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Fire chief reports steady call volume, mutual aid figures and June delivery for new engine
Summary
Fire Chief Bailey presented first‑quarter accreditation metrics showing steady or slightly higher incident volumes, mutual‑aid statistics, transport counts and turnout times; staff reported the new fire engine passed multiple inspections and a public open house and push‑in ceremony is scheduled for June 14.
Snoqualmie Fire Chief Bailey presented the department’s first‑quarter accreditation report to the Public Safety Committee, reporting steady incident volumes, mutual‑aid activity and generally fast turnout and response times.
Chief Bailey said the department is already seeing call volumes in 2025 that match or exceed comparable months from 2024. “We’re not going down, we’re not getting any less,” he said, adding that emergency medical calls have risen slightly. He described performance measures intended for accreditation, noting turnout times are monitored and that crews must explain any turnout exceeding 1 minute 30 seconds. “We didn’t have anything above two minutes,” he said.
Mutual‑aid statistics were presented: the department supplied mutual aid an estimated 117 times to Eastside, nine times to Fall City and four times to other neighboring areas during the first quarter, Chief Bailey said. The city received mutual aid 50 times from Eastside, 14 times from Fall City and once from another department. The department recorded 84 patient transports in the first quarter and 11 transports on mutual‑aid calls outside the city; those out‑of‑city transports generate revenue to the department, he said.
Inspections and training activity were slightly reduced during the quarter because the department hired five probationary firefighters; Chief Bailey said the department will assign team leaders to strategic‑plan objectives in coming months. Property‑loss figures were small for the quarter — one minor room and contents incident with about $200 in contents lost, he reported.
The committee also received an update on the new engine. Deputy Chief Brown completed final inspections with staff and a fleet mechanic during an out‑of‑state visit; Chief Bailey said the apparatus was driven to Yakima and arrived at the dealer around April 1 for post‑delivery changes. Due to requested modifications and fabrication lead times, the delivery date was pushed to June 2; the city has scheduled a station open house and a ceremonial engine push‑in for Saturday, June 14, with an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a public program through 3 p.m.
Chief Bailey said many of the modifications to shelving, lighting and headset mounts were included in the original contingency and will not exceed the approved purchase budget. Council members asked whether equipment from the outgoing engine will transfer to the new rig; Bailey said most equipment will transfer and that larger ticket items were purchased at the end of the prior year to prepare for the new apparatus.
Discussion versus formal action: the committee heard the report and asked clarifying questions but took no formal votes regarding department operations or procurement. The committee acknowledged the operational benefit of having a second apparatus available more often and asked staff to track how frequently two rigs are simultaneously available to show the effect of new hires on coverage and mutual‑aid needs.
The committee thanked the department for the report and for the upcoming community event to celebrate the new apparatus.
