Transcript Kent Fire Department History - Kent Firefighters Local 1747

Kent Fire Department History
1892
The beginning of the Kent Fire
Department as an informal Department.
 S.D Miller is appointed Fire Chief of the
informal Department.
 Department Assets consist of one large
Seagrave chemical fire extinguisher
mounted on wooden wheels and stored in
a barn.
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1900
Fire hydrants are
installed within the
city.
 Hand drawn hose cart
is added to the
Department inventory.
 First major
commercial fire in
KFD history takes
place at Fred’s saloon.
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1912
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The Kent Volunteer Fire Department is officially
organized.
27 men serve under the appointed Chief J.E.
Hayward.
Horse drawn hook and ladder powered by
horses that are provided by department
members is added to the inventory.
Horse owners are paid three dollars per call.
The fire department responded to three calls for
the year.
1914
The largest fire in Department history to
this date occurs on July 4th when five
commercial structures in the heart of
downtown are destroyed.
 The losses include the hotel, a bakery, a
shoe shop, the local second hand store,
and the livery stable.
 No injuries were reported.
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1917
First motorized
apparatus is
purchased by the
Department.
 The days of horse
drawn apparatus
come to an end.
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1920
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First arson fire was
reported.
1924
The Department is reorganized on January 23
and Ben York is named Fire Chief.
 Personnel consist of an all volunteer staff
including the Chief and eleven men.
 This year marks the beginning of the City of
Kent Fire Department.
 A second motorized pump is added to
supplement the Departments pumping
capabilities.
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1925
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A $5,000 bond is passed
to purchase a new fire
engine.
The new 350 gpm engine
is placed at Station 1.
This year marks the first
night shift firefighters
posted duty at the fire
station.
Charles “Brick” Brdges is
appointed Fire Chief.
1927
Fire safety inspections of public and
commercial buildings begin.
 Department purchases a “Lung Motor”.
 The Department officially begins to
respond to first aid calls.
 KFD becomes a member of the Puget
Sound Firemen’s Association.
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1929
May 2, 1929 marks
the first recorded aid
call handled by the
KFD.
 The call involves an
electrocution.
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1936
The Fire Department purchases a new
Ford fire truck.
 Residents approve funding to provide rural
fire protection as far east as the Benson
Road.
 KFD is one of the first fire departments to
provide rural fire protection in the state of
Washington.
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1940
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A new Seagrave fire engine is purchased and
placed into service after a catastrophic fire
nearly destroys Washington Frosted Foods.
1948
King County Fire District 37 is formed and the
City Fire Chief Charles “Brick” Bridges is named
as the administrator for both agencies.
 The District encompasses the rural areas east of
the City.
 The District purchases a 500 gallon pumper that
is placed in service as the first “tender” to be
used as a source of supplemental water for
areas with no hydrants.
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1949
Two more fire tenders are purchased for
the Fire District to supplement water
capabilities.
 Fire Stations are built at Lake Meridian
(adjacent to current Station 72) and at
Panther Lake (on SE 216th Street).
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1952
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Donations from members of the community are
used to purchase a 1952 Chevrolet Panel truck
to operate as a vehicle to provide emergency
medical services.
1954
The Departments largest fire pump to
date makes its appearance on the streets
of Kent in the form of a 1954 Kenworth
that would serve the community for the
next 25 years.
 This apparatus would eventually see
service for the island of Tonga in the
South Pacific.
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1964
A second bond issue
is passed for
$200,000.
 These funds are used
to construct two (2)
fire stations and
purchase two (2)
Crown fire engines.
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1965
Most historic year.
 City Council hires first paid staff, consisting
of two (2) chief officers and ten (10)
firefighters.
 Fire Chief Charles “Brick” Bridges retires.
 Tom Foster is named Fire Chief.
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1966
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The Fire District signs its first mutual-aid
contracts with King County Fire District 44
and Renton.
1968
On January 22, 1968 eighteen members of
the Kent Fire Department were chartered by
the International Association of Fire Fighters.
 The Local became designated as Kent
Firefighters IAFF Local 1747.
