Our goal here at North County Regional Fire Authority is to provide our Firefighters with a range of high quality programs and services designed to protect the lives, property and environment for the citizens and visitors within the North County response area. Its our mission to prepare ourselves with any adverse effects due to fires, sudden medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, natural or man-made disasters, and other dangerous conditions.
Structural Firefighting
At the beginning of a Firefighter's career, each individual is put through a Basic Firefighter Training Academy. Its mentally and physically demanding as they go through the basics of the Fire Service, Fire Suppression, Hose Operations, Ladders, Automobile Extrication, Wildland Firefighting, Surface Water Rescue as well as Customer Service and Safety.
Once a Firefighter has completed the Basic Firefighter Training Academy, ongoing training is required to maintain and improve on the skills that have been acquired. Firefighters are continually being tested on their skills according to the Washington State IFSAC standards.
Vehicle Extrication
Each year there are roughly 50,000 vehicle accidents that occur in the State of Washington. Around 300 of those accidents involve a fatality and around 30,000 involve injuries alone. North County Regional Fire Authority on a constant basis, is training on vehicle and patient extrication. Commonly, training includes the use and operation of the extrication tools, also know as the "Jaws of Life." Real life scenarios are simulated on vehicles that have been placed into a situation where Firefighters may find a vehicle. Although no real life patients are used, it helps Firefighters maintain and improve skills needed to rapidly extricate patients from any harm.
Emergency medical services
After a Firefighter has completed the basics of firefighting, each individual put through an Emergency Medical Technician Basic course. The course prepares participants in all phases of pre-hospital emergency care as needed for employment as an EMT. Content includes lecture and hands-on practice in emergency
care, medical emergencies, bleeding, shock, trauma injuries, environmental and childbirth emergencies, cardiac emergencies involving CPR, lifting and moving patients and other topics. After successful completion of the class, student will have earned the certification of EMT-Basic.
EMT's are enrolled in a competency-based training program developed through King County EMS to maintain EMS skills on a continous basis.
Surface water rescue
North County Regional Fire Authority has a specialized surface water rescue program which is coordinated and supervised by the Operations Battalion Chief Christian Davis. The programs training and annual requirements are lead and instructed by Firefighter’s Eric Johnson, Brendan Booth, and Patrick Fournier, who have spent several days covering all aspects of water rescue and rescue recovery techniques. After a firefighter completes the basic water rescue training they are later placed through an intense boat operator’s course which meets all state boaters requirements and WAC requirements for vessel operators.
The water rescue team is made up of approximately 50 water rescue technicians who help protect the diverse area of water ways in North Snohomish County. We cover both the Stillaguamish as well as the Skagit rivers. Several large and small lakes, creeks, streams are within our 104 square mile service area as well as the Port Susan Bay area of Puget Sound, which is between Camano Island and Snohomish County. With so many different types of bodies of water our members must train on all types of changing weather and water current conditions. The crews all train in active rivers and moving tidal areas with all possible precautions being made to keep our team members safe while training. We have a fully equipped 17 foot rescue boat based at the Warm Beach Fire Station that responds to the larger lakes and Puget Sound whenever needed.
Our goal is to have a 24 hour all water hazard related team whenever our community needs them. We are committed to a well educated and dedicated team who’s #1 goal is to provide the best services possible to keep you and your family safe as you enjoy many of the wonderful water ways in our community.
NCRFA Recruit firefighters academy
North County Regional Fire Authority hosted Firefighter Academy Class in 2009. 17 Recruit Firefighters from North County and Granite Falls Fire District 17 spent 3 months training on basic firefighting skills. Recruits were trained in Fire Suppression, Hose Operations, Ladders, Automobile Extrication, Wildland Firefighting, Surface Water Rescue as well as Customer Service and Safety. At the end of the academy, the recruits were tested by Washington State a received the Firefighter 1 certificate which is a national standard. Congratulations to the Class of 09.
