♪♪
-Good afternoon everybody, let’s get started.
Look at those good- looking fire fighters.
We just got the good- looking ones to come out today.
I’m very excited as the mayor to talk about fire station
31 groundbreaking.
I ask that, before I say a few words,
you just take a deep breath
and you can smell the progress, it’s a good smell.
This new station will provide our north
Seattle communities with a state of the art facility.
It will support our reliable fire
and emergency medical services for decades to come.
I’m very excited to not only welcome the chief
and a few other leaders that have made sure
this effort is undertaken in the way
we want to and a couple of council members
that are showing incredible leadership
thus far, in their tenure as city council members.
So this is indeed an exciting opportunity to sort of show off
what hard work, the dividends and hard work pays off.
With the expansion of light rail,
and new housing and other exciting developments,
this is a growing part of our city.
We welcome our new residents and our neighbors.
Our neighbors who deserve fast and reliable services,
and that’s what this represents.
This new station will house a fire engine ladder,
a medic and aid unit,
and have space for a health one unit
to help neighbors in their moment of need.
Supported by a 54 million dollar investment in our budget,
this stations helping build a comprehensive approach
to public safety.
Centers around the needs of our community.
Our efforts have included
adding 24 permanent fire fighters positions in west
Seattle, in South Park expanding the health
99 overdose response unit
and our new dual dispatch team in the CARE department.
Now, I joke about our fire department,
but in all seriousness, it is in the top
1% of fire departments in the nation,
with protection one rating with the first department
in the state to achieve this exemplary rating.
And when I say I joke about the fire department,
because number one, their fun to poke fun of.
Because people aspire to be a part of this department.
That is one of the departments that we lead with
when we talk about exemplary service.
We talk about race and social justice,
we talk about making sure every life matters.
They exemplify the finest in terms of our one
Seattle approach.
And when I see that kind of excellence around me,
perhaps I get inferior, an inferior complex,
and that’s why I joke about them.
But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be more prouder
as a mayor, for the work that they do.
Last year Seattle Fire had two recruiting classes
and nearly 60 recruits successfully completed
the 15 week academy and will enter operations.
Indeed the city, the state, and the country watches
what this particular department does
and people still want to be a part of that.
That’s rank and file, that’s leadership,
that’s mid-management, that’s an all team approach.
It’s exciting that future recruit classes
will take advantage of the new facility
and serve our North Seattle communities.
So I indeed want to thank the fire fighters,
our labor partners.
Other stakeholder who were involved
in the selection of this side of the Epic Life Church
for the interim space and this partnership.
I want to thank the community and the neighbors
for being welcoming in this endeavor.
We are excited to break down on this project
and continue to build a safe, thriving future for our city
and I look forward to celebrating the grand opening
in 2025.
And I will assure you that it will be a little warmer.
The skies will be a little bluer
and indeed this community will be a little safer.
Now with that I’ll hand it over to chief Scoggins
for a few words. Thank you very much.
-Well good morning.
My name is Harold Scoggins and I’m honored
to be the fire chief of the Seattle fire department.
I want to lead with a thank you to Mayor Harrell
for your ongoing support of the Seattle fire department
and thank you for your kind words.
We really appreciate that.
Thank you to our new Public Safety
Chair, Bob Kettle, for being here this morning.
We appreciate you being here.
And thank you to our district five council member,
Cathy Moore,
I’m glad you could both be here and participate today.
Thank you.
We would not be breaking ground without the steadfast support
given by the mayor’s office and the city council,
since this project began back in 2019.
I guess it seems like a lifetime ago.
At that time we were facing hard decisions
about the fitness of old fire station 31.
The building was not only challenged
by structural and environmental issues,
but frankly we were busting at the seams.
As we added units to handle the response volume,
it further cramped an already tight living and working space.
The fact is, the north end of the city is growing rapidly.
You don’t have to drive very far to see how much change
is happening with the light rail expansion
as the mayor mentioned and the Kraken Ice Complex,
are just two examples in this part of the city of growth.
Today’s ceremony is about looking forward.
Station 31 is one of the busiest stations in the city.
Fire fighters and paramedics at Station
31 responded to more than 11,600 fire
and EMS responses in 2023.
Eleven thousand, six hundred fire and EMS responses.
We know it’s only going to get busier
and this new station is designed with the future in mind.
Not only will it house our existing responding units,
but we are creating space for a future
Health One team to be housed here as well,
to serve the needs of north Seattle.
We also promise to be good neighbors.
I want to thank local 27 President Kenny
Stuart, who wasn’t able to be here today.
As well as Battalion Chief Dan Murray.
And Dan Murray has worked tirelessly on this project,
since the beginning.
He’s been our SFD project lead
and you’ll hear from him this morning.
Of course thanks goes out to FAS
and Acting Director, Kiersten Grove,
for your partnership and your support.
Not just on this project, but maintaining all of our 40
Seattle fire departments facilities
and over 150 vehicles we have on the road each day.
We appreciate you. We also need to offer
our appreciation to Epic Life Church,
which has hosted our interim station since 2021.
And if you live and the area, you know it’s the second time
we’ve been there.
