After the devastating losses of Firestorm in 1991, fire chiefs from across the State came together and worked with officials to develop a means whereby each fire jurisdiction could summon aid should their own local resources become overwhelmed by such a large scale incident. The result was the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, which continues to effectively meet this critical need year after year. During many of these incidents, the Spokane Valley Fire Department has answered the call, providing fire engines staffed with members trained and experienced in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) operations. At other times, we have been on the receiving end of such help, most recently during the Spokane Valley Fire that destroyed 13 homes on over 1,000 acres of timbered land in 2008.

Large incidents involving hundreds or even thousands of responders also require highly trained Incident Management Teams (IMTs). In 1999, Washington State integrated its twelve federal, state, and fire service teams, into seven interagency IMTs. These teams have been involved in the management of scores of large wildland fires, as well as such events as the WTO riots in Seattle (1999), 9-11 Terrorist Attacks in New York (2001), the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in Texas (2003), and hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005). Currently, the Spokane Valley Fire Department provides substantial support to three of its members who participate with one of these teams, often using personal leave to do so. In addition to the assistance they are able to provide at each incident, their gained experience is a valuable asset within the Spokane Valley and throughout Spokane County.

The Spokane Valley Fire - 2008



Typical large fire camp outside Loomis, WA - 2006



Tripod Fire plume near Conconully, WA - 2006