The Valley Regional Fire Authority responded to 258 calls for service for the week of April 5-11, 2021. Year to Date our Valley Professional Firefighters have responded to a total of 3,723 calls. This is a 2.9% increase from 2020 (3,638).

Call Breakdown:

201 (78%) were aid calls. Total aid calls in 2021 so far are 2,842 (up 5.5%, compared to 2020’s 2,693).

10 (4%) were fire calls. The number of fire calls is up by 48.5%, with 2021 having 98 calls and 2020 having 66.

47 (18%) were calls categorized as other. The number of other calls is down (-10.9%), with 2021 currently at 783 calls compared to 2020’s 879. Other calls include water rescues, HazMat calls, and ladder requests.

COVID-19 Testing Site

Specially trained VRFA EMTs assisted the King County Health Department in COVID-19 testing drive-up and walk-up residents at the GSA Complex. This site administered approximately 2,500 tests between April 4 and 10. Approximately 8% were positive. There was no data for last week to compare to.

The positivity rate of the C St SW testing site and the City of Auburn’s positivity rate are two different things. The C St SW testing site does not impact the positivity rate of the City of Auburn.

The City of Auburn’s positivity rate* for the past 14 days is 13.4%, a 1.9% increase since last week’s (March 29-April 4) 14-day positivity rate check (11.5%). Auburn’s current overall positivity rate is 10.3% of all tests (no change from last week).

Specially Trained VRFA EMTs assisted the King County Health Department in administering COVID-19 vaccines at the GSA Complex. The location is now both a COVID-19 testing location and one of two South King County mass COVID-19 vaccine locations.

The Auburn COVID-19 vaccine location has moved to the Outlet Collection! Please note – vaccines are available by appointment only.

Note: VRFA has sent a battalion chief, and three firefighters to Yakima WA to assist FEMA with the set up a COVID vaccine site.

Calls for Service:

Aid Call: (Lea Hill) On Monday, April 5 at 2:23 p.m., firefighters responded to an elderly woman having severe leg pain. Firefighters evaluated the woman and were concerned that the leg pain could be a symptom of an underlying medical concern. This type of medical evaluation would need to be performed in a hospital setting. The patient was taken to a local area hospital by private ambulance.
Motor Vehicle Accident: (Auburn) On Tuesday, April 6 at 4:24 p.m., firefighters responded to a semi-truck into a tree. They arrived to find two passenger cars with damage and the semi-truck into a tree with the driver trapped. Firefighters stabilized the tractor-trailer and used ladders to create a work platform across a retention pond to gain access to the truck driver. They used hydraulic tools to extricate the driver. Four patients were transported to local hospitals for further treatment and evaluation.
CPR: (Auburn) On Wednesday, April 7 at 5:20 p.m., firefighters responded to an unconscious adult male in the bathroom stall of a restaurant. The man was found pulseless and not breathing. Firefighters started CPR and requested paramedics. The patient was transported to a local hospital by King County Medic One.
Residential Fire: (Pacific) On Thursday, April 8 at 2:11 p.m., VRFA units were dispatched to smoke and flames coming from under a house. E333 arrived and initiated a quick hit of the fire from the outside through a crawl space ventilation hole in the front of the home. Other units arrived, conducted a search of the home, and verified that there was no one home at the time and that no fire had extended into the home itself.
Structure Fire: (Sumner) On Friday, April 9 at 5:57 p.m., firefighters assisted East Pierce Fire & Rescue with extinguishing a structure fire. When crews arrived, a detached garage had heavy smoke and flames coming from the front of the garage. The fire was quickly controlled and did not extend to a nearby house.
Cooking Fire: (Lea Hill) On Saturday, April 10 at 5:45 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a minor fire in a garage. Firefighters arrived to find that the family had installed a stove in the garage, and had spilled cooking oil on the burner. The oil ignited and spread to the wall and ceiling. The resident had extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of the fire department. Firefighters checked to make sure the fire had not gotten inside the walls or ceiling. Firefighters secured power to the stove.
Vehicle Accident: (Auburn) On Sunday, April 11 at 1:33 p.m., firefighters assisted multiple patients that were involved in a vehicle accident. One patient was transported to MultiCare Auburn Medical Center by private ambulance for a possible broken arm.

Fire Investigations:

On Thursday, April 8th, a commercial fire occurred in the 1200 block of 29th ST SE in the City of Auburn. The fire occurred in the bedroom of a multi-family residence. Fire damage was confined to just room and contents. Dollar loss is estimated at $20,000.

C.A.R.E.S.

3 responses
17 referrals (16 patients)
1 patient enrollments
3 patient enrollments closed
61 total patients enrolled

The Community Assistance, Referrals, and Education Services (CARES) is a joint program between VRFA, King County Emergency Medical Services division South King Fire & Rescue, Enumclaw, and Mountainview Fire and Rescue departments. Each CARES response vehicle is staffed 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. by one firefighter from each department and a social worker. The CARES unit is sent on less emergent calls in non-transport capable vehicles to provide basic patient evaluation, assistance, specific basic life support treatment on scene, and arrange for transport if medically necessary. CARES also referred patients to community services where needed.

The above information was provided by the Valley Regional Fire Authority.

*This rate is as of this publication and is based on King County data only.