Media Releases

Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Pose a Fire Risk?

03/14/23

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are in widespread use in consumer electronics. Lithium batteries have become the industry standard for rechargeable...

2023 Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week

01/18/23

Each year, starting with the Martin Luther King holiday, fire departments around the nation support a weeklong campaign to educate communities about...

Call for Pro and Con Committee to Review Levy

11/29/22

Pro and Con Committees Spokane Valley Fire Department is placing before the voters on the February 14, 2023 ballot a proposition authorizing a maintenance and operations excess levy.

16 NEW FIREFIGHTERS BEGIN SVFD RECRUIT SCHOOL

Feb 1, 2023

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CRAWL, WALK, RUN

16 NEW FIREFIGHTERS BEGIN SVFD RECRUIT SCHOOL

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Spokane Valley, Wash. – The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) has officially hired 16 new Firefighters. The new recruits begin their Fire Academy this week, Wednesday, February 1, 6 a.m.

“This new recruit academy will help SVFD move closer to being fully staffed and able to meet the increasing demands for our services. With emergency incidents reaching over 23,000 in 2022 and our fire district population growing by 9%, these new Firefighters are crucial to maintaining our high quality of service for our citizens.” – Spokane Valley Fire Chief Frank Soto Jr.

Recruits from around the region, will go through an intense 18-week academy, where they will be pushed to the limits physically and mentally. The academy will be split into 3 stages (crawl, walk, run), which will equip and prepare them for a career in the fire service. They will be tested regularly throughout their training for textbook knowledge, apparatus knowledge, physical fitness, and firefighting skill level.

“We teach them from day one, how to problem solve. That is what we do. We show up and solve problems. In high stress moments you fall back on your training, and we want our people ready for that, and to expect that.” – SVFD Captain Shawn Pichette

Training over the 18 weeks will include:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) & Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) wear and confidence
Radio communication
Hose handling
Ladders
Health and fitness education
Wildland fire fighting
Forcible entry
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Fire behavior
Firefighter survivability
Search and victim removal
Fire and life safety
Hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) awareness and operations
Vehicle extrication
Night operations
And more

All recruits must pass exams throughout the training on skills learned. After graduation, our newest firefighters will be rotated through different station assignments and will be on probation for 1 year.

This will be the first of two recruit academies scheduled for 2023, with the second set for later this summer.

SVFD would like to welcome our new recruits and wish them a very successful Fire Academy!

SVFD is able to hire new Firefighters with funding provided by the Maintenance and Operations Levy voted on every 4 years.

About Spokane Valley Fire Department
The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 136,000+ over 75-square miles, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas. In 2022, our cross-trained Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 23,200 emergency calls.

Established in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and by SVFD’s Class 2 fire insurance rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau

Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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← 2023 Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Pose a Fire Risk? →

Did you Know?

You can sign up for a station tour. Great for small groups.

You should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year.

Creating a defensible space with regards to wildfires could just save your home or property.

We have Friends & Family CPR classes every month.

Media Contact

Julie Happy

509-892-4155

happyj@spokanevalleyfire.com

Commissioner Patrick Burch

Board Member Since: July 18, 2016
Current term expires: December 31, 2025

Commissioner Burch was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in July 2016 to fill an unexpired term and has served continuously since that time. He became a volunteer member of the Department’s CERT Team in 2008 and later served as a team leader/member of Fire Corps.

“I admire the Spokane Valley Fire Department’s focus on continuous improvement. Our dedication to the community, fiscal responsibility and the fact that we are one of the few accredited fire departments in the State of Washington all make SVFD great!”

Note: As the individual appointed to this non-partisan position, Commissioner Burch was elected by voters in November 2017.

Commissioner Mike Kester

Board Member Since: January 1, 2020
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2025

Commissioner Mike Kester was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners in November, 2019.

Commissioner Kester grew up in the Spokane area and has a deep appreciation for just how fortunate we all are to live in this beautiful area. He believes that being involved in this community is not something to take lightly.

His background includes joining the United States Coast Guard (U.S.C.G) after high school and serving on a port firefighting boat doing search and rescue in Portland, Oregon. After the Coast Guard, he attended the University of Montana earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Management. He then went on to work for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, serving in their Parks Department.

Spokane was the next step in his career. He went to work for the Burlington Santa Fe Railroad and the next 22 years was spent as a conductor moving freight. Commissioner Kester retired in 2010 after a workplace injury and now, he and his wife enjoy making meals for World War II Veterans, helping out at the YMCA ,and providing meals for those in need.

“In the 25 years of being a resident of the Spokane Valley the professionalism of the SVFD has inspired me to take an active part in bettering our community. We have one of the best fire departments in the whole Pacific Northwest. My wife and I have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. I have dedicated my life to keeping them safe. I want to apply that dedication to our community. Keeping us all safe is a goal we should all aspire to in one way or another. Communication within the department and with the public is, and always will be one of my primary goals.”

Commissioner John Guarisco

Board Member since: August 27, 2018
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2027

Commissioner Guarisco was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in August 2018 to fill an unexpired term and has served continuously since that time. Commissioner Guarisco founded Marjoni Marketing in 2004 and in 2010 merged with MDI marketing. He then pursued Real Estate, earning his license and now, currently serves the greater Spokane area as a licensed Realtor. He has long been active in the community and has won numerous awards during his career including the Volunteer of the Year (2014) and the Community Caring Award (2010) from the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Greater Spokane Valley Rotary Club and holds an AA degree from Spokane Falls Community College.

Note: As the individual appointed to this non-partisan position, Commissioner Guarisco was elected by voters in November 2019.

Commissioner Bill Anderson

Board Member since: January 1, 2000
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2023

Commissioner Anderson served our community as a Spokane Valley Fire Department firefighter for 29 years. Throughout his career, he worked as a firefighter, dispatcher and engineer before he was promoted and became an officer. He was Station Captain of Millwood Station 2 when he retired in 1999. During his years as firefighter, he was an active leader of Spokane Valley Firefighters Local 876 and served as a trustee on the Washington State Council of Firefighters for 25 years.

“It’s important to me that we continue the good service we’ve always given the people. We’ve accomplished a lot and are pulling in the same direction to get better. I’m very proud of the Spokane Valley Fire Department.”

Commissioner Brian Asmus

Board Member Since: June 14, 2021
Current term expires:

Commissioner Brian Asmus was appointed to the Spokane Valley Fire Department Board of Fire Commissioners in 2021.

Commissioner Asmus is the former Liberty Lake Police Chief and current Director of Safety and Security at Central Valley School District (CVSD).

“Brian Asmus brings extensive Public Safety leadership experience, and a long history of being actively engaged in his community to his new role as a SVFD Commissioner,” said SVFD Fire Chief, Bryan Collins. “During his time as a Police Chief, Brian interacted with SVFD firefighters and administrators on a regular basis, making him very familiar with our structure, standing within our communities, as well as with many of our current SVFD board members and personnel. Brian’s experience working and collaborating on regional issues aligns nicely with SVFD’s philosophy and will help us continue to be a catalyst for local and regional excellence and innovation.”