20 20ANNUAL REPORT Everett Fire Department CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS Timeline of a pandemic . 4 Looking back at 2020 and the Bigger than just us . 7 unprecedented challenges we Outreach 2 0. 13 faced, I cannot imagine where we’d be—where our entire Services adapt . 18 community would be—without the foresight and steadfast Incident data . 24 leadership of our chiefs, as well as the dedicated, hard-working Personnel . 33 team members at all levels in the Everett Fire Department. Financial summary . 35 For most of the year, the Everett Fire Department was charged with not only carrying out their primary mission of providing emergency response, but also leading our community through a global pandemic. Before the first known U.S. case of COVID-19 was even reported in our community, our teams were actively monitoring the disease’s spread globally and preparing for the worst-case scenario. This advance planning enabled us to rapidly react here in our community and set systems and procedures in place to protect our workers, residents and businesses. Chief DeMarco and his team provided me with direct advice, guidance and recommendations on how to navigate the ever-evolving circumstances this pandemic has brought to our city, and I am so grateful for their counsel and support during one of the most difficult chapters in our lifetime. I am further grateful that they’ve accomplished this while also fighting fires (including the July waterfront fire), saving property and lives, and providing care and service to our community. My whole- hearted thanks go out to every member of our Everett Fire team for their leadership and compassion, and being here for our community when we’ve needed them most. With my deepest gratitude, Incident photos courtesy of Leland Dart at MyEverettNews.com unless otherwise noted. Cover photo by Chaz Langford. An account of terms and methodology used in this report can be found online at Mayor Cassie Franklin everettwa.gov/FireAnnualReport. MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS It’s difficult to find words to describe Everett Fire’s experience of 2020. The year was a confluence of events which, if each were considered individually would have been historic, but when considered in whole made 2020 perhaps the most challenging year in this department’s history. Every Everett firefighter faced a rising tide of challenges as the year Equity statement progressed, and the organization was asked to react and The just demand for racial adapt to changing circumstances at an unprecedented pace. equity nationally has caused In January we were watching the development of COVID-19 us to look at ourselves and overseas with great concern, and the first U.S. case being our systems more closely . In discovered in Snohomish County triggered a rapid series of events. Using prior 2020, a committee was formed coronavirus outbreaks as an example, we took a very conservative view on the threat to to look at equity within the our workforce, their families and the community we serve. As information developed, organization and to propose we were forced to confront the unthinkable, including the possibility of a sick workforce steps we can take to improve and the parallel possibility of being overwhelmed by community demand for medical equity and diversity at Everett services. This annual report is intended to serve as a testament to the seemingly non- Fire. We are committed to stop series of historic decisions that had to be made to ensure we would be able to continue to meet our mission in 2020. the work of understanding our biases and rebuilding our While the pandemic expanded globally, a massive fire at the waterfront destroyed a systems in recognition of the building under construction and the winds carried flaming debris into the neighborhood additional challenges many in above. The work done to contain that fire and the myriad resulting fires took all the our community and workforce resources of the department, plus firefighters from both Snohomish and King counties. face. We know our diversity As I sat in the command post that night, the city’s history of pier and mill fires on that is our strength and we know same ground came to mind, and the legacy of Everett firefighters there. This generation met the same challenge and while the building was destroyed, no lives were lost and the we can be stronger still. Our enormous value of what was saved will endure. equity committee is comprised of diverse members of the The national discourse on racial equity, politics and civil upheaval required local organization and allies to the attention as well. Supporting our community during unrest is part of our mission and we cause of equity for all . were prepared. We also deployed