The City of Yelm has partnered with the SE Thurston Fire Authority to pursue grant funding for the remodeling and reopening of Lake Lawrence Fire Station #22 at 153rd Avenue.

Click here to read the resolution

Life is unpredictable. When someone is experiencing a cardiac emergency, the first step is always to call 911, but what do you do next? Making the call is not enough. You also need to begin chest compressions and continue pushing until responders arrive and take over for you. 

Watch the video below for more details.

KELSO, Wash. — About a dozen vehicles, some from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue and others donated vans, drove south on Interstate 5 late Friday afternoon.

The group was bringing the body of Battalion Chief Mike Zainfeld back from the Thurston County coroner’s office.

Zainfeld died Thursday afternoon by suicide.

“Just a really good guy,” said Cowlitz 2 Deputy Fire Chief Becky Robelin. “You wouldn’t find one person in this department that would not be positive about Mike Zainfeld.”

Fire Chief Dave LaFave said Zainfeld was always willing to help, do extra, lead by example, and help others inside and outside the fire service.

LaFave says that’s what led Zainfeld to volunteer to travel to Washington’s Oso landslide in 2014 to help recover victims. LaFave said that pulling parts of bodies from the debris over and over again left Zainfeld traumatized, eventually leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder last spring.

“We’re trying to understand it more,” said LaFave. “There’s not a lot of resources, frankly, for first responders — people that understand what they’re dealing with. Not unlike, probably, what the military’s dealing with in trying to take care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and Coast Guard. Same kinds of issues.”

Robelin has been focused on getting resources to help treat fire crews suffering PTSD, while trying to cope with an old culture among emergency workers to continue working, despite traumatic experiences, rather than acknowledging and dealing with them.

“I worked in the emergency department for 23 years,” said Robelin. “It was the same thing. If you didn’t buck up after a hard call, taking care of a patient, people would say, ‘Maybe this isn’t really the place for you to work.”

Fire officials say they’re still working on plans for a memorial or funeral service, possibly in early October.

Crews spent the morning of September 21st on a fully-involved structure fire this morning. All occupants were able to get out safely, though the home was a complete loss.

Tomorrow, September 11, 2019, marks the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This day is one that we should never forget, truly. While we contemplate on this day to honor those who passed, we should also remember the first responders at each scene. 

If you want to find out how to watch the live stream of the ceremony, click here.

Read the full article at Yelm Online.

Summer movies are an old tradition, right? Every year, Yelm Lions Club hosts free movies in Longmire Park, with refreshments available for purchase.

This summer’s showtimes are as follows:

• Aug 24 – “Mary Poppins Returns” at 8:15pm
• Sept 7 – “Incredibles 2” at 8pm

So many instances can cause a fire to start. But how would a dog cause one? Apparently, it could be an accident due to man’s best friend attempting to get a pizza box by a stove and accidentally turning it on. Read the story on the Nisqually Valley News site.

Originally posted on Nisqually Valley News.

Southeast Thurston Fire Authority firefighters responded to a brush fire Sunday in the 11700 block of Vail Road in Yelm.

The fire, which grew to about an acre and a half, burned multiple vehicles on the property, according to a Facebook post by the fire authority.

The fire was contained and caused no injuries.

Lacey Fire and East Olympia Fire also responded along with South County Battalion. The Department of Natural Resources responded with brush trucks and overhead support.

Originally posted on Nisqually Valley News.

A nearly century-old barn owned by a family in the Bald Hills area is still standing after hay within the structure spontaneously combusted Thursday evening, charring and damaging support beams inside.

Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 13847 148th Ave. SE at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11. A caller reported large amounts of smoke and flames from the gables of the 30-foot abandoned barn.

No injuries were reported.

Bald Hills Fire Protection District 17, the Southeast Thurston Fire Authority and Tenino Fire District 4 responded to the call, according to Bald Hills Deputy Chief Steven Slater, the site commander.

Upon arrival, responders were able to set up a defensive line and put out the fire quickly. The scene was cleared around 10:45 p.m.

“Given the small pile of hay, that’s what likely caused it,” Slater said.

The hay was likely smoldering for most of the day because of excess moisture, he said. Precipitation had been recorded in the days leading up to the fire.

Oscar Hernandez, who owns and manages the property with his wife Nicole, said he lost a modest amount of hay and livestock feed, which he uses to feed his cows and goats.

Without help from firefighters, Oscar Hernandez said their farm would likely have been a total loss.

“For my wife, it’s sentimental,” he said Friday from inside the still-standing barn. “She used to play up here in the loft.”