VIFR
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| "Proudly Dedicated to the Protection of Life, Property and our Environment since 1942." | |
| Operational area | |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Washington |
| City | Vashon |
| Agency overview[1] | |
| Established | 1926 |
| Annual calls | 1482(2020) |
| Employees |
|
| Annual budget | $2,279,829.77 (2022) to indicate year of data --> |
| Staffing | Combination |
| Fire chief | Charlie Krimmert |
| EMS level | BLS |
| IAFF | 4189 |
| Facilities and equipment | |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Battalions | 1 |
| Stations | 4 |
| Engines | 3 |
| Quints | 1 |
| Ambulances | 4 - BLS (Basic Life Support) |
| Tenders | 5 |
| Wildland | 1 |
| Rescue boats | 1 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Vashon Island Fire and Rescue (VIFR) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to Vashon, Washington, United States. The department is responsible for an area of 36.9 square miles (96 km2), including 45 miles (72 km) of waterfront, with a population of 10,624.
History[edit]
VIFR got its start as a volunteer fire department in 1926 following a series of fires in the subdivisions of Dockton and Burton.[2]. After the island's only fire truck was lost in a fire in 1933, residents campaigned to join the King County Fire Protection District, an effort which overwhelmingly succeeded in 1942 by a vote of 426-4 [3], establishing King County Fire Protection District 13.
VIFR acquired its first ambulance in 1939. It was donated to the department by American Legion Post No. 159[4], who had acquired it as a surplus vehicle from Washington State Patrol.
VIFR joined the South King County Fire Training Consortium in 2016[5].
In 2017, VIFR terminated its paramedic program, opting instead to establish a relationship with King County Medic One, a division of the King County Department of Health, which was already providing Advanced life support services for other parts of King County. This decision was a result of low ALS call volume on the island, which meant that Vashon paramedics were not receiving enough calls to remain proficient in clinical interventions[6].
In 2019, Vashon Island's fire protection rating was downgraded by the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau. The decision was a result of Station 56 no longer having an adequate number of firefighters living within a five miles (8 km) radius to be considered staffed. This resulted in increases to home insurance premiums for many island residents.
In 2021, fire chief Charles Krimmert declined to get vaccinated for COVID-19, a requirement put in place by the Washington State Department of Health for all licensed healthcare providers, including EMTs such as himself[7]. This drew statements both of support as well as of disagreement with Krimmert's decision, with many calling for his termination from the Department. Krimmert later received the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine[8]
Fire stations and apparatus[edit]
The department has only one station, Station 55, which is staffed 24/7. Two other stations house various apparatus which are available for calls. One station does not house any fire apparatus and, As of May October[update] is used for storage.
| Station # | Location | Address | Fire Units | Aid or Medic Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Vashon | 10020 SW Bank Rd | Engine 355
Tender 355 Tender 3551 Brush 355 Support 355 Gator 355 |
Aid 355
Aid 3551 Aid 358 Medic 9 Medic 91 |
| 56 | Burton | 10330 SW Burton Dr. | Engine 356
Tender 356 |
Aid 356 |
| 58 | Dockton | 26316 99th AVE SW | Engine 358
Tender 358 |
|
| 59 | North End | 11983 Vashon Highway SW |
Apparatus types and callsigns[edit]
- Engine (E)
- Tender (TN)
- Quint (Q)
- Brush truck (BR)
- Aid - Basic Life Support (A)
- Battalion Chief (C)
- Fire Boat (BOT)
References[edit]
- ↑ "2020 Annual Community Report" (PDF). Vashon Island Fire and Rescue. Retrieved 30 Nov 2021.
- ↑ Haulman, Bruce (2011). Vashon-Maury Island. Arcadia Pub. p. 77. ISBN 9780738574998. Search this book on
- ↑ "Department History". VIFR. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ "Vashon's First Ambulance" (PDF). Vashon History.com. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ "History". Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ "Planning pays off: Long awaited paramedic services proving successful for residents and employees". King County Employee News. Retrieved 30 Nov 2021.
- ↑ Zhou, Amanda (2021-08-26). "Vashon Island fire chief says he won't get vaccinated, despite being required by state mandate". The Seattle Times. Seattle. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ "Vashon fire chief who objected to mandate gets vaccinated". Vashon Beachcomber. Vashon. 2021-08-26. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
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Coordinates: 47°36′00″N 122°19′55″W / 47.60000°N 122.33194°W
References[edit]
This article "VIFR" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:VIFR. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
