Fire Department Adds Electronic Device To Safely Move Patients (Photo) - 08/26/25

Kelso, WA – Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue has acquired a new piece of equipment to assist in moving patients downstairs and through tight spaces.

The new Stryker “Xpedition powered Stair Chair” device is used to navigate stairs safely and through tight spaces on medical calls when the patient has difficulty walking or it may worsen their condition.

 

The grant used to purchase the new battery-powered stair chair was awarded in February this year for $21,621 by The Health Care Foundation, located in Longview, WA.  Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue currently uses an older style Stryker stair chair that is carried by firefighters. The powered model is wider and has a greater weight capacity, has built-in lighting for darker environments, and will help to reduce on-the-job injuries of EMS providers.

 

This is the third grant Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue has applied for and received from The Health Care Foundation in the past ten years. HCF has also funded our pilot program for public CPR classes and advanced medical training manikins.

 

The Health Care Foundation was founded to perpetuate the community’s investment in Monticello Medical Center when it was sold in 1984.  Its mission is to promote the physical and mental health and healthcare of the people living within the service area of the Longview, Washington acute care hospital.  More on The Foundation can be found on their website: https://thehealthcarefoundation.org/grant-information/ .

 

 

 

Fire Department Adds Alerting System For The Public (Photo) - 08/26/25

Kelso, WA – Firefighters from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue receive upgraded equipment that digitally alerts drivers on the road they’re approaching. Cowlitz 2 received five devices from the State of Washington, Washington Traffic Safety Commission, that run the program “Safety Cloud”, powered by the company HAAS Alert that will be installed on their front-line apparatus.

 

Drivers on the road, if they’re actively using popular mapping systems like Waze, Apple Maps, or standard mapping systems installed on 2018 and newer Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM, along with 2024 and newer Volkswagen vehicles will receive a notification that an emergency vehicle is approaching or they are approaching an active emergency scene. This allows drivers to be alert, adjust their speeds, and pull the right.

The technology also allows firefighters to be notified of other approaching apparatus, intersections, etc. which can reduce risk of a collision. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated 16,500 vehicle collisions involving fire apparatus were reported in 2023, often occurring at intersections.

 

There are no extra costs or steps the public needs to take with this technology; they will automatically receive notifications if actively using a mapping system listed.

Fire Chief Scott Goldstein comments on the addition to the fleet, “This alerting system will assist in keeping the public and our firefighters safe on the roadways. This technology bridges the gap between what the law requires and what actually happens on the road. When our lights activate, Safety Cloud gives drivers critical extra time to anticipate us and safely react – protecting both our personnel and the public we serve. Pull to the right for lights and sirens has been a public safety message in the fire service for a long time. With this technology now there’s an additional warning for folks”.

 

Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue joins more than 4,000 agencies nationwide already using this protection system, with HAAS Alert actively expanding to additional vehicle platforms.  For more information on HAAS Alert visit: https://www.haasalert.com/

 

Early Morning Blaze Threatens Multiple Structures (Photo) - 08/11/25

Kelso, WA – August 11, 2025 – Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue (C2FR) successfully contained an early morning structure fire in Lexington today, August 11, 2025, that initially threatened several nearby homes.

At 7:39 AM, C2FR was dispatched Code 1 to reports of significant dark smoke emanating from a tree line, indicating a blaze larger than a campfire.

Subsequent 911 calls reported a growing fire with multiple homes in the area threatened, C2FR units advised Cowlitz County Dispatch to upgrade the call to a structure fire, dispatching additional resources including two fire engines, one water tender, one medic unit, and a Chief Officer Code 3. Units from C2FR Station 25 in Lexington arrived on the scene within 8 minutes of initial dispatch.

Cowlitz County Deputies reported visible flames from a detached garage, threatening multiple homes, just before C2FR's arrival. Firefighters initiated an offensive fire attack on the structure, bringing the fire under control by 7:55 AM, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue via FlashAlert. Extensive overhaul was required to ensure full extinguishment of the garage fire, with the fire being fully extinguished by 8:22 AM.

Firefighters successfully protected several nearby structures during the incident. No injuries were reported to either residents or responders.

C2FR responded with one ladder truck, two fire engines, one water tender, one medic unit, and two Chief Officers.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

 

BC Dan W Cothren, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue