What is State Mobilization?

A State Mobilization is a call out of local resources to another Fire Department jurisdiction because that Fire Department is in need of help with a large fire/incident.  This also includes State and Federal Agencies that need help.  The most common type of State Mobilization is for large Wildland Fires.  These types of fires often threaten homes and take a large amount of resources to extinguish.  These call outs can come from all over the United States, but are usually from other parts of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California.

How Often Does Dist. 13 Help Out?

On average Dist. 13 responds to several State Mobilizations each year.  In 2006 Dist. 13 responded to eight separate fires.   We helped by manning many different types of apparatus.  On the "Dirty Face Fire" in 2005, located just north of Lake Wenatchee, Dist. 13's Engine 1313 supplied all of the other units on scene with water.  Engine 1313 achieved this by drafting water out of Lake Wenatchee. (photo below).  In 2012 we responded to nine incidents.  This included Brush 1324 responding to assist with the Taylor Bridge Fire near Cle Elum (photo below).

Is my Home Still Safe While Firefighters are Gone?

When we respond to a State Mobilization we keep our priorities at home.  Dist. 13 only sends out a limited amount of apparatus.  There is always enough firefighters and apparatus ready to respond to emergencies at home.  When Dist. 13 firefighters leave to assist other regions, we rely on our well structured mutual aid agreement with other Fire Departments to help us in our service area.

How Does this Help Dist. 13?

Responding to State Mobilizations is a way of supplementing our small budget.  In 2005 Dist. 13 made $20,000 from the nine fires we responded to.  That money is used to upgrade equipment and make needed repairs.  2005's funds went to enclose our lean-to on the west side of our station (photo below).  This gave us a place to house six more pieces of apparatus in a climate controlled environment.  This extends the life of the trucks and provides for a quicker response.  In 2007 some of the money from the 2006 fire season ($55,592) was used to pay four our matching portion of a DNR grant we used to purchase our new command unit (photo below).  In 2012 we received about $25,000 for the nine incidents we assisted with.  These funds will be used for future Dist. 13 betterment projects such as upgrading equipment.