Kelso, WA- Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue has recently improved their Washington Surveying and Ratings Bureau (WSRB) rating from a class 4 to a class 3. This change will potentially decrease property insurance premiums for citizens and businesses in the response areas of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue. Only seven percent of fire departments across the state carry a class 3 rating; Cowlitz 2 is the only one in the Southwest Washington region. The new rating will take effect January 1st of 2020.
The WSRB evaluates and rates fire suppression and fire protection capabilities in cities and fire protection districts throughout Washington communities. The evaluation uses parameters, approved by Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC,) that generate a community protection class rating from class 1 through 10. Recent upgrades in training, apparatus, and staffing (among other factors) at Cowlitz 2 contributed to the rating increase. This information and more on WSRB ratings can be found at: https://www1.wsrb.com/.
Kelso, WA - Those lost as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks will be remembered and honored at Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue's memorial located at 701 Vine street in Kelso on September 11th this coming Wednesday. The South tower of the World Trade Center fell at 9:59 Eastern Standard Time. The North tower collapsed at 10:28. This ceremony memorializes the loss at the actual time and begins at 6:45am. Each year, since 2001, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue's Honor Guard has raised the American Flag and then lowered it to half-staff while Fire Chief Dave LaFave reflects on sacrifices made by first responders. The public and all media are invited to observe the ceremony; refreshments will be provided.
Chief LaFave comments on the annual remembrance and the early start time, "This ceremony is held early in the morning for a reason; the inconvenience to stand out here one morning a year to remember their sacrifice, at the time they perished, is the least we can do".
A steel artifact from the World Trade Center, released by the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, is the center piece of the memorial. Only 1,000 steel artifacts have been released for memorials throughout the United States. Development of the memorial began in the Fall of 2009 by Cowlitz 2 Firefighter Brad Yoder and a number of high school fire cadets. The memorial is always open to the public to remember or to "never forget".
Kelso, WA- Firefighters from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue and Longview Fire Department responded to structure fire in the 200 block of SW 6th Ave. Initial dispatch reported light grey smoke from the back corner of the house, everyone evacuated. Law enforcement officers from Kelso Police and County Deputies were also on scene extinguishing the fire with handheld extinguishers before firefighters arrived knocking most of the fire down. Firefighters arrived and had the smoldering fire, on the deck and exterior deck wall extinguished the fire in less than 4 minutes. Fire officials estimate $1,500 in damages to the home. The cause of the fire is accidental and has been attributed to smoldering cigarettes, according to fire officials. No injuries were reported.