Table of Contents

1. Can I arrange for a tour of a station?
2. What should I do when I see an emergency vehicle with lights and siren approaching?
3. Why do I see fire apparatus go through an intersection with lights and siren activated and then see them turn them off?
4. Why do firefighters break windows and cut holes in roofs when the fire is inside the building?
5. Do you get cats or other pets out of trees or off of telephone poles?
6. Why are some fire trucks red and others yellow?
7. Why do I see fire department vehicles driving after business hours?
8. Do I need a burn permit to burn?
9. What can I burn and what not to burn?
10. When can I burn, can I burn today?
11. How long is the burn permit valid?
12. Where can I get a burn permit and how much do they cost?

1. Can I arrange for a tour of a station?

Yes.  Interested parties can call (509)488-2951 and let us know you are interested.  We will work with you to set up a mutually convenient time, generally between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Tours generally last about an hour and are tailored to the ages of the tour group.  We request that there be at least one adult for every five juveniles in the tour group to supervise.

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Washington State Motor Vehicle Code requires that you pull to the right and stop.  Do not slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the road when you see apparatus approaching.  Make no sudden moves.  Do not tailgate, or follow an emergency vehicle too closely, or attempt to race ahead of an emergency apparatus attempting to benefit from the traffic cleared by its lights and siren.

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3. Why do I see fire apparatus go through an intersection with lights and siren activated and then see them turn them off?

Lights and siren are only used when responding to an emergency call.  Apparatus responding to calls are often canceled by the first arriving unit once it is determined that the call is not actually an emergency.

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4. Why do firefighters break windows and cut holes in roofs when the fire is inside the building?

Interior fires create a tremendous amount of smoke and heat.  Firefighters break windows and cut holes in roofs to ventilate or remove these fire products to reduce the heat and improve visibility for firefighters attempting to rescue trapped victims and to facilitate extinguishing the fire.

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5. Do you get cats or other pets out of trees or off of telephone poles?

No.  It is best to place the pets’ food in an open container at the base of the tree or pole and wait for the pet to get down on its own.

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6. Why are some fire trucks red and others yellow?

Red fire trucks belong to the City of Othello, yellow fire trucks are part of Adams County Fire District No. 5.

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7. Why do I see fire department vehicles driving after business hours?

Command units carry vital equipment for incident command and safety.  The fire department duty officers are required to respond quickly to emergencies 24 hours a day.  That means they must be with their command unit at all times, allowing immediate response.  Response would be delayed if the duty officer would have to leave his home in his personal vehicle to go and get the command vehicle parked at the fire station.

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8. Do I need a burn permit to burn?

Yes.  If you live with-in the boundaries of Adams County Fire District #5 this includes the City of Othello.

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9. What can I burn and what not to burn?

Only dry material that will burn quickly may be burned under the permit.  Prohibited materials consist of dead animals, paints, asphalt, petroleum products, rubber products, plastics or any substances which emit dense smoke or obnoxious odors.

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10. When can I burn, can I burn today?

Before you plan to burn you must contact the local police department, the phone number is listed on your permit [509] 488-3314.  Please read your burn permit carefully, it has significant information that you need to know before you burn.  The police department will be able to tell you if there is a burn ban on or not.  Some days are deemed a no burn day due to adverse weather conditions or other reasons.  For agriculture burns you will need to call [800] 406-5322 to find out if field burning is being allowed during the time you wish to burn.

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11. How long is the burn permit valid?

The burn permit is valid for one year from the date of issue and only during daylight hours.

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12. Where can I get a burn permit and how much do they cost?

You can get your residential burn permit from Adams County Fire District #5, located at 220 S. Broadway [Othello] between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.  There is no cost for the permit.

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