Most fire calls are not for fires, but for first aid and the mission of the Seattle Fire Department is to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from fires, medical emergencies and other disasters.

"The fire department has a layered response system," said Helen Fitzpatrick, public information officer of the Fire Department. "About 80 percent of the calls we get are for non-fire situations.

"If it's more serious, one of the medic units will be dispatched," said Fitzpatrick. "Daily we have more engines respond because we have more units, plus most situations don't require paramedics," said Fitzpatrick. She noted that the city has 33 engines and seven medic units.

"Calls we receive run the gamut from someone who falls out of bed and needs assistance getting back into bed, to someone with a broken arm or leg, car accidents"

According to the fire department Web site, 33 fire stations are located throughout the city, to ensure a presence in every neighborhood.

"Our stations are strategically placed throughout the neighborhoods," said Fitzpatrick.

The Seattle Fire Department's Medic One Program began in 1970 when the first group of firefighters was trained as paramedics, with help from Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington, according to the Web site. Medic One provides the city with advanced life-support activities that, previously, could only be performed by licensed physicians.

In addition to fire engines, there is also the marine response team, which was created in the 1970s as a joint venture between the Seattle Fire Department and the U.S. Maritime Administration. In 1983, the project was transformed into the present day Marine Emergency Response Team. Since 1889, there has always been a fireboat in service. "Currently, there are three fireboats. One is stationed at Fisherman's Terminal and the other two are stationed at Station 5, on Alaskan Way," said Fitzpatrick. The Fireboat's duties include vessels, shore-side fires and servicing the city's boating industry. It also plays a supporting role in disaster preparedness and city tourism.

"I am not aware that there are an unusually high number of trucks called to Shilshole Marina," said Fitzpatrick in response to some in Ballard who think that is so.

In 2005, there were 2,796 fires in Seattle; 62,071 rescue and EMS (emergency medical service) responses; 90 mutual aid / assistance incidents; 2,499 false alarm responses; 615 hazardous materials responses, and 13,062 "all other" responses (i.e. lockouts, animal rescues, etc.), according to the most recent National Fire Protection Association Seattle Fire Report.

In 2006, the fire department responded to 20,330 advanced life support emergences. "ALS (would be) cases like heart attacks or require CPR," said Fitzpatrick. The fire department also responded to 43,476 basic life support emergencies, which Fitzpatrick said, "would be procedures that don't break the skin, such as respiratory problems, stitches, in which case an ambulance is used." In contrast, there were 16,717 responses for fires, according to the Fire Department Web site.

Fire Stations don't all have the same units.

For example, Station 35, which serves Ballard, houses an engine company, a reserve engine and a reserve medic unit. This station is in a good location to respond to a variety of emergencies and its site is large enough to accommodate the services expected of a station this size.

Station 18, also in the north end, covers most of northwest Seattle. The station is multi-function. Its core units consist of an engine company, a ladder unit, a medic unit, and a battalion chief unit. It also houses a number of reserve units, including a reserve battalion chief unit, a reserve ladder unit, and a reserve medic unit and one of two hose wagons the Seattle Fire Department has.

There are 992 full-time uniformed firefighters, including filled positions, plus vacancies but not recruits, according the Fire Department Web site. "They are paid employees of the city, not volunteers," said Fitzpatrick.

Chris Paredes is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory and may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com