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AT THE OSO, WA LANDSLIDE: RESCUE WORKERS FROM PIERECE COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 2014, ISSUE #5

First Responders Take Action Quickly

n the morning of Saturday, March 22, 2014, a massive mudslide swept through a community on the

outskirts of the Washington town of Oso. Within minutes, 911 was flooded with calls reporting the destruction. Emergency vehicles began to cluster around the local volunteer fire station—turned command post—so that first responders could coordinate the task of searching through the square mile of mud that destroyed nearly everything in its path.

In the first few hours, more than 200 Snohomish County first responders; along with the Oso Volunteer Fire Department, the Arlington Fire Department, and the Darrington Fire Department, began to dig through mud and rubble to find survivors. Law enforcement departments evacuated the surrounding area to keep the public safe from additional slides. They also redirected traffic away from flooding caused by mud and debris blocking the north fork of the Stillaquamish River. The local road, State Route 530, was completely blocked in both directions.

In the days and weeks that followed, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency, and President Barack Obama declared a major disaster and provided assistance from members of the National Guard and FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue team.

In natural disasters, emergency communications officers, law enforcement and firefighters all strive to work quickly to help victims and evaluate damage. Often, they have to work in dangerous and intimate circumstances, such as the case of the Oso mudslide, where workers had to endure the cold, rain and mud while working for hours on unstable earth and the shattered debris of what used to be homes.

First responders are often the closest to the human impact of such disasters, seeing first-hand the devastating loss of life and personal property inside the community they serve every day. Snohomish County Fire District 1 Battalion Chief, Steve Mason, spoke to the media and said the search went "all the way to the dirt". Describing how personal items—from family photographs to children’s toys—were being discovered in the wreckage.

National Testing Network (NTN) is headquartered in Snohomish County, Washington, and would like to recognize the hard work and dedication of all the public safety workers helping at the Oso mudslide.

NTN understands how important it is that first responders have the temperament that allows them to remain calm and careful, yet have the ability to take action quickly in a high-stress, emergency situation, such as a natural disaster. NTN is committed to continuing to strive to create public safety tests that focus on the important qualities and attributes that make public service departments “OsoStrong”.

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NATIONAL TESTING NETWORK | Issue #5 2

Law Enforcement Academy Weber State University 3848 Harrison Boulevard Ogden, Utah

University of California San Diego Extension 6256 Greenwich Drive San Diego, California Community College of Aurora Center of Simulation 9235 East 10th Drive Aurora, Colorado

Franklin University Indianapolis Campus 80415 Allison Pointe Boulevard Indianapