Mayor Condon's statement on Lt. Terry Canfield

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

May 28, 2015

 

Contact:         Brian Coddington

Communications Director                                  

(509) 625-6740

 

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MAYOR CONDON’S STATEMENT ON LT. TERRY CANFIELD

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Spokane Mayor David Condon issued the following statement regarding the death of Spokane Fire Department Lt. Terry Canfield:

 

“Terry’s death is a tremendous loss to the Spokane Fire Department and the entire community. Terry touched countless lives during his 28 years with the department. He will be remembered as a brilliant paramedic with a very compassionate heart.  He dedicated his life to helping people by easing their suffering and improving their lives through medicine and training. 

 

His colleagues talk about Terry as a man that put his family and faith above everything, and how evident that was the minute he started a conversation. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends, colleagues and others who had the good fortune to cross paths with him.”

 

About the City of Spokane

The City of Spokane, home to more than 210,000 people, is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest.  Our 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit www.spokanecity.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. 

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Memorial Day events to honor lost firefighters

 

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MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS TO HONOR LOST FIREFIGHTERS

FINAL MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO BE PLACED; STAIR CLIMB FINISHED

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On Monday, May 25, Memorial Day, at 4 pm the Spokane Firefighters Memorial Project, led by Spokane Fire Department Lieutenant Gregory Borg, will be dedicating the last of 17 plaques for Spokane Fire Department firefighters that have died in the line of duty. Captain George T. Chapman's who died on May 25th, 1894 will be remembered on Memorial Day.

 

This recognition will be held at Division and Main, the site of Fire Station 2 in the 1890's. Captain Chapman's great-grandchildren are coming from Nebraska and will be at the event. All 17 members of the Spokane Fire Department who have Died in the Line of Duty, will also be commemorated at this event.
         

At 5:30 pm, (on May 25th), Spokane Fire Department Captain Roger Libby will be making his final stair climb in memory of the 343 FDNY Firefighters that died on September 11, 2001. The climb will take place at the Bank of America Building (Riverside and Wall).

 

Captain Libby has been making these climbs of at least 110 stories for each FDNY member over the past 2 to 3 years and will be completing his Never Forget 343 Stairclimb Memoriam. Besides being the culmination of this several year tribute, FDNY Fire Lieutenant Arty Riccio, who lost members of his crew on 9-11, will be in attendance as Captain Libby makes the final climb for one of Lt. Riccio's crew members.

The Spokane County Firefighters Pipes and Drums will be at both events to remember the lives of these firefighters and their families.

The Spokane Firefighters Memorial Project mission is to honor the sacrifice made by those who served as professional fire fighters who have given their lives in the line of duty; help provide a visual tribute to honor each fallen hero at the location of their final service; and, help to educate the public about the firefighters who served and died in our community.
 
 Contacts: Gregory Borg, 509-998-3617, Roger Libby 509-951-0977

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Rescuers help injured man from riverbank

 

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RESCUERS HELP INJURED MAN FROM RIVERBANK

72-YEAR-OLD MAN SUFFERED LEG INJURIES

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Members of the Spokane Fire Department High Angle Rescue team, with the assistance of other rescuers, pulled an injured 72-year-old man from the steep banks of the Spokane River near the Post Street Bridge today.

 

Firefighters were called to the bridge at 9:47 am. Members of the Spokane Police Department and Riverfront Park Security were on scene, and helped remove the man from the river.

 

High Angle Rescue team members along with rescuers from three engines and a ladder truck utilized an aerial device and several ropes to safely extricate the man from the riverbank. He suffered from several abrasions and leg trauma, but was conversing with firefighters and police officers.

The man entered the river a few hundred yards upstream. 

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Minor fire damages downtown library elevator

 

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MINOR FIRE DAMAGES DOWNTOWN LIBRARY ELEVATOR

ELECTRICAL FIRE LIMITED TO ELEVATOR SHAFT; LIBRARY OPEN

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An electrical fire in the elevator of the downtown library was quickly contained this morning before it opened to the public. No one was injured and the library opened on time.

