"Dedicated to the community for the preservation and protection of life and property through education, prevention and emergency services"

Services Provided

Fire Suppression/Rescue

The City of SeaTac Fire Department responds to a variety of fires that we must deal with. These include:

Residential Fires - Single-family dwellings, multi-family apartments/condos, and mobile homes. More civilians and firefighters die in residential fires than in any other.
Commercial Fires - We have the responsibility to suppress fires in any of the numerous high-rise hotels and office buildings in our City. Some of the other commercial fires we respond to include those that are in the light manufacturing and air freight warehouses, smaller hotels and motels, restaurants, retail stores, nursing homes, and public and private schools.
Vehicle Fires- Ranging from automobiles and recreational vehicles to gasoline tankers and semi trucks. Brush Fires, Dumpster Fires, Etc. - Brush fires are common along Interstate 5 and International Blvd. Dumpster fires are common in the city's apartment complexes.

The City of SeaTac Fire Department also trains to respond to a variety of rescue situations that we may deal with. These include:

Vehicle Extrication - Utilizing powered hydraulic rescue tools, commonly known as the "Jaws of Life," we disentangle victims that are trapped inside vehicles from accidents. We also use high and low pressure air bags, referred to as "rescue bags," that can lift vehicles off of victims trapped underneath.
Confined Space Rescue - Our fire fighters are trained to respond to victims that are trapped in confined spaces. Some of these spaces include manholes, wells, and ditches. Some of the equipment that we use for these rescues are tripods, supplied air breathing apparatus, rescue ropes, various harnesses, and air monitoring equipment.
Surface Water Rescue - We respond to water rescue situations at any of the lakes (Angle Lake, Bow Lake) or any of the swimming pools (mostly hotels) in the City of SeaTac. For lake responses, we are trained to rescue victims from the surface of the water utilizing rescue ropes or fire hose filled with air. For swimming pool responses, we are trained to immobilized patients that have been involved in diving accidents and can do so without having to remove them from the pool first.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

The City of SeaTac Fire Department provides emergency medical treatment to the sick and injured. Our firefighters are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and provide Basic Life Support (BLS). Basic Life Support includes procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), cardiac defibrillation (shocking the heart), treatment for airway obstruction, oxygen therapy, spinal immobilization, and bandaging and splinting.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) is provided by paramedics from King County Medic One. They are highly trained, skilled professionals in emergency medicine. They respond with SeaTac City Firefighters to life-threatening medical and traumatic emergencies within our jurisdiction. A King County Medic Unit (Medic 4) responds from SeaTac Fire Station 3.

Firefighter/EMTs from the City of SeaTac usually respond to medical emergencies in fire engines. On occasion, a Fire Department Aid Unit will respond if staffing allows. Each engine company does, however, carry the vital emergency medical equipment.

Hazardous Materials Response

The City of SeaTac Fire Department is part of a regional Hazardous Materials Response Team in South King County. Our firefighters are trained to the Operations Level and this allows us to operate in a defensive manner. This includes recognizing and identifying a hazardous material situation and taking defensive measures. This includes isolating the hazard area, controlling the spread by diverting the material to a safe location, constructing dikes and dams to confine the material, and controlling ignition sources. The Technician Level responders come from the Port of Seattle Fire Department and South King Fire & Rescue. They are trained to operate in an offensive manner and have the ability to plug and patch containers. They have the Personal Protective Equipment necessary to accomplish the tasks.

Our fire department will provide the Operations Level personnel to set up decontamination areas (decon pools) and will perform decon operations if needed. In 1997, we purchased a "decon shelter" to be used by the HazMat Response Team. The decon shelter is carried on the Port of Seattle's HazMat Unit.

Fire & Life Safety

Fire Marshal - The Fire Marshal is the director of the Fire & Life Safety Division and is responsible for the development and enforcement of the City of SeaTac fire codes and ordinances and is the City's designated official for all matters relating to fire and life safety. On the recommendation of the Fire Marshal and the Building Official, the SeaTac City Council has adopted fire and life safety ordinances that exceed the minimum standards mandated by the State of Washington. The Fire Marshal is also responsible for the planning, direction, and coordination of all the City's fire prevention and public education activities.

Engine Company Inspection Program - Engine company inspections are conducted to develop positive community relations, public awareness, pre-fire planning, structural knowledge, assurance of a fire safe operation, and to motivate the public in voluntarily eliminating any existing fire hazards. To achieve this, it is the policy of the SeaTac Fire Department to conduct annual inspections at each commercial occupancy within the corporate limits of the City. A fair number of these occupancies are multi-building and/or multi-story occupancies such as apartments, hotels, and schools.

Engine company officers have the discretion to issue oral corrections, field written notices of violation or formal letters of violation (sent through the Fire & Life Safety Division) depending on the number, severity, and complexity of the fire and life safety problems discovered. They also have the option of referring the occupancy to the Fire & Life Safety Division for technical review and enforcement.

Fire Code Permits - Fire & Life Safety permits for unusually hazardous facilities, activities, and operations (as mandated by the International Fire Code) are issued on an annual basis. There is a $60.00 fee for each permit, and multiple permits for the same occupancy are treated separately so that each permit is assessed the standard fee. The division secretary tracks the issuance and renewal of the permits based on information from the permit holders together with information regarding the need for the permits from the engine company inspections, business license inspections by the Fire Marshal, and new construction inspections by the Fire Inspector.

Temporary permits are issued for short-term hazardous activities and uses such as construction and demolition, cutting and welding, fireworks displays, fairs or carnivals and so forth; the fee for each temporary permit is $30.00. These permits are issued with a definite time limit and are subject to a site inspection by the division. Temporary permits are also issued for the decommissioning of unused residential underground storage tanks (heating oil tanks) that are to be filled with an inert material or actually removed from the site. The standard permit fee is waived for these permits, but an inspection is still required by the division at the time of fill or removal of the tank.

Plan Reviews - The Fire & Life Safety Division conducts plan reviews for all new construction projects submitted to the SeaTac Building Division and all land use changes submitted to the SeaTac Planning Department. These reviews ensure that the relevant provisions of the International Fire Code are designed into the projects prior to the issuing of a building permit or the final approval of a land use change. The major issues considered for both types of reviews include emergency vehicle access, hydrant location and fire flow, provision of fire protection systems and any hazardous activities or uses as regulated by the fire code.

The division also does the sole review and approval of fire protection system plans and of designs for hazardous materials storage and use, although plans are submitted through and permits are issued by the Building Division. All designs for automatic sprinkler, fire alarm, fire suppression, underground and aboveground storage of flammable and combustible liquids and storage of liquefied petroleum gas are checked for compliance with the International Fire Code, International Fire Code Standards, and the relevant National Fire Protection Association Standards.