Washington State Fire Marshal: State Mobilization Resources Make a Difference in Flood Response

OLYMPIA — Fire department swift water rescue teams from across Washington are actively assisting local resources with rescuing citizens in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties in response to the current flooding of several rivers in those areas. Teams from fire departments in Chelan, Spokane, Thurston and Yakima counties are working alongside local fire departments and other responders from federal, state, and local agencies to search for and rescue people stranded by floodwaters. Those rescue teams responded to requests from the State Fire Marshal’s Office after Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized use of the State Fire Service Mobilization Plan at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Chief Batiste’s authorization came at the request of multiple fire agencies in the affected counties. Mobilization resources are expected to be in place through the weekend.

This mobilization response to the current flood event is the 405^th use of the Mobilization Plan since its inception in 1994. The All-Risk Mobilization program is managed by the Fire Prevention Division of the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office, a bureau within the Washington State Patrol.