During some of the earlier remodeling projects,
we were also hosted by Epic Life Church.
But most of all, thank you to our fire fighters
who have worked as Fire Station 31.
And they deserve a round of appreciation for their patience
and their flexibility, and some of them are here today.
It’s been four and a half years
since they moved out of the old station.
Now barring any construction delays,
we are looking forward to them moving back
in as the mayor mentioned, in 2025,
into their new home right here on this site,
where we’ll be having another celebration.
Next I would like to invite up Joe Hampton,
from FAS Capital Development, to share a few words. Joe.
-Well good morning everyone, my name is Joe Hampton
and I lead Capital Development
in the city’s department of Finance
and Administrative Services, or FAS.
It’s an honor to be here today, in support of our fire fighters,
for the lifesaving work that they do.
I want to thank Mayor Harrell, Chief Scoggins,
and Battalion Chief Dan Murray
and other leadership of Seattle Fire.
To our design team, I’d like to extend our appreciation
for leading this collaborative effort
and for the amazing work that has brought us here today.
A day that is extremely special for Fire Station 31 firefighters
and this wonderful community.
Today’s ground breaking marks a significant milestone
on this project for our teams
and it’s important to recognize their hard work
throughout this process.
From identifying the site, to gathering community input.
Contracting the work, and partnering with fire to make
sure we’re providing them with the best station possible.
They deserve the best and we aim to provide it.
Once completed in late 2025,
this site will be home to a three story,
22,000 square foot station, with four apparatus bays
and some special features we’re really excited about.
Including space for a Health One unit
to provide non-emergency care,
a classroom for fire department training
and community engagement, and enhancements
to the neighborhood and public streetscape.
Late next year, I look forward to joining you all here again,
for the open house of this phenomenal new Fire Station 31.
Thank you so much for your time,
I will now pass it over to Liam Roney,
a Seattle fire fighter and Vice President of Local 27.
Thank you. -Great job.
[ Applause ]
-Morning, everybody.
My name's Liam Roney. I’m Vice President of Local 27.
I’m also a 17-year veteran of the Seattle Fire Department.
I’m the tiller on ladder three in the central district.
And today is a huge day.
Mayor Harrell, I want to extend our gratitude
from Seattle fire fighters, for the deep investment
in our health and safety,
represented by the groundbreaking here today.
We struggled for years in the old station
and this is a deep investment in our resiliency
and our ability to respond to the citizens of Seattle.
Firefighting is dangerous career.
Not only due to hostile fire events,
but from diseases like cancer, heart disease
and all manner of other ailments.
It requires long-term commitment in investment
to keep us healthy for the long-term
so we can have a long career and proper retirement.
Kenny Stuart put an incredible amount of work
into making this happen.
I want to -- he’s the president of Local 27.
He wishes he could be here.
I’m honored to be here in his stead.
But I once again want to thank the mayor,
city council and the Durkan administration who began this.
And with that, I will pass the mic to Local 28/98
President, Dan Murray. So thank you everybody.
-Good morning and welcome everyone.
I’m Battalion Chief, Dan Murray.
I’m an Operations Battalion Chief here in Battalion Six.
I’m also a former agent 31 lieutenant
and captain of Ladder Five.
On behalf of the past
and present members of Fire Station 31,
I want to thank everyone for being here on this amazing day,
to celebrate this moment of incredible significance,
not only for the Seattle Fire Department,
but also for the Northgate and Licton Springs community
and our great city as a whole.
This civic project is not only a fire station,
but it’s critical infrastructure that represents
and symbolizes our cities dedication to our members
in the Seattle fire department.
It also emerges as a place of pride
and engagement for all community members in the Northgate
and Licton Springs community and it demonstrates our desire
to always keep moving forward and investing in the future.
In 2018, as a station,
we created a vision for our station.
It simply read, A Better 31’s.
You could see it, you could feel it,
but most of all, our members who are here today, believed in it.
In that as a station we looked at how we could be better
in all aspects of ourselves and our station.
We looked at how we could be better
and how we serve the city and our mission,
better in how we provided customer service and engage
with the community.
Better in how we approached health and safety
for all of our members,
and also better in all aspects of the very station
we called home.
I can proudly say because of the collaborative efforts,
the commitment to the vision of a better 31’s
and the resilience, the teamwork and the leadership of past
and present station members,
station captains, our community members,
city council, the mayor’s office.
Local 27, FAS.
Our city partners in different agencies.
Chief Scoggins and the SFD leadership team,
that today we are here to celebrate the progress
and our cities strong commitment to not only new Fire Station 31,
but also to public safety.
Despite any challenges and obstacles
that may have come our way throughout the process,
each step of the way our partners and city leadership,
have continued to invest and support
this incredibly important project
that positively impacts how we serve.
The investments are evident
in all aspects of the project design.
Our project design team made up of the best of FAS,
SFD and Miller Hull, emphasized and prioritized
health and safety and operational functionality.
Health and safety was focused from the chemicals
and materials used in the actual construction,
to the material design for air flow within the station.
