01.15.09

Cantwell Secures Help for Outdated Snoqualmie Pass Fire Station

Senate passes designation for lands for a new fire station at Snoqualmie Pass

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded Senate passage of her measure to designate lands for a new fire station at Snoqualmie Pass and meet the growing emergency response needs of the Snoqualmie Fire District. Cantwell has been working with stakeholders in the community to designate an acre and a half of Forest Service land near an I-90 on-ramp for a new fire station to address safety and security needs while helping preserve the environment.
 
“After today’s Senate vote, we are one step closer to having the new fire station at Snoqualmie Pass,” said Cantwell. “The Pass’s all-volunteer fire department station receives triple the average number of calls that similar sized stations across the country do. They do their job wonderfully and are the first responders to many incidents above and beyond fires, but clearly there is a need for an updated and state of the art fire station to help them meet their mission. We are now better positioned to help maintain the safety of our communities, protect these pristine areas of Washington state, and invest in the future of the Pass.” 
 
Last year, Senator Cantwell introduced legislationto transfer Forest Service land to the Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue to build the new fire station  Cantwell worked closely with the Fire District and conservation groups to tailor her legislation to improve the safety and emergency response time – helping the Fire Department acquire the land and invest its own resources into building the new station will help keep the Fire Department poised to respond to the community.  Snoqualmie Pass Fire Department serves a portion of King and Kittitas counties on both sides of the Cascade Mountains, a community of 350 full-time residents that peaks to 1,500 during the ski season.  Nearly 60,000 vehicles travel through the fire district during peak times, making it one of the busiest mountain highways in the country. 
 
The Snoqualmie Fire Department quickly responded to mud slides and other dangers that resulted from the recent storms that tore through parts of Washington state, which illustrates just how instrumental the Fire Department is in this community.
 
“Today’s vote by the U.S. Senate brings us one step closer to replacing a Fire Station that serves thousands of people that pass over I-90 each day,” said Chris L. Caviezel, Chairman of the Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue. “The current facility was built in the 1920’s as a Department of Transportation Maintenance Shed and was not even designed as a Fire Station.  Once our new station is built, it will allow us to serve in a much better capacity the citizens of Washington state who rely on Interstate-90 for cross state travel and enjoy Snoqualmie Pass recreation areas.”
 
There are 24 dedicated volunteer fire fighters and Emergency Medical Technicians serving the Snoqualmie Pass Fire District. However, with traffic on the rise and the need for emergency services in the area growing, the Fire District needs to move to a true fire station. In recent years, this area has been the scene of major winter snowstorms, multi-vehicle accidents, and even avalanches. The Fire District is often the first responder to incidents in the area, which is prone to rock slides and avalanches and it is not uncommon for this community to be isolated for hours or even days at a time. 
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