Acquired Structure Training helps Seattle firefighters to become better trained for emergencies

Thank you to our community partners in 2021 who have helped Seattle Fire to become better trained for emergencies

For many years, the Seattle Fire Department’s Training Division has provided valuable hands-on training for recruit training and Operations members. SFD’s Acquired Structure Training (AST) program regularly works with community partners, homeowners, contractors, developers and architects to provide safe and realistic training inside structures scheduled for demolition. These structures are an incredible learning platform and provide one last community service at the end of their useful life.

This training would not be possible without the generous donations of members in our community. These donations have allowed Seattle firefighters opportunities to train extensively inside real buildings. The team of dedicated firefighters who run the AST program have worked diligently to provide the best possible training that better equips firefighters to respond to all types of emergencies. The valuable lessons and realistic environmental conditions learned from AST buildings could not be replicated in a fixed training facility.

In 2021, SFD facilitated thousands of hours of realistic training in 38 buildings scheduled for demolition across the City. The Training Division staff provided live-fire, destructive and non-destructive training to firefighters from Seattle and from neighboring jurisdictions in every neighborhood of the City.  

We thank all of Seattle for allowing us to spend some time practicing in your neighborhood. We are actively seeking out buildings to use for training in 2022. If you or someone you know has a building scheduled for demolition and would like to support our program, please reach out to: [email protected]. Or visit our website at: https://www.seattle.gov/fire/about-us/about-the-department/resource-management/training-division/acquired-structure-training

We would like to thank the following community partners for allowing training in their buildings in 2021:

Thomas James Homes

Kamiak – Real Estate Investment Firm

STS Construction Services

Constantine Builders Inc.

Blackwood Builders Group

Greater Seattle Capital

University Temple United Methodist Church

Coho Collaborative

The Seattle Girls School

Abbott Construction

Construction Planning and Management

GRS Properties, LLC

Kohary Builders, LLC

Roosevelt Holdings, LLC

Beacon Crossing

Brightpath Consulting

Early Edge Services

Kim Echols

Karen Wheeler

Andrew Young

Michael McCann

Hector Martinez, Epic Life Church