To separation of clean and dirty areas of the station
to prevent cross contamination and to minimize harmful exposure
to hazardous chemicals and gases.
And even the alerting system,
to reduce impacts to our responders.
We also prioritize operational functionality
from the location of the new station
to support our community here
and how we serve the surrounding neighborhoods
and other fire stations to ensure adequate response
times are able to be met.
A station that will support up to 13 fire fighters per shift
and three mobile integrated health members,
so we can get the right resource for any type of an alarm.
And a station that supports ongoing training,
in and out of the classroom,
so we’re prepared to meet the current
and emerging needs in our communities.
I want to close again and celebration
of this great achievement for our city
and the dedicated members of Fire Station 31.
And our fire department, as we take the next step
in our journey of, A Better 31’s.
As well as reaffirming what I believe in my core.
I continue to believe in our mayors vision,
of one Seattle.
But as I’ve said before, we cannot have one Seattle
without one another.
I am so proud to say this project puts on display
the amazing support from one another,
and the great possibilities
in the best of what we can all achieve together.
Thank you.
Next I’m introducing Councilmember Kettle.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you everyone, thank you Mr. Mayor,
Chief Scoggins, Battalion Chief Murray.
The men and women of the fire department, thank you so much.
I support the men and women of the Seattle fire department.
Even more important though
is that they are supported with facilities and equipment.
Support is also needed
in the face of violence against the fire fighters
and the theft of equipment from their fire engines,
their rigs, their trucks.
And so we as a council are going to move forward on this.
We’re going to create a strategic framework
to work against the permissive environment,
with the mayor and his team in a very one
Seattle way, to address those issues.
Support is also needed in the face of an incredible opt tempo,
which I’m sure everyone here can appreciate.
That has a big impact because of the behavioral health
and the addiction crisis that we face.
It’s a real concern. So we must assist in the health
to include the mental health of our fire fighters.
And at the end of the day, it’s about public service.
It’s about thank you for your service,
thank you for putting on the uniform
and thank you for answering the calls.
Thank you too for your families
and your friends and your support system.
That support is so important to you
and to the fire department overall.
So thank you so much for your support,
thank you for your service,
and thank you to all the team behind me
for moving it forward on this, you know, new fire station
that is so important as we build our infrastructure
throughout the city.
Thank you so much.
[ Applause ]
-Well, good morning everyone. I’m Cathy Moore.
I’m the newly elected councilmember
from district five, Northgate. Yay!
The best district in the city, no offense.
But I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who's here
and to all the work that you’ve done.
I know this has been a long project
and today is, as I’ve been told, a very special day.
So, I feel honored to be able to just be here, as an aside,
to see what’s happening and to state
that certainly from my position in district five,
I’m a huge fan of the Seattle Fire Department.
They’ve done amazing work, they did incredible work
during our emergency severe weather response
and they just do amazing work every day.
So, I will continue to be a big supporter.
It’s also very exciting that this building capacity
is going to allow our fire fighters
and the community they serve, to be safe.
And to really be able to extend their services
to all who need it in our community.
It’s also said to include public art
from a local artist, Damon Brown.
It’s going to have updated pavement
and street trees and sidewalks.
So, it is a project that saves lives, it plants trees
and it brings more sidewalks to district five.
What more could we want?
So, I’m very excited to see it open in 2025
and thank you so much for your time.
And again, thank you for all the amazing work you do every day.
And I will turn it back to our mayor.
-Thank you councilmember.
In closing a very wise leader once told me
that you can’t have one Seattle without one another.
Who said that? Dan?
Alright, Dan. You’re going to hear that for a while.
Because I really, really like it.
I wish I had thought of it.
And at the end of the day,
it’s about the safety of everyone around this city
and it’s about their safety.
They put their lives at risk to protect others.
And under our administration and as other mayors
might have concerned themselves with,
their life after the fire department.
The clothes that they wear, the hazardous conditions
that they have to expose themselves to.
The tools that they use to do what they do.
That concerns our administration.
Concerns their families. And so again,
I want to thank you for the work that you do.
And I’m very honored to partner
with these strong councilmembers in Moore and Kettle.
We are in for a treat in terms of the work
we’re going to do in this city.
So I’ll entertain a few questions if you have any,
and otherwise we’re going to break some soil
to keep our momentum going out here,
in one of the greatest districts in the city.
Are there any questions? I’ll count you down.
I’m going to go three, two, one Seattle!
Let’s break some ground. Let’s break some ground.
23
-You each get a shovel here.
-I don’t need a shovel. -Are you sure?
Yeah, I’m good with it.
-Melissa has your hat. There you go.
-Can I possibly pass on a hat because I have --
-You do not have to wear a hat.
Okay.
-If you want a hat, some folks are not wearing it.
-Okay. Unless you want me to put a hat on? Okay.
-Okay, am I leading us on this?
Okay. I guess so, okay, I’ll take the lead so.
Once you're through, you're just going to shovel it
and go right in forward
and see who can get it as far -- to the cameras.
-Aim for me.
Wait for you. You can count us off.
Three, two, one Seattle!
-One more time, boss.
On three. One, two, and three!
[ Applause ]