in the water during Seafair. He saw the man and one of the children get pulled underwater and brought them to safety.
- Lieutenant Joshua McBride came upon a serious accident near the Snoqualmie Summit. One of the victims wasn’t breathing. Through Lieutenant McBride’s efforts, he was able to adjust a seat which allowed the person to breathe again.
- Firefighter Chris Quinlan witnessed a crash on I-5 by a truck into a jersey barrier on I-5. Two semi-tractor trailers hit the pickup causing it to burst into flames. Firefighter Quinlan pulled the victim to safety. Firefighter Quinlan was also recognized for coming to the rescue of a man who had fallen 40 feet from a tree that he had been topping.
- Firefighter Paul Hansen came upon a brush fire near a neighbor’s home. Firefighter Hansen drove his backhoe to help save the neighborhood from being engulfed in flames.
Firefighter Jonathan Helton was recognized for investing a significant amount of time outside of work.Certificates of Recognition were given to agencies and individuals who contributed to the safety of others:
- Seattle City Light
- Fallon Sullivan
- Charles and Leo Ribas
- Michael and Michelle Welch
- Seattle Police Officer Chris Couet
Employees of the Year Awards:
- Community Service Award: Travis Stanley
- Customer Service Award: Margie Viall
- Employee of the Year: Julie George
- Firefighter of the Year: Andrew Finseth
- Officer of the Year: Lieutenant Tobin Graves
- Chief of the Year: Matt Rogers
- Lifetime Achievement: Lieutenant Ed Peterson
A Unit Citation and Certificates of Recognition were presented to the US Coast Guard, Washington State Ferries, Seattle Fire paramedics, and Harborview Medical Center. All were involved in saving the life of Deena, who was paddle boarding with her partner. They were in an accident and all of the above agencies came together to successfully save Deena’s life. Unfortunately, her boyfriend did not survive. Chief Scoggins presented the Service Above Self Award to Jason Maxwell. While working at Terminal 18 on Harbor Island, he saw what looked to be a person floating on the water. Jason acted on instinct and jumped into the water and swam over to the unconscious person. He lifted him into a small boat and performed CPR until medics could take over.
Cindy Runger closed the electric gathering by thanking everyone who participated with a particular thank-you to the SFD Awards Committee. Cindy said the luncheon would be posted on YouTube later in the week. With the ring of the bell, the meeting was adjourned.
This week's Totem Report was written by Paul Casey. 