SNOHOMISH REGIONAL FIRE & RESCUE MONTHLY Chief’s REPORT
October 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
03
Operations
10
Support Services
15
Upcoming Events
Employee Sp tlight
Assistant Chief Michael Messer
Awarded 2025 Fire Marshal of the Year by the Fire Prevention Institute
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
3
Operations
RECRUIT OPEN HOUSE: On October 25th, SRFR welcomed approximately 20 potential recruits to Station 31 for an Open House to provide the opportunity for potential recruits to ask questions about SRFR career opportunities and ultimately help them to choose SRFR in a competitive hiring market. Attendees were able to speak with members of our Technical Rescue, Hazmat, Water Rescue, and Wildland teams. They were also able to speak with some of our fire marshals, medics, current probationary firefighters, and human resources staff members. The event was a success thanks to the many volunteers who represented SRFR.
9-1-1 CALL SUMMARY, OCTOBER 2025
140
28 Hazmat
1,008 EMS
Fire
1 Water Rescue
75 Service Calls
2 Wildland Fire
1,272 Total Incidents:
Other Call Types: 18
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations
MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION WITH ENTRAPMENT: OCTOBER 18
Multiple SRFR units were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision with entrapment in the 14700 block of SR 9. Upon arrival, crews found a single small pickup that had left the roadway at high speed, traveled down an embankment, overturned, and came to rest on its top. A tree had fallen across the vehicle, and a power line was also down, adding to the hazards on scene. Ladder 71 was assigned as the Extrication Group with Engine 77 assisting. MSO71 took command of the Medical Group, working alongside Medic 71 and Aid 73. Crews faced a complex and physically demanding extrication, carefully removing the patient from the vehicle and carrying them back up the steep embankment to safety. Their teamwork and coordination were exceptional throughout the operation.
WFCA MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATION
Assistant Chief Lundquist and his wife, Dr. Brooke Lundquist, recently presented at the Washington Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) Conference held October 22–25. Their session focused on the unique mental health challenges faced by fire and EMS personnel, and provided practical, department-level strategies to promote emotional wellness. The presentation explored topics such as peer support programs, on-site mental health professionals, decompression break policies, resiliency tools, and culturally competent treatment options. Together, the Lundquists emphasized the importance of creating a supportive culture that prioritizes mental health through training, collaboration, and accessible resources.
Performance Measures
EMPLOYEE UPDATES
Lieutenant Promotions
LADDER QUALIFICATION
Bryan Kerr
Benjamin Bloomquist
Geoff Jacobs
Johnson Brooks
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations
MUTUAL AID FIRE: OCTOBER 30 The West Battalion responded to a report of a car on fire inside a garage. Engine 13 from South County Fire arrived first, with Engine 77 close behind, and found a classic Impala burning inside the garage. Thanks to teamwork between the two agencies, the fire was contained to the garage, with only moderate smoke damage throughout the home. Due to limited access caused by the large vehicle in the small garage, crews elected to pull the car out and up a steep driveway to complete extinguishment. TR21 from South County used its front winch, and Battalion 71’s front bumper served as a change of direction for the cable, allowing the vehicle to be safely removed. There were no injuries, and the homeowner was very grateful for the quick stop on the fire.
MUTUAL SWIFT WATER RESCUE Engine 81 from the North Battalion was dispatched to assist Granite Falls Fire on a mutual aid swift water rescue in the area of Deer Creek Road and Mountain Loop Highway. The call involved a suspect who had reportedly fled from law enforcement and become stranded across the river. Upon arrival, Getchell Fire’s Duty Chief 68 established Mountain Loop Command and coordinated unified command with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The individual was located approximately 75 feet across the river on dry land. Engine 81 was assigned as the Rescue Group Supervisor and took the lead on rescue operations. After assessing river conditions, the crew implemented a tactical plan that included establishing downriver safety positions and preparing equipment. Engine 81’s swift water technician made entry upstream to reach the victim, who was provided a personal flotation device and helmet. Working in coordination with operations-level rescuers and law enforcement, the technician safely guided the individual across the river. The victim and rescuers exited the waterway without incident, and the patient was transferred to Medic 87 for evaluation. The incident concluded successfully, with all personnel and equipment accounted for and no further hazards identified.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations
RESIDENTIAL FIRE: OCTOBER 28
The East Battalion responded to a fire in a “built more” structure with challenging access and no water supply. Crews did an outstanding job establishing a water source and performing primary searches under tough conditions. Thanks to the quick coordination of a rural water supply organized by B71, BC Brandon Gardner , the incident was efficiently managed from start to finish. Mutual aid units E166 from Duvall Fire Department and M41 from SCFD4 provided critical support on scene. All six occupants were able to safely evacuate, and crews also saved six puppies. With multiple dogs on the property (and yes, plenty of evidence underfoot), things could have been much worse for both our four-legged and two-legged friends. Great job to everyone involved!
