Department History Pierce County Fire District 17 as it is today was formed in 1953 by the founders of Roy Fire Department, which was established in 1939. The first commissioners were Henry Payne, Anton Redburg, Oscar Bergren and Randolph Snow. Pierce County Fire Protection District #15 was established on June 24, 1952. The first Commissioners for District #15 were Nicholas D. Kneip, Ogie Envall, and Axel Loden. On November 2, 1999 the name for Pierce County Fire Protection District #15 was officially changed to South Pierce Fire and Rescue. As of April 1st of 2007 PCFD 15 and 17 mutually agreed to consolidate resources and personnel to provide better service to our citizens. Who We Are Our district is comprised of a combination of both career and volunteer professionals. Our volunteers are dedicated individuals who give their time willingly to train and respond from their homes when you call 911. They truly are the backbone of the department. Our career staff of eight Firefighter/EMTs and eight Firefighter/Paramedics work rotating 24-hour shifts seven days a week. Together they operate seven stations in our one-hundred and thirty eight square mile district. The Chief Officer staff consists of Chief Bob Vellias, Assistant Chief Sam Yount, and Battalion Chief Larry Spohn. On April 1st 2008 SPFR will add an additional 4 Firefighter/Paramedics and 1 Firefighter/EMT. This will bring our line staffing to 21 personnel. Our district has experienced tremendous residential growth over the last few years. Call volume has increased 50% over the last five years. In 2007 PCFD 17 responded to 1,261 calls and PCFD 15 responded to 1,130 calls. Medical support calls were 75% of our total call volume. What We Do Our department provides fire suppression (structure and wildland), emergency medical services at both the EMT and paramedic levels, public education and training, smoke detector installation, sponsorship and assistance in community events and emergency medical transports. Training Volunteers are required to attend a 200-hour academy where they learn firefighting fundamentals by qualified instructors from the combined efforts of three districts. Their education does not stop there. Volunteers receive ongoing training on a weekly basis to hone their skills and learn advanced techniques from both our in-house and specialized county instructors. The quality of education and dedication of our volunteers ensures that the most up to date training is received, resulting in the highly skilled team of volunteer professionals that support PCFD 17. Career firefighters are sent to a state certified professional firefighting academy where they undergo a 10-week intensive program leading to a Firefighter I level of training. Once leaving the academy they continue their training alongside the volunteers with additional outside training at state approved courses. Both volunteers and career firefighters receive training in wildland firefighting. The department encourages all volunteers to attain a minimum of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). This is a mandatory requirement for all career staff. This class consists of over 110 hours of medical training and is a state certification that is renewed every three years. EMTs must stay current in training; the department provides an ongoing training and evaluation process monthly to facilitate that training. Getting to the Scene When a citizen calls 911, a regional dispatch center alerts our members via a personal paging device. Members on staff respond immediately from their station and volunteers meet them on scene with the appropriate apparatus. All members that drive any piece of equipment are trained through a series of supervised drives and obstacle course evaluations. This training is called the Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention (EVAP) program. What We Wear to Work On fire-related calls all personnel are required to wear protective clothing. Proper gear protects firefighters from the extreme heat and harmful smoke. The fire service has seen many improvements in protective gear over the last few years. Outfitting a firefighter in protective gear is very expensive. A complete set of bunker gear, boots, hat and masks costs $3,500 per firefighter! How You Can Help Volunteer! If you have a desire to help in your community, please consider volunteering. If you have any questions or comments about PCFD 17 please feel free to contact us: Chief Bob Vellias Assistant Chief Sam Yount bvellias@southpiercefire.org syount@southpiercefire.org

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