Fire Services

The Snoqualmie Fire Department operates two fire engines out of its station. One primary (E155) and a reserve (E255). All fire department members are trained to IFSAC Firefighter Level One at a minimum.

 As part of its accreditation process, the Snoqualmie Fire Department has established an effective response force (ERF). ERF can be defined as the minimum number of firefighters and equipment needed to effectively hand a structure fire. To determine its ERF, the department evaluated specific tasks that needed to be performed to mitigate a fire response. These tasks can be categorized as incident command, safety, pump operation, water supply, fire attack, back up teams, rapid intervention teams, ventilation, and search and rescue. For Snoqualmie, the number of firefighters needed to perform these duties initially is seventeen. The response time it takes to get these initial seventeen firefighters on scene of an incident is tracked and is continually monitored to ensure performance measures are being met.

As SFD has a minimum staffing level of only three firefighters per day, it must rely on our neighboring departments to provide enough personnel for the more complex incidents. Through countywide mutual aid agreements, all departments have agreed to provide resources to handle calls involving multiple units or subsequent calls for service within a jurisdiction.

Fire departments in King County have adopted identical response plans for all types of incidents that specify what type of units are needed. For example, the following number and types of units would be sent to a single-family structure fire:

  • (4) Fire engines
  • (2) Ladder trucks
  • (2) Battalion Chiefs
  • (1) Medic Unit
  • (1) Aid Car
  • (1) MSO

Based on these numbers, very few departments in the region can provide all the units necessary to fight a structure fire. Mutual Aid agreements and standard operating procedures ensure that all responses can be adequately and safely staffed with the personnel needed, and citizens can receive the quickest and most efficient service possible during their time of need.

Because of the mutual aid agreements in place and the standard response plans, when there is a large incident, you will see multiple units from other jurisdictions (such as Eastside Fire and Rescue, Fall City, Redmond, Bellevue, etc.) on scene.

SFD E155SFD Engine 155 - 2009 Crimson

SFD E255SFD Engine 255 - 2003 American LaFrance