Performance Measures
MUTUAL AID HAZMAT
I n the early morning hours of October 13, HazMat 72 from the West Battalion responded to a third-alarm mutual aid call in Burlington for an ammonia leak inside a large agricultural building. The leak originated from a sizable anhydrous ammonia tank but remained confined within the structure. HazMat teams from Marysville Fire District (HZ61), Everett Fire Department (HZ4), and South County Fire (HZ12) also responded. After about an hour-long response, HazMat 72 arrived on scene and assisted with logistical operations. HazMat technicians entered the building to collect video footage and chemical data, providing the incident commander with key information to safely plan mitigation efforts. The leak was traced to two adjacent valves on the tank that needed to be manually secured. The technicians reentered the building in full protective gear and successfully closed the valves, stopping the leak without further complications. The release was safely mitigated with no injuries reported. The incident highlighted the effectiveness of multi-agency coordination and the skill of regional HazMat teams in managing hazardous materials incidents quickly and safely.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations HIGH-RISE Training
SRFR was recently invited by Tulalip Bay Fire to take part in high-rise training at the Tulalip Resort Casino on October 27-30. Throughout the week, several of our crews teamed up with units from Tulalip Bay, Marysville, Everett, Silvana, Camano Island, and Getchell to run multi-company operations (MCOs) inside the hotel portion of the resort. Training evolutions focused on deploying to the 10th floor under simulated fire conditions, giving crews a realistic opportunity to practice high-rise tactics, coordination, and communications in a true multi-agency environment.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations
Live Fire TRAINING
The Training Division, in coordination with our live fire instructors and support personnel, successfully conducted four days of live fire training, October 7–10, for A and B Shifts. This evolution was built to be realistic, high-tempo, and directly tied to the risks we face in actual incidents. Crews were presented with a scenario involving a vehicle on fire inside a garage with potential extension into the residence. The smoke conditions and fire travel created an immediate life-safety problem, with a known occupant still inside the home. Companies had to arrive, size up, secure a water supply, control the garage fire, check for extension into the living space, and simultaneously locate and remove the victim—forcing coordination between fire attack, search, ventilation, and command.
A special thank you to Live Fire Lead Instructor Tyler Compton , Instructor James Hammeren , and Captains Scott Boswell and Randy Mickels for organizing, scheduling, and delivering this training. Their work ensured safe operations, clear instructional objectives, and realistic fireground problem-solving for all participating crews. Thank you as well to all support personnel who handled set-up, staffing, rehab, and accountability. This was an excellent example of Training, Operations, and our live fire cadre working together to keep our firefighters sharp, aggressive, and safe on the fireground.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Operations
Emergency Medical Services
EQUIPMENT TRAINING Training has been completed for all of the Life Pack 35 monitors, and these monitors have been placed on all medic units and MSO71. The Life Pack 15s will remain on the units through October and part of November to ensure all personnel are comfortable operating the new devices.
POCUS ULTRASOUND TRAINING
This month the medics, completed Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training. This training was taught by Sarah Garner, MD , who has worked as a Physician with Airlift Northwest and as a Resident at the University of Washington. The POCUS device is cutting- edge and will significantly help medics deliver higher quality pre-hospital care to patients in the field. The POCUS has sharp image quality, rapid data processing, Al, advanced imaging tools, user-centric ergonomics, and outstanding scan time. So far, the initial ultrasound training has been completed, and more training will continue through November, with county approval expected to follow, allowing for field use in patient care once the county training is finalized.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Support Services PREVENTION, FACILITIES, & STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS Vriti Jain , SRFR’s Strategic Analyst, has been invited to serve on the Research Subcommittee of the Association of Fire and Emergency Services Analysts (AFESA). This opportunity allows Vriti to collaborate with peers across the field and contribute to advancing data analytics in our industry. SRFR is proud to have her representing the District and supporting our mission through this important work. Thank you, Vriti!
OFM DATA: YEAR TO DATE
UPDATES: STATIONS 32 AND 81 We are making steady progress on our new Station 32 and 81 projects, and are at approximately the 50% design stage.
PLAN REVIEWS COMPLETED
865
ANNUAL INSPECTIONS COMPLETED
1,860
CONSTRUCTION PERMIT INSPECTIONS
887
OPERATIONAL PERMITS ISSUED
471
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Support Services PREVENTION & Community Relations
FIRE PREVENTION INSTITUTE
Over the week of October 13-16, members of the Community Relations and Office of the Fire Marshal teams headed to Chelan for this year’s Fire Prevention Institute, a conference hosted by the Washington Association of Fire Marshals, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the IAAI-Western Chapter, and Washington Public Fire Educators. There, the teams attended important sessions about Community Risk Reduction, Fire Inspection, and Fire Code Enforcement. On the last day of the conference, PIEO King presented about SRFR’s Water Safety Camps along with other ways that educators across the state can incorporate water safety into their public education programming.
