Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 10:20 a.m.
December 10, 2025 – Late this afternoon, the Spokane Fire Department and other local agencies received an emergency request from the State of Washington for swift-water rescue resources to assist in the Puget Sound region amid ongoing flooding and forecasted continued rainfall.
Mayor Lisa Brown quickly authorized the response, resulting in the deployment of Water Rescue Team firefighters from our department, joined by members of the Spokane Valley Fire Department and a rescue boat. The six-member team, led by SFD Station 2 Captain Jared Contabile, is expected to arrive in Snohomish County later this evening for their in-briefing.
“I am thankful for the quick authorization from Mayor Brown and the coordination with our local fire agencies that allowed us to rapidly deploy our needed resources to our overwhelmed partners on the other side of the state,” said Fire Chief Tom Williams.
It is not yet known how long the deployment will last, as many areas in the affected region are expected to remain under a Severe Flood Risk through Saturday.