 

An employee reported that the elevators were not working and black smoke was seen in the parking garage under the library at 906 W. Main Ave. Fire crews were dispatched at 7:09 am and smelled a light odor on the first floor when they arrived.

 

Damage was limited to the mechanical infrastructure in the elevator shaft. The library opened on time at 10 am this morning.

 

Library elevators remain closed while technicians work to repair and reopen. Members of the public who need elevator access are directed to enter through the skywalk from River Park Square.

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Specialized training to be provided for ARUs

 

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SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO BE PROVIDED FOR ARUs

IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON NEARLY TWO YEARS OF INCIDENT DATA

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The Spokane Fire Department will provide specialized training to responders who currently staff the pilot Alternative Response Units and update dispatch procedures to better prepare units for calls they are likely to be sent on.

 

Nearly two years of call data identified opportunities to improve the program, which dispatches a smaller vehicle staffed by a single firefighter/EMT or firefighter/paramedic to non-emergency calls. Training and updates are expected to be completed by the first week of June. ARUs will not be dispatched to calls during the training period to allow for the changes and training to occur.

 

“The program has produced extremely positive results, and we have used the data to constantly analyze, change and improve it to deliver the best results to our citizens,” said Brian Schaeffer, assistant fire chief.

 

An independent third-party evaluation will be commissioned as part of the ongoing evaluation of the pilot program to determine its long-term feasibility.

 

The pilot ARU program, the result of a Fire Task Team recommendation, was launched in September 2013 as a way to introduce greater flexibility and reliability in meeting the increasing demand for medical services. The pilot program was extended a year ago through the end of 2016 based on extremely positive feedback from the community, medical outcomes and a number of successful performance metrics. Medical incidents account for 87 percent of all department responses when automobile accidents with a medical component are included.

 

The pilot ARUs have responded to 3,860 calls since the program began. Sending the smaller vehicle leaves the larger trucks in the station and available to respond to more critical, emergency incidents.

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Fire significantly damages West Central home

 

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FIRE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGES WEST CENTRAL HOME

CAUSE OF EARLY MORNING FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION

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The lone occupant of a West Central home that suffered significant fire damage early Monday escaped without injury. Fire investigators are working to determine a cause.

 

Crews were dispatched to the home at 2517 W. Broadway at 12:09 am and could see smoke and flame as they came across the Maple Street Bridge. Once on scene, crews found a large one-and-a-half story residence with large amounts of fire visible from the back side and all through the attic. Fire also had burned through the roof.

 

A total of 31 firefighters battled the fire, which also threatened a house to the east and burned a power line on the back side of the structure. Damage to the second floor, attic, roof and back wall was estimated at $75,000.

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Small aircraft with two occupants crashes into Spokane River

JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY

Spokane Police ** Spokane Fire ** Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

SMALL AIRCRAFT WITH TWO OCCUPANTS CRASHES INTO SPOKANE RIVER

 

May 7, 2015

 

Contact Person

            Deputy Chief Andy Hail

            Spokane Valley Fire Department

            509.370.5482

            haila@spokanevalleyfire.com

 

At 3:54 p.m., Thursday, May 7, Spokane Police and Fire departments received a report from Felts Field Air Traffic Control Tower staff that an aircraft declared an unspecified in-flight emergency.  Spokane Police (SPD) and Fire Departments immediately dispatched multiple resources to Felts Field in east Spokane.  While enroute, witnesses provided information that a small private aircraft had crashed into the Spokane River immediately to the east of the Upriver Dam.  The plane submerged under water to an undetermined depth after remaining afloat for a short period of time.

 

While attempting to access the crash site a slow moving freight train impeded and delayed the response of both police and fire responders, with a multiple minute delay.  At 4:04 p.m. the response was upgraded to a water rescue event with dispatch of additional resources from Spokane Fire (SFD), Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Dive Team.  Initial responders arrived at the south side of the River to initiate rescue efforts.