FIRE MARSHAL OF THE YEAR
At FPI, Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Mike Messer was awarded the 2025 Fire Marshal of the Year! The award was presented to Chief Messer by the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals at the Fire Prevention Institute. Fire Marshals play a vital role in our communities, ensuring that building plans for homes and commercial structures meet current fire codes, enforcing regulations that protect life and property, conducting fire investigations, and much more. Congratulations, Chief Messer, on this well- deserved recognition!
RESUSCITATION ACADEMY
On October 20-21, a team made up of DC McConnell , PIEO King , DC Read , and Sno911 Dispatch Supervisor Larkins attended the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle, where they learned about how to improve the entire emergency response system to improve cardiac arrest patient outcomes.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Support Services Community Relations
SCHOOL VISITS: FIRE SAFETY
CR DATA: YEAR-TO -DATE
For Fire Prevention Month, firefighters and public educators visited schools to talk about fire safety. Crews visited Mt. Pilchuck & Fryelands Elementary to teach kindergarteners that matches and lighters are not toys and that firefighters are friends. Students were able to see the firefighters in their gear and even give them a high-five and hug. Public Information Officer King also visited Monroe Christian, Cedarwood Elementary and Salem Woods Elementary to talk with 2nd graders about escape planning and the steps they should take when calling 9-1-1.
TOTAL NUMBER OF CLASSES DELIVERED
169
NUMBER OF ADULT & SENIOR SAFETY CLASSES
22
COMMUNITY EVENTS HOSTED/ATTENDED
39
In October, Public Information & Education Officers, King and Mongillo visited Cavelero Mid-High in Lake Stevens to teach Hands-Only CPR to 13 classes of 8th Grade Health students. Students learned how the heart works, how to perform CPR, how to use an AED, and how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency situation. Students also learned about the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack. SCHOOL VISITS: HANDS-ONLY CPR
TOTAL STUDENTS TAUGHT
3950
OCTOBER 2025
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
48
38,956 SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
SRFR IN THE NEWS
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Support Services Community Relations
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OPEN HOUSE-MONROE
On October 4th, SRFR hosted our annual Fire Prevention Week Open House. During the event, kids and adults participated in a range of activities, learning how to use a fire extinguisher, how to escape a burning building, and how to perform hands-only CPR. The event’s 600 attendees also learned about smoke alarms, lithium ion batteries, and wildfire safety. They also watched firefighters perform auto extrication and forcible entry demonstrations.
HARVESTFEST-LAKE STEVENS
On October 31st, Program Specialist Larson , PIEO King , Battalion 81, Engine 81, and Aid 81 participated in the Lake Stevens HarvestFest. The team handed out candy to trick-or-treaters, showed them the fire engine, provided them with some seasonal safety tips, and even further convinced a few future firefighters to never give up on their dreams of joining the fire service!
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Support Services Community Relations
At the October 28th Council Meeting, Mayor Thomas issued a proclamation recognizing the week of November 2-8, as Police and Fire Appreciation Week. In his weekly newsletter, he stated, “The professionals of the MPD and SRFR are devoted public servants who risk their lives to ensure Monroe is a safe place for all to live, work, and play.” POLICE & FIRE APPRECIATION WEEK-MONROE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPDATES
During the month of October, SRFR attended three Chamber of Commerce meetings. On October 1st, the team attended Sky Valley Chamber’s luncheon. On October 8th, SRFR attended the Lake Stevens luncheon for the Annual Business Candidate Forum, where they heard from candidates up for election. SRFR also attended the Monroe Chamber luncheon on October 14th and listened to a legislative exchange with Representatives Mike Steele and Brian Burnett.
WALK, BIKE, & ROLL TO SCHOOL
On October 8th, members of SRFR Command Staff, A31, M31, E32, Monroe Police Department, and Monroe School District celebrated Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day, where they walked with students and promoted pedestrian and wheeled sports safety. Students had a great time, and we were pleased to see that many were wearing helmets we distributed at the back-to-school resource fair!
ADULT & SENIOR SAFETY CLASSES
This month, PIEO King taught Aging in Place at the Monroe Senior center. Attendees learned about Falls Prevention and Fire Safety, and for Fire Prevention Week, the team hosted an online Home Fire Safety class where attendees learned about smoke alarms, escape planning, and cooking safety.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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Upcoming Events
November 15th: Lake Stevens Holiday Toy Drive- Lake Stevens November 6th-26th: SRFR Food Drive -District-wide December 11th: Recruit Class 25-02 Graduation -Stanwood December 13th: Lake Stevens WinterFest -Lake Stevens December 18th: SRFR Holiday Gift Wrapping & Delivery December 19th: Monroe High School Career Fair -Monroe
SRFR Annual Gift Wrapping & Delivery
Lake Stevens WinterFest
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Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue | www.SRFR.org | 360-794-7666 | @SnoRegionalFire
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