Operations

The operations of the Pullman Fire Department, under the leadership of Ryan Scharnhorst, Assistant Fire Chief - Operations, continues to be one of the finest in the quad counties because of the excellence the firefighters bring to work every day. 

Playing a key role in addressing a critical public safety function of the Pullman Fire Department, PFD pursues excellence through quality geographical coverage, equipment, and staffing levels. One of the main priorities of PFD is to provide fire suppression. The Fire Suppression & Operations Division of the Fire Department is responsible for putting out fires, emergency rescues and emergency medical response. First-call equipment is deployed to deliver initial fire attack and EMS services with a goal of five minutes.

The department operates out of two Fire Stations. Fire Station 1 is the main Fire Station and is the location of the administrative staff at 620 S Grand Ave. Fire Station 2 is located at 55 NW Terre View Dr. The two fire stations are staffed 24/7 to ensure quick response times and to keep fire damage to a minimum. When they are not responding to 911 calls, suppression personnel spend time maintaining their equipment and training on the latest fire and EMS techniques.

When an emergency 911 call is reported, the call is triaged at Whitcom (regional dispatch center) and resources are dispatched. Daily emergency response staffing consists of eight career fire personnel on a 24-hour shift assignment. Resources are deployed from two fire stations operating 3 Engines, 1 Ladder Truck, 5 Medic Units, 1 brush truck and multiple other apparatus that support our mission. All of our Engines, Ladder, and Medic Units are staffed with EMTs and Paramedics that have the ability to deliver Basic Level Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) care. The department Chief Officers provide Duty Chief coverage on a 24/7 basis. 

The Engines and Ladder Truck employ specialized equipment designed to carry out rescues at specialized events such as traffic collisions and industrial accidents. All emergency response personnel are trained in specialized rescue techniques and all apparatus carry a compliment of rescue tools.

In addition to handling incidents within the city, we share our resources with neighboring jurisdictions, and they share theirs, in an effort to work collaboratively across the region. This regional cooperation is essential as it is difficult for each agency to meet the workload and resource needs of major incidents or multiple smaller simultaneous incidents.

You will often see our apparatus and personnel out in the community. On a daily basis, they respond to calls, perform station and apparatus inspections and maintenance, train, conduct business inspections, and make public education appearances. They are never without their apparatus and equipment, so they are always ready to respond. If you see them in your community, don't hesitate to say hello.