Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington and one of its fastest growing, with a fire department that has grown to meet the expanding needs of our community. We respond to approximately 20,000 incidents each year, 75% of them medical in nature.
The department maintains one of the highest cardiac arrest survival rates in world. One of a select few firefighting agencies with a Class 2 rating from the Washington State Survey and Rating Bureau, Bellevue Fire ranks in the top 1% of the 46,699 departments in the U.S., and is one of the top three in the state.
Behavioral Health and Public Safety Job Fair
The City of Bellevue, in partnership with police and fire agencies throughout the Puget Sound region, is hosting a job fair on January 31, 2023 5-7 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004.
Behavioral health opportunities with fire and police department programs include co-response, community response, alternative response and crisis response.
Registration for job seekers is recommended. Hiring organizations may submit a request for participation.
Lithium-ion Battery Fire Safety
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are commonly used in home electronics such as phones, laptop computers, tablets, e-scooters/bikes and other devices that require plug in charging. These batteries are small and powerful but when used incorrectly, they can overheat, catch fire or explode. Fire agencies in King County continue to respond to fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Here are a few tips on how you can be safe when using devices that contain lithium-ion batteries:
- Only use chargers and cables that are compatible with, and came with, the device. An incompatible charger can cause the device to overheat.
- Do not charge a device while sleeping.
- Do not charge a device under pillows or bedding or on top of beds and sofas.
- Do not continue to charge the battery once it is fully charged.
- Do not charge near your primary exit.
- Keep batteries at room temperature and away from heat or direct sunlight.
- Stop using your device if the battery shows signs of damage, such as an unusual odor or change in color.
- Purchase batteries and devices that have been certified by UL or another independent safety testing agency.
If you notice your device or battery produces an odor, changes color, generates too much heat, changes shape, leaks or makes odd noises, move the device away from all items and call 9-1-1 if you feel in danger.
Lithium-ion batteries should only be recycles at an electronic recycling center and never thrown into the trash. Recycling centers in King County.
In-home COVID-19 vaccinations
As cold and flu season ramps up and more people become eligible for their COVID-19 booster, we wanted to share information on Public Health, Seattle and King County's in-home vaccination program. In-home vaccinations are available for people 6-months of age and older who are eligible for a primary series or booster does and have an injury, developmental disability or a medical or mental health condition that makes it difficult to leave the home. More information can be found on their frequently asked questions sheet.
To request an in-home vaccination, please contact the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 7 days a week.
PulsePoint Life Saving App
You know CPR. You've been trained how to use an AED. But will you ever be in a position to save a life? We'd say the chances have recently increased. On June 1, 2022, the King County Fire Chiefs Association, in coordination with the Medic One Foundation launched PulsePoint, a life saving mobile app that notifies users when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest and needs immediate help. Similar to emergency alerts that are pushed out to cell-phones, registered PulsePoint users will be alerted anytime there is a cardiac arrest emergency in their immediate vicinity, allowing hands-only CPR to be started minutes earlier.
More information about Pulse Point and PulsePoint AED can be found at the Medic One Foundation.