A Seattle Times story reported on Fire Chief Gregory Dean’s explanation to City Council Friday of the circumstances that led to the deaths of five people - including four children - in an apartment fire in Fremont on June 12. While there was a malfunction that caused a delay of water on the scene, Dean’s review concluded firefighters were not at fault and that possibly the only thing that might have made a difference would have been a sprinkler system, which was not required in the building because it was built before those were required in these buildings.

Dean said this detailed review will not result in changes to the department’s firefighting protocols.

His explanation to them matched the account he told community members at a meeting July 1.

Dean told council members that mechanical problems with an engine that delayed putting water on the fire have been addressed and that mistakes made by its operator are being dealt with through training.

Both the chief and an independent analyst concluded that, while operator error contributed to the incident, the firefighters responsible acted according to their training and can’t be blamed.

Moreover, the chief reiterated that the fire that roared through the two-story town house was so intense that it is unlikely anyone could have been saved even if the engine had functioned properly.

The outcome might have been different, Dean said, had the 40-year old structure been equipped with a sprinkler system. Sprinklers have been required in new multifamily construction since 1988.

The article goes into more detail about the malfunction that prevented water from coming out of the first engine on the scene.

An investigator concluded that the problem was likely traced to a touch-activated selector that engages the pump. That unit has been replaced on all 10 similar trucks in the department, Dean said.

Dean said the driver three times tried to start the pumps, but failed each time. Each time he had to turn off the engine of the firetruck and turn off the battery, and then turn both back on.

But what he didn’t know is that he was supposed to leave everything turned off for 10 seconds to make it work.

The design process for Fire Station 9 continues this week.

The Seattle Design Commission meets tomorrow, Thursday, May 20 to review its design development phase at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave. The fire station part of the agenda is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Fire Levy Communications Officer Christina Faine said about 150 neighbors attended the design development open house on Saturday (May 15) to see the progress of the design and visit the firefighters, who served cookies, coffee and water.

This was the rendering by artist Mike Kowalski that was shown at the open house:

Faine said:

“The design and art were well received by the community. The new building will employ several elements that will reflect the fire fighting history of the site. The architects researched the numerical “tapper code,” a historical version of the 911 dispatch system, and will use it to add detail to the building façade.

The project team have made a number of changes to the design since the schematic design open house on January 9, 2010. In response to comments from the open house  - as well as the Seattle Design Commission Schematic Design review on January 21, 2010 - concepts from the site’s history have been incorporated into the building façade design and landscape treatment.

Since the open house in January, the public art piece has become more defined.

The landscaping and sustainability concepts have been fleshed out and include the installation of rainwater collection cisterns for re-using water in the building and landscape irrigation. The architects received comments supporting this approach and making it visible and instructive.”

Peter Reiquam is a Seattle-based artist who has created public works for over 20 years and was chosen for the public art for the fire station.

Big Black Cat features a large-scale black cat perched on the roof’s edge of Fire Station 9. The sculpture, a variation on the Eveready Black Cat graphic, will be twenty feet in length and feature amber-colored glass eyes that are illuminated from within by low-voltage LEDs. Reiquam was inspired by the Eveready battery logo which has become a mascot for Fire Station 9 and a symbol that lets the Fremont community know that the firefighters at this station are “Ever Ready.” 

The panelists selected Peter Reiquam because they felt he displayed the best potential to create a bold iconic statement for Fire Station 9. The panel was impressed by Peter’s artistic excellence and technical abilities, and felt his aesthetic would be a great match for the fire fighters, the surrounding neighborhood and the Fremont community.

We all know how important a neighborhood fire station is. Now you can see what our new one will look like.

Check out the designs for Fire Station No. 9, at 3829 Linden Ave N., which is having an open house from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 15. Invitations were mailed out to approximately 15,994 households and businesses in the fire station service area.

This replaces the existing station, which is “in poor condition due to its age. Replacement would be more cost-effective than remodel.” Station 9 will not only be rebuilt on the site of the current station, it will expand from 5,700 square-feet to approximately 8,500 square-feet.

It will also demolish the Annex on the south side of the site, built in 1921. In July 2009, the Landmarks Preservation Board voted 5 to 4 in favor of designating the Annex as a Landmark, which was one vote short of what was needed for that designation.

The replacement has been a long time coming - really since November 2003, when 69 percent of Seattle voter approved the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy. Starting in 2004, the nine-year program planned several uses for levy proceeds and other funding. Among them: upgrading, renovating, or replacing 32 neighborhood fire stations - including our own Fire Station No.9.

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The public is invited to an open house at Fire Station 9 on Saturday, January 9, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

The station is located at 3829 Linden Ave N.  Families are welcome to tour the engine, learn about new improvements to the station, and meet the firefighters who serve the neighborhood.

Not only is Halloween on a Saturday this year, it’s also Daylight Savings Time, which means more time to gather treats.  Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed tonight, too.  While you’re at it, the Seattle Fire Department wants to remind everyone that Daylight Savings is a good time to also change your smoke alarm batteries.  The SFD will even install smoke alarms and batteries for free for homeowners who are senior citizens, living on low income or have a disability.  To request this assistance, call the Seattle Fire Department at 206-386-1337.