Deputy Dominique Calata was shot during a SWAT operation on March 15. He died March 16.
Click here to read the complete article on King5 News’ website.
All general news stories will be filed under this category.
Deputy Dominique Calata was shot during a SWAT operation on March 15. He died March 16.
Click here to read the complete article on King5 News’ website.
Discussing fire safety with your kids is important, but sometimes fun activities help them to remember what was discussed. We told you about the Smokey the Bear site for kids before, but we wanted to highlight some of the activities on the site.
The first one is their Story Maker. Much like Mad Libs, this tool allows your child to fill in each blank with a word or two. After clicking “Create Story,” they can read the story they created.
The other fun activity on the site is a coloring page designer. This tool lets kids choose a border and then one of several designs that they can print and then color.
Originally posted on Nisqually Valley News’ website.
One person was found dead in the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 25 after a fire destroyed a residence near the city of Rainier, according to the Southeast Thurston Fire Authority.
The person who died was described only as an “adult” in a news release, stated The Olympian.
At about 4:50 a.m. on Feb. 25, fire crews responded to the blaze in the area of Jonas Hill Road, located outside Rainier, according to The Olympian.
Crews arrived to find the fire underway, stated The Olympian, which included flames that were visible through the center of the roof. The intensity of the fire and damage to the structure prevented crews from accessing the main fire area, according to The Olympian.
That’s the same area where the resident was found dead.
East Olympia Fire District 6, South Thurston Fire & EMS and Thurston County Fire District 17 also were dispatched to assist SE Thurston Fire.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office also was on scene, according to The Olympian.
We all know that working smoke alarms can mean the difference between a safe exit and potential harm in an emergency. However, typical smoke alarms don’t always protect anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. If they can’t hear the alarm or people yelling for them to evacuate, how can they stay safe? Here are some options to keep in mind:
One option is to install a fire alarm that has a strobe light system. The flashing lights are there to help keep the deaf and hard of hearing safe. As with traditional smoke alarms, the lights on these systems should be tested on a regular basis to ensure continued safety.
Another suggestion is using a device that notifies the person via vibrations. This can include vibrators for pillows, a shaker for the bed, or something the person can wear throughout their day. The device activates to the sound of a traditional fire alarm. The person may not be able to hear the fire alarm, but the device can and then sends an alert via vibrations to alert that person.
Another example is to have a mixed pitch alarm installed. This option is good for people with hearing loss or who might be heavier sleepers. Basically, the alarm makes a lower-pitched sound, with mixed tones at 520 Hz. This sound can be heard by a wider portion of the population and, importantly, can wake you from a deep sleep so you can get to safety.
We all know that safety is important and that having safety and escape plans in case of a fire are crucial. Do these plans include your fur babies? They should! Our safety plans should include our pets, as they depend on us for so much.
Just like preventive measures are important with children (making sure that candles, lighters, etc. are out of their reach), we should make sure that we put measures in place to prevent our pets from getting into dangerous situations. Here are what some of these measures can look like:
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. These items will, however, help you to keep your home and family safe, including the furry members of the family.
We all use certain items regularly. Most of them will never present a problem, there are some that we should all use with a little extra caution. Here are some everyday items that are, or could be, highly flammable:
Practicing fire safety plans and other drills are an important part of remaining safe. We should all take a few steps of caution when dealing with objects that can catch fire fast, as well, though. Part of that caution is simply knowing what you’re handling and the best ways to stay safe while using those items.
Originally posted on the Nisqually Valley News website.
The Southeast Thurston Fire Authority needs to purchase a new ambulance, and has sought help from the state treasurer’s Local Option Capital Asset Lending (LOCAL) Program to find financing options for the purchase.
The LOCAL Program helps districts across the state find financing for a variety of projects. Currently, eight municipalities across Washington, two state agencies, and three colleges are set to use the program to finance new equipment, emergency vehicles and building upgrades in partnership with the Office of the State Treasurer, according to a news release.
Southeast Thurston Fire Chief Mark King said the ambulance purchase would not have been possible without the partnership.
“If it wasn’t for the LOCAL Program, more than likely we’d have to delay this purchase for possibly as long as two years,” King said. “We tend to run our service vehicles up to the 200,000-plus mile range. The ambulance that we’re replacing is over 18 years old and has more than 200,000 miles on it, so this purchase will go a long way to helping us reliably cover the communities we serve.”
This is the first time the fire authority has enrolled in the LOCAL Program. Southeast Thurston Fire Authority provides first response fire and emergency services, as well as hospital transport, to areas covering 129 square miles, which includes the cities of Yelm and Rainier.
LOCAL Program partners gain access to low financing rates, see a reduction of future interest costs and allow more taxpayer dollars to be kept in local communities, the release stated.
The program is supported by the sale of what are called “certificates of participation,” which occurs three times a year.
“My office is always looking to take advantage of our strong credit and low-interest rate environment to create savings for the people of Washington, especially locally, so communities can save their tax dollars for other local needs,” said State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. “As always, we are grateful to partner with community leaders in every corner of Washington to help finance important construction projects and equipment upgrades that keep all of Washington moving forward.”
Three colleges have also partnered with the treasurer’s lending program. They are earmarked for the LOCAL Program through the State Lease Purchase Program, a financing option that is geared toward community and technical colleges, universities and state agencies.
Grays Harbor College (GHC) will soon secure $3.2 million through the program to help finance the construction of the institution’s new student services and instructional building, which will house the offices of student services, among other programs.
GHC President Ed Brewster said he’s looking ahead at what the building will mean for students.
“This is a long-time plan coming to realization,” said Brewster. “Grays Harbor will be able to provide better access to essential services and connect students with the type of resources that lead to successful educational outcomes in addition to providing more space for developing programs.”
Young children are an important audience for fire safety. According to the US Fire Administration website, more than half of child fire deaths are among children aged 4 or younger. Sometimes it can be a challenge to discuss something this serious with young children, but you shouldn’t give up! There are a ton of resources you can use to explain the seriousness of fire safety to young ones.
One such resource we’d like to share with you comes from the US Fire Administration’s website. The USFA teamed up with Sesame Workshop to update their fire safety program for preschool children. You can check out the USFA’s site here to see the information available.
Stay safe out there!
Effective January 2022, Medic One is resuming compression-only CPR classes! If you want more information, or would like to register for one of their classes, visit the Medic One website.
Originally posted on Nisqually Valley News website.
Two adults and a child were killed after a fire broke out in a home in Rainier early Saturday morning, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Southeast Thurston Fire responded to the residential structure fire in the 16100 block of Village Drive Southeast at about 1:20 a.m.
The home was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.
A woman in her early 20s who escaped the blaze told firefighters two adults and a child were still in the residence.
“Despite the efforts of SE Thurston Fire and other partner agencies, the three remaining occupants, a couple in their 40s and their 3-year-old granddaughter, perished in the fire,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a news release.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office are working with investigators from Southeast Thurston Fire and Lace Fire to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
“At this time our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who died in this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office wrote.