a team of firefighters to another year of devastating wildfires in California. Managing these challenges required the development of new Everett Fire is an inclusive ways to communicate internally, the creation of policy around the unthinkable, and all workplace and we will deliver 195 members of the organization working together toward the same objectives. on our mission fairly and 2020 was not an easy year, but we have endured. We met our mission despite these new equitably for our employees obstacles, and with valued partners we have helped the city, region and state navigate and our community . them as well. Our people, their families and our community have been well served by the collective efforts described in this unique annual report. For all these things, I am profoundly grateful. Thank you, Dave DeMarco Fire Chief EVERETT FIRE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 3 Timeline of a pandemic 2,000 MAR 11 MAR 13 Level 2 PPE required on all EMS calls, OEM joined County Department of Emergency level 3 for suspected COVID-19, high-risk Management (DEM) and Snohomish County Health KEY facilities and procedures (pg 19) District (SHD) to create a unified command (pg 8) City of Everett / MAR 16 Everett Fire milestone MAR 9 Planned retirements are asked to delay State / county Visitors no longer allowed Regional fire/EMS staff sharing interlocal COVID-19 CASES REPORTED in fire stations milestone agreement signed IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY DEC 31 Daily station disinfection U.S. / world 289 total confirmed COVID-19 MAR 18 1,500 checklist implemented (pg 20) milestone BY DATE patient contacts in 2020 Recruit Class 20-01 recalled from academy (pg 20) DEC 26 MAR 5 First Everett firefighters Office of Emergency Management (OEM) MAR 20 receive vaccinations (pg 12) activated the Emergency Operations Center Discontinuation of fire prevention inspections First on-duty firefighter exposure to MAR 26 MAY 13 COVID-19, first quarantine of a crew OEM began organizing volunteers to Contact with 100th DEC 1 make and distribute face covers (pg 17) confirmed Multiple exposure events COVID-19 patient lead to quarantine of 22 1,000 MAR 4 MAR 27 firefighters City of Everett emergency declaration Level 3 PPE required on all Temporary closure of Aid 1, medical incidents (pg 19) Level 2 PPE required, all adult care and MAY 18 opening of Aid 5 to reduce medical facility incidents (pg 19) Accepted a $5,000 Lions MAR 30 station population density Club grant for the JUL 7 Level 2 PPE required for all Fire inspections purchase of 18 additional Fred Hutchinson begins indoor incidents, including fire discontinued again FEB 29 UV sanitizers (pg 20) antibody research study of alarms and service calls (pg 19) Suppression and administration Everett firefighters (pg 12) staff isolated from each other APR 13 JUN 26 AUG 4 NOV 15 Fire station crews isolated 500 OEM, in cooperation with Limited fire prevention Everett opens regional COVID-19 testing Contact with 200th from each other the Parks Department, inspections resume site for first responders (pg 11) confirmed COVID-19 patient Level 2 peronsal protective began distributing Station/crew isolation equipment (PPE) required homemade face covers discontinued, with JAN 24 on all respiratory at drive-up points of restrictions AUG 27 NOV 12 Snohomish County calls (pg 19) distribution (PODs) PPE requirement reduced to Level 3 PPE required on all Regional Infection (pg 17) level 2 for all medical medical incidents (pg 19) Control meeting hosted incidents, stays at level 3 for by Everett (pg 8) high-risk facilities (pg 19) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN 7 FEB 29 APR 28 MAY 20 AUG 9 OCT 7 DEC 8 Outbreak Governor declares U.S. cases top World cases U.S. cases top Governor announces U.S. cases top identified state of emergency 1,000,000 top 5,000,000 5,000,000 update to Safe Start plan 15,000,000 as a new JUL 8 MAR 4 coronavirus ECC for Snohomish NOV 9 Snohomish County MAY 4 U.S. cases top 10,000,000 DEC 14 JAN 21 County has been active First vaccine given emergency declaration APR 2 Governor announces First recorded for 100 days, the longest World cases top 50,000,000 MAR 5 World cases top Safe Start recovery plan; response in ECC history U.S. case in all counties in phase 1 DEC 17 Joint press conference of Health 1,000,000 NOV 15 Snohomish County First Snohomish County District, county and cities JUN 28 Governor announces new APR 1 vaccines given World cases top restrictions in response MAR 6 Angel of the Winds Arena opens as 10,000,000 to rising case count Sno911 implements "Protocol 36" regional isolation and quarantine site JUN 5 DEC 19 pandemic call screening (pg 21) World cases top MAR 27 Snohomish County 75,000,000 MAR 11 U.S.