9/13 - FD3 in the Sequim region is at Level 0 - out of staffed firefighter response units. Despite recent efforts to staff more units, a wave of simultaneous 911 calls for service has overwhelmed current resources.
Calls in the last hour have been for:
Urinary Tract Infection
High blood sugar
High blood pressure
Tendon pain
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More units - more resources available for emergencies at any given time.
This month the Sequim area will see an increase in staffed firefighter response units. In the past, only 4 units were available most days, and the increase in simultaneous calls for service has often depleted that number - meaning there were no units left to respond to an emergency, risking significant response delays.
Per the direction of District 3 fire commissioners, voluntary overtime will be offered every shift in an attempt to increase the number of staffed units up to 6 by increasing the daily minimum staffing from 10 to 12 personnel.
This is a win for the community we serve. You deserve to have firefighters there when it matters most.
It will also be a challenge for us. We’ve already been working hard and this will be an added workload for many.
Why overtime? Because recent hiring cannot keep up with resignations/retirements and the overall number of career firefighters remains largely the same this year as call volume continues to increase.
Are property owners getting a good return on their fire department taxes? Yes. The departments in this region run more calls per firefighter than other departments in the state of Washington. That’s right, more calls per firefighter than busy cities like Seattle, Tacoma, or Everett.
Are your firefighters running so many calls because of crime and drug overdoses? No. Most calls that we respond to are due to general illness and declining health. For example, falls and lift-assists are now a large part of what your fire department responds to.
Want to help your local firefighters be successful, ready, well trained, and available for emergencies? Stay healthy, stay active, and talk to your doctor and nurses about illness and health concerns before there's a need for 911.
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WOULD YOU CALL 911?
A family member suddenly can't smile evenly. One arm feels weak, and their words don't make sense. Would you call 911?
Yes! Absolutely!
These are classic warning signs of a possible stroke, and every minute matters.
Now imagine someone has had mild back pain for several months that hasn't suddenly changed.
While that person should absolutely seek medical care, it may not require an emergency ambulance response. Seeing a primary care doctor or going to the walk-in clinic will get this patient the care they need, and often much faster.
Knowing the difference between emergent and non-emergent medical conditions helps ensure emergency crews are available for life-threatening situations while everyone receives the care they need.
Remember: Just because you show up to the hospital in an ambulance, this does not ensure you will be seen faster at the hospital. The hospital also triages patients brought in by ambulance and sees the most critical patients first. Non-critical patients may be placed in the waiting room upon arrival, even if arriving via ambulance.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, always call 911.
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Why do fire engines cost over $1,000,000 each and not meet expectations?
Dozens of cities and counties sue fire truck makers over soaring costs, delivery delays • Stateline
stateline.org
In the summer of 2023, a third of the fire engines owned by the fire department in Kansas City, Kansas, were unusable. Five of 15 pumper trucks were out of commission, and the department was waiting o...3 CommentsComment on Facebook
What an entrance 😎. Even firefighters have people to look up to. The 2026 Unity of Effort started off a bang. Unity of Effort #UnityOfEffort
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Hello Sequim, we want to hear from you.
Calls for service continue to increase, but firefighter staffing has not kept pace. New hires aren't replacing firefighters as quickly as experienced members are leaving, and our staffing levels have remained largely unchanged while demand continues to grow.
Today, your fire department is dispatched to an incredibly broad range of calls—not just life-threatening emergencies. While every 911 call is evaluated and dispatched according to established protocols, the increasing volume of non-emergency responses raises an important question: Are we using limited emergency resources in the best way possible?
Here's a recent example.
Within minutes, we were dispatched to two separate 911 calls at the same skilled nursing facility in Sequim. The reported emergencies were:
"A resident with recent chemotherapy who is feeling ill."
"A resident who needs to have high blood pressure evaluated because it has been running high lately."
At the same time, another call came in across town for a "99-year-old feeling weak."
These are actual recent dispatches.
Responding to these three calls required three separate fire department units, leaving just one staffed unit available to cover the rest of our district. That’s 75% of crews now unavailable for any other calls. We currently staff only four response units most days—the same number we staffed in 2008—even though our community's demand for emergency services has grown substantially.
This isn't about criticizing the people who call 911. When someone is concerned, we want them to seek help. The bigger question is whether the current system is making the best use of your firefighters and emergency resources.
Should firefighters be dispatched to every request for medical assistance, regardless of severity?
Should some lower-acuity calls be handled differently so emergency units remain available for fires, serious medical emergencies, rescues, and other time-critical incidents?
We'd like to hear your thoughts. Please share your perspective in the comments, and if you have questions, ask away. We'll do our best to provide context and explain how the system works. Our goal, as always, is to be there when our community needs us most.
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