 

A unified command system was initiated to coordinate the rescue and recovery efforts that eventually involved 11 agencies.  Watercraft from SFD, SCSO and SVFD supported three SCSO Dive Team members, who extricated 2 adult males from the submerged aircraft and were able to transport the patients to shore where SFD medics initiated resuscitative efforts.  The patients’ status and medical conditions are unknown at this time.  Specific plane and flight information will likely be provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as part of their investigation tomorrow.

 

An unspecified amount of fuel was observed leaking from the plane.  Washington State Department of Ecology (WADOE) personnel are currently coordinating deployment of fuel containment booms and recovery efforts with SFD support.

 

Law enforcement and fire resources will remain on scene throughout the evening to ensure scene security and continued fuel clean-up efforts while awaiting the arrival of investigators from the NTSB, deployed from Los Angeles.

 

Further information will be provided in coordination with the NTSB.

 

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Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Fire burns interior of West Central home

 

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FIRE BURNS INTERIOR OF WEST CENTRAL HOME

ONE INJURED; CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION

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Firefighters contained a fire to the second floor bedroom of a home in West Central Spokane this evening. One person was injured and Spokane Fire Department investigators are working to determine a cause.

Neighbors reported smoke coming from the front of the residence at 1003 W. Frederick around 4:55 pm. The first arriving fire crews confirmed that heavy smoke was coming from the second floor window of the home. Firefighters entered and confined the fire to the second floor.

The fire started in a second-floor bedroom, burning a mattress and several furnishings, and also caused light structural damage. A total of 24 firefighters from four engine companies, two ladder trucks and one rescue quickly controlled the fire. A 45-year-old male that was visiting the occupants attempted to fight the fire and received first and second-degree burns to his hands and was treated by firefighters at the scene.

Damage was estimated at $4,000.

 

 

Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Fire burns exterior of northeast Spokane home

 

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FIRE BURNS EXTERIOR OF NORTHEAST SPOKANE HOME

NO ONE INJURED; CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION

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Firefighters contained a fire to the exterior of home in northeast Spokane this morning. No one was injured and Spokane Fire Department investigators are working to determine a cause.

 

Neighbors reported smoke and flames coming from the rear of the residence at 517 E. Liberty at 7:49 am. The first arriving fire crews confirmed that flames were showing.  

 

The majority of the fire was confined to the exterior of the residence and involved the siding. It also initially threatened extension into the soffit and attic area. A total of 24 firefighters from four engine companies, two ladder trucks and one rescue quickly controlled the fire.

 

Several salvage covers were also utilized to minimize damage to the contents of the interior of the home. Damage was estimated at $5,000. Avista Utilities secured the natural gas meter and de-energize the electrical line that serviced the structure. 

 

 

 

Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org

      

 

Fire damages north Spokane garage

 

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FIRE DAMAGES NORTH SPOKANE GARAGE

FIREFIGHTERS KEEP FIRE FROM SPREADING TO HOME

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Fire heavily damaged a detached garage in northwest Spokane on Friday evening, but firefighters knocked it down before it spread to the nearby home. Spokane police officers who were first on scene helped four occupants safely evacuate the home.

 

Spokane Fire Department crews were dispatched to 1109 W. Nebraska at 5:03 pm. Crews found the detached garage fully involved with fire, which was spreading to the residence a few feet away.

The fire was rapidly controlled by 24 firefighters from four engine companies, two ladder trucks and a rescue. Firefighters contained the fire to the garage and successfully prevented any significant fire extension to the home. Damage was estimated at $10,000.

 
Avista Utilities secured the natural gas meter and de-energized an electrical line that had fallen as a result of the fire.

No one was injured, and firefighters noted the home had working smoke detectors that were in the alarm mode when fire crews arrived on scene. The cause of the fire is being investigated by members of the Spokane Fire Department SIU.

 

 

 

Brian Coddington | City of Spokane | Director of Communications and Marketing

509.625.6740 | fax 509.625.6563 |bcoddington@spokanecity.org| spokanecity.org