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1972
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First members of the KFD
are trained and certified
as EMTs.
City Building department
operates under the
supervision of the Fire
Department.
Fires that destroy Fields
Lumber and severely
damages the San Juan
apartments stretch
department resources to
the breaking point.
1973
Kent’s insurance rating is reduced from
ISO class 5 to class 4.
 The City of Kent annexes areas of King
County Fire District #30 along Pacific
Highway South.
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1974
KFD and Fire District
37 contract together
to cut costs and
operating expenses.
 Combining the two
departments brings
the total number of
personnel to 39 and
increases the area of
protection to 53
square miles.
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1978
Valley paramedics in service and operating
out of Valley General Hospital.
 35 Kent Firefighters became Journeymen
Firefighters, the first in the State of
Washington.
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1979
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The first firefighter to lose his life in the line of
duty occurs in June of this year. Kent volunteer
firefighter Ralph Bucklin dies from injuries he
receives while battling a house fire.
1980
The Fire District passes a $985,000 bond
for the purchase of one new station, the
remodeling of another, a fire engine and
an aid car.
 The same year the City passes a $450,000
bond for the purchase of a new engine
and ladder truck.
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1981
Chief Norm Angelo replaces Chief Foster.
 Construction of new station 72 and
remodel of existing station 77 begin.
 2 engines and ladder 71 are also
purchased.
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1984
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The KFD Master Plan is developed and adopted.
1985
The KFD planned and ordered the first of
several new concept engine/aid
combination apparatus.
 Placed an engine and an aid car out of
service to re-deploy firefighters to provide
staffing for 3 person engine companies.
 The number of calls for service tops 5,000
for the year.
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1986
The city passes one of the largest bond issues
ever voted in by the citizens. The Public Safety
Bond Levy was for $12.3 million. The money
was earmarked for the construction of 3 new fire
stations (one of which is a police/fire training
facility), remodel of existing station 71,
construction of a vehicle maintenance facility,
apparatus and equipment.
 Fire District 37 lifts the lid to build station 75 and
purchase new concept engine/aid apparatus.
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1989
Fire Station 75 is
opened.
 Department personnel
expands to include
100 paid firefighters.
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1991
KFD headquarters is moved to station 74
on 116th ave Se from station 71.
 The Building Department is moved from
under the supervision of the Fire
Department to the Planning Department.
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1992
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The calls for service surpass 10,000!!!!!
1993
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On July 23, 1993 the
largest dollar loss fire in
KFD history occurred at
the Village Green
Apartments. The dollar
loss was estimated at
$3,000,000.
Fire training simulators
are installed in the
training center burn
tower.
1993 Village Green Fire
1995
King County Medic
One places M11 in
service at Station 75.
 City begins apparatus
replacement fund.
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1996
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The city annexes the Lake Meridian area, which
includes station 72 and station 75.
1997
The City of Covington incorporates and
requests that District 37 continue to
provide fire and ems services along the
existing district boundaries.
 The City of Kent annexes the Del Mar area
of the west hill which increases the
response area of the KFD from 53 to 58
square miles.
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1998
King County Medic
One places M7 in
service at station 76.
 The KFD signs a
contract to provide
apparatus
maintenance to Fire
District #11.
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2000
The KFD signs a contract to provide
training services for King County Fire
District 40.
 The Department begins operations of the
Emergency Coordination Center at station
74.
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2001
Minimum staffing is increased from 24 to
26 firefighters on shift.
 New station 77 opens.
 The KFD purchases 4 new Quantum fire
engines with CAFS.
 Second Strategic Plan document is
published.
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2002
Chief Angelo leaves the Department and is
replaced by Chief Jim Schneider.
 The KFD begins the process towards
accreditation.
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2004
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The KFD becomes Nationally Accredited as a Fire
Department on August 31.
2005
Total calls for service 14,288 for the year.
 Total population served tops 134,000.
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2006
July 17th was the ground breaking for station 78
scheduled to open 1-09.
 The KFD begins providing vehicle maintenance
for the City of Auburn Fire Deapartment.
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