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| South King Firefighters to give back salary increase | South King Firefighters agreed to wage concession giving back a 4.1% salary increase in an effort to help South King Fire & Rescue maintain fire and emergency medical services for the citizens of Federal Way and Des Moines. The concessions by South King Firefighters Union, IAFF Local 2024 will save the fire department approximately $500,000. This money can be used to maintain current fire department response times, staffing and equipment.
The department budget has dropped 22% from 2009 due to the economic downturn in local property values requiring the department to reduce 23 operations and staff positions over the past 2 years including a full time aid car operating out of a central Federal Way Fire Station.
"We know the community is struggling to support public safety financially, this was our chance to give back in order to maintain service levels" said Ryan Herrera, President of South King Firefighters Union, Local 2024. The fire department was informed on January 19th that the firefighters had approved the concession. "I am proud of our firefighters for coming forward with this concession for the second year in a row when they still had another year on an already agreed upon contract" says Fire Chief Al Church. The concession was approved last week by the Board of Fire Commissioners at South King Fire & Rescue.
The firefighters had previously given up a 2% increase in 2011. All non-contract employees at South King Fire & Rescue have not had any salary increase in the past 2 years as the fire department continues to work hard to decrease expenses.
| | Learn About Fire Escape Plans |  In the event of a fire, remember that every second counts, so you and your family must always be prepared. Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly. In less than 30 seconds, a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for a house to fill with thick black smoke and become engulfed in flames.
Prepare and practice your fire escape plan twice a year with everyone in your household, including children and people with disabilities. It's also a good idea to practice your plan with overnight guests. Some tips to consider when preparing your escape plan include:
Draw a map of each level of your home and show all doors and windows. Find two ways to get out of each room. Make sure all doors and windows that lead outside open easily.
Only purchase collapsible escape ladders evaluated by a recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Use the ladder only in a real emergency.
Teach children how to escape on their own in case you cannot help them.
Have a plan for everyone in your home who has a disability.
Practice your fire escape plan at night and during the daytime.
| | Basic Firefighting Testing for SKFR Hiring List | The application process for Bates Technical College 2012 joint recruitment test opens today!
Important Dates:
Jan 17 application process opens
Feb 10 application process closes
March 3 written exam
May 5 CPAT Test
Applications and more information are at www.bates.ctc.edu/firefighter . | | CPR and First Aid Training Available Monthly at South King Fire & Rescue | Do you need a current First Aid and CPR card for your workplace? A First Aid and CPR course is available the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 -3:30 at our Traning Station. There is a $40 fee for this class and pre-registration with pre-payment is required. Visit the Community Programs page on our website for more information and the registration form.
| | Focus on Fire Safety: Heating Fire Safety | The high cost of home heating fuels and utilities has caused many Americans to search for alternative home heating sources such as wood burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces. Heating is one of the leading causes of residential fires. Over one-quarter of these fires result from improper maintenance of equipment, specifically the failure to clean the equipment.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is another danger when using heating equipment fueled by fossil fuel. It occurs most often when equipment is not vented properly. CO deaths have been on the rise since 1999. On average there were 181 unintentional non-fire deaths from CO poisoning associated with consumer products per year from 2004-2006 compared to 123 from 1999-2001 (Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission). Carbon monoxide poisoning is most fatal to adults age 65 or older.
| | Preventing Home Heating Fires |  In 2003-2006, the leading factor contributing to home heating fires (28%) and deaths (46%) was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding (Source: NFPA).
Many heating fires can be prevented by following basic safety tips when dealing with any heating equipment:
Keep or maintain a 3 foot clearance between all heating equipment and anything that can burn.
Inspect and maintain heating equipment regularly for safety.
Be sure to have fixed space heaters installed by a qualified technician, according to manufacturers instructions or applicable codes. Or, make sure a qualified technician checks to see the unit has been properly installed.
When buying a new, portable space heater, make sure it has the label showing it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room and before going to bed.
Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn - including furniture, blankets, curtains, and paper products.
Choose space heaters that turn off automatically if they tip over.
Never use a space heater to dry clothing.
Do not use your oven to heat your home.
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
Test smoke alarms monthly.
Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Wood Burning Stoves and Fireplaces:
Be sure the fireplace or stove is installed properly. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (3 feet) from combustible surfaces and proper floor support and protection.
Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid construction and design, and should be evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
The stove should be burned hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.
Have your chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time.
Dont use excessive amounts of paper to build fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire.
Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite these materials.
Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house.
If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on the package. NEVER break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.
Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire.
Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
Allow fireplace and wood stove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container.
Kerosene Heaters
Read and follow the procedure in the owners manual before you attempt to operate or service the unit.
Learn the safety and maintenance procedures necessary to safely operate the heating unit.
Always use water clear K-1 grade kerosene.
Never use gasoline or any other volatile fuels in the unit.
Never refuel the heater indoors, when it is hot, or in use.
Do not fill the fuel tank past the full mark. The space above the full mark is there to allow expansion of the fuel when it is operated.
Always provide adequate ventilation for the unit. Burning kerosene consumes oxygen, and produces carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases which may cause you to suffocate or have other respiratory problems.
Check with your local fire department to make sure kerosene heaters are allowed in your community.
Electric Heaters:
Check to ensure the heater has a thermostat control mechanism.
Choose a heater that will turn off automatically if it tips over.
Never dry clothes or store objects on stop of the heater.
Never use extension cords with electric heaters.
Keep anything that may burn at least 3 feet away from the heater.
Never allow children to play with, or around, the heater.
Never place anything inside the grill on the front of the heater.
| | Carbon Monoxide Safety | Each year unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning claims hundreds of lives and sends several thousands of people to the emergency room for treatment. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of exposure.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill before you are aware it is in your home. CO can come from several sources: gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces, and motor vehicles.
You can protect yourself and your family by following a few easy steps:
Install at least one CO alarm with an audible warning signal evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), near sleeping areas and outside individual bedrooms. CO alarms measure levels of the gas over time and are designed to sound an alarm before an average, healthy adult would experience symptoms.
Have your heating system, water heater, and any other gas, oil or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
Never use your range or oven to help heat your home and never use a charcoal grill or hibachi in your home or garage.
Never keep a car running in a garage. Even if the garage door is open, normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air to reliably prevent a dangerous buildup of CO.
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