Spokane Valley Fire Department: Liberty Lake sees heavy EMS demand as fire season arrives

Spokane Valley Fire Department leadership told the Liberty Lake City Council on July 21 that emergency medical calls continue to dominate local responses and that the region faces an active fire season. The department reported 1,934 911 calls in June across its service area (about 82% for emergency medical services) and 12,406 year‑to‑date 911 calls; for Liberty Lake specifically, the quarter recorded 322 calls, roughly 78% of which were EMS calls.

Spokane Valley’s fire chief (speaker 4) said the district’s auto‑aid partners remain critical: the department provided auto aid 120 times in June and received auto aid 112 times. Engine 3 handled almost 65% of Liberty Lake responses during the quarter, the chief said. On a recent wildfire south of the city limits, the chief said crews contained an approximately 11‑acre fire; the cause remains under investigation. “It was only 11 acres,” the chief said, adding that many personnel are currently deployed to assist other jurisdictions and urging residents to prepare “go bags” for evacuations.

Council members pressed the chief about evacuation alerts and public notification. The chief acknowledged some county alert messages have been confusing and said staff are working with Spokane County emergency management to refine timing and geographic targeting of alerts. The report and the subsequent exchange left council members urging continued community outreach on preparedness and accepting staff follow‑ups about alert improvements.