What a year! The Holiday season is here with Thanksgiving just around the corner.  

From everyone at SE Thurston Fire Authority, we want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! We hope you stay safe and healthy this holiday.

2020 has been a rough year, largely due to the COVID-19 virus. With cases rising, and in an effort to keep citizens as safe as possible, the Governor released updated guidelines on November 15th. 

Please read the new guidelines here. Remember to wear your mask, practice social distancing, and stay safe out there!

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 51 on Thursday, the third straight day of significant increases in Thurston County.

The county reported a new single-day high of 62 cases on Tuesday, plus 47 more on Wednesday and 51 on Thursday, according to Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

Click here to read the full article on The Olympian.

Every second counts in an emergency, and valuable time can be lost if your address number is not immediately clear to responders. SE Thurston Firefighters Association offers high visibility signs in an effort to solve the problem.

The cities of Yelm, Rainier, and surrounding unincorporated are some of the fastest growing cities in the state. More housing developments and new addresses can lead to greater confusion for residents and emergency personnel alike. Though such housing developments dot the landscape, rural areas remain, with long driveway entrances leading to homes that can be difficult to locate from the road.

Our high visibility signs display house numbers with three-inch reflective numbers and are visible up to 300 feet away, day or night. The signs, attached to a metal post, are meant to be installed near driveways to allow emergency responders to quickly identify a home’s address.

Medical emergencies make up the majority of SE Thurston Fire’s calls. Cardiac arrest, diabetic shock and accident injuries are the most common, each with its own set of complications that increase as each minute goes by while the victim waits for aid.

Signs may be ordered from the SE Thurston Firefighter’s Association for $20 (plus $4 for the metal post). SE Thurston Fire offers free installation within their service area for those who purchase the sign and the metal post together.

To order a sign, download this PDF form and mail it to our office.

Make checks payable & mail to:

S.E. Thurston Firefighter Association
High Visibility Address Signs
PO Box 777
Yelm, WA 98597

For additional details or questions, please call us at 360-458-2799. In Case of an Emergency call 911.

Sold by S.E. Thurston Fire Association.

Click on the image below to download the order form.

It’s holiday time, and that would usually mean family gatherings. However, like the rest of 2020, some changes may be happening this year.  

With so much information coming at us every day, having a resource to reference when you have questions is important. The state has such a resource for us to use: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/

Stay updated with the latest health information and stay safe this holiday season.

TEXT TO 9-1-1 is available in Thurston County! While this can be a useful tool in certain situations, this is not meant to be a replacement for calling 911 in an emergency. TEXT TO 9-1-1 is more meant to aid responders in specific situations such as:

• Hearing/voice impaired caller
• Medical emergencies that prevent the caller from speaking
• Emergencies in which speaking would put the caller in danger (i.e. home invasion, domestic violence, etc.)

Looking for more information? Click here.

Please be aware that there is a new scam going on. This scam consists of someone hacking into your Facebook/Messenger site. They are texting messages to friends in your Facebook account. They seem to be targeting retired folks as they are telling you about a government assistance program to help pay your bills. They send you a “personal” phone number to an unknown attorney general and want you to call it. Please disregard such messages and let the person know someone has hacked into their account.

When an emergency happens, seconds count. Every home should have a plan in place, especially in case of a fire. If your home is a single story, it could be as simple as going out a window. But what if your only way out of a two story home was through a window on the upper floor?

Smoke can make it hard to see and breathe, and you can easily become disoriented in your own home. A safe, quick escape is crucial and a fire escape ladder can help you with that. 

Check out this video for information on choosing, installing, and testing a fire escape ladder for your home.

Two Los Angeles police officers are recovering in hospital after being shot in what police are calling an ambush.

Video of the incident shows a figure approach the officers’ vehicle, before opening fire and running away.

Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva called the act “cowardly”. The suspect remains at large.

Click here to read the full article from the BBC.

The SE Thurston Fire Authority would like to applaud two of our firefighters: Joshua Burkhardt and Jeremy McLellan. Burkhardt and McLellan were mobilized to the Lake Palmer area to assist with the fire in the area. Their hard work helped to save a family’s home and we would like to share the message of thanks they sent us.

James and Monika Sturdivant live on Palmer Lake. On August 21st of this year, they were told by the fire marshall that they needed to evacuate the area due to the encroaching fire. The Sturdivants evacuated to a safe place. From where they were staying, James said that they could see the flames spreading close to where they knew their house was. 

Having been told by the fire marshall that the responders were short-handed, they returned to their home early the next morning, prepared for the worst. When they arrived, however, they found their house safe and intact with one of SE Thurston Fire Authority’s trucks parked between the house and the fire.

The Sturdivants sent their thanks for Joshua Burkhardt and Jeremy McLellan. Their actions helped save this family’s home.