New Mercer Island city manager takes Fire Ops 101

By Katie Metzger • April 6, 2017 10:30 am

After going through Fire Ops 101, Mercer Island City Manager Julie Underwood said she has “a whole new appreciation for firefighters.”

Mercer Island Fire Department Lt. Ray Austin invited Underwood to participate in a full day of fire training provided by the International Association of Firefighters and the Washington State Council of Firefighters. The local union on Mercer Island is an affiliate of the two organizations.

The WSCFF has been putting on this program for a number of years now, and holds the training at the Hammer facility outside Richland.

“This day shows them the smoke, the sweat, the adrenaline rush and the physical stress and strain you face on your daily job, all while exposing them to the complex issues of the fire service, like staffing, adequate equipment and presumptive health,” according to the IAFF website.

It’s an opportunity for “elected officials, media and decision makers [like Underwood] to get a ‘hands on’ experience of what firefighters do every day,” Austin said.

The full day of training on March 24 covered everything from firefighting basics with live fire, to emergency aid calls and patient extrication from a motor vehicle accident.

“It is tiring, but very informative and a lot of fun,” Austin said.

Underwood posted several photos on her Twitter feed (@UnderwoodJulie) of activities of the day, including using the jaws of life, going into a burning building and responding to a cardiac arrest.

According to her social media posts, Underwood found the work “physically and mentally challenging,” and said she was grateful that the community “can count on these dedicated public servants 365 days [a year], 24 hours a day.”

Underwood said it was an “experience of a lifetime.”