The team is a co-op of eastside fire departments including Bellevue Fire Department, Woodinville Fire and Life Safety District, Kirkland Fire Department, Redmond Fire Department, and Eastside Fire and Rescue. Each department contributes one or more members to the team who then drill and respond jointly. Bothell currently has eight HazMat Technician representatives including two battalion chiefs and a lieutenant. In addition, we have one full time Hazardous Materials Specialist responsible for inspecting hazmat operations and acting as a liaison between facilities, responders, and other regulatory agencies. The City of Bothell has several hazardous materials facilities, including numerous biotechnology companies, manufacturing, distribution, and research and development labs.
Materials range from common solvents to exotic toxins to pyrophoric materials.
Many of the facilities house radioactive materials and biological organisms. This can make for complex responses, but most of the facilities work closely with us in planning and prevention, keeping incidents to a minimum. Our volunteer program is an excellent way to serve the community, explore the fire fighting profession and gain practical field experience. Several of our career firefighters started out as volunteers with the department. For additional information contact us at 425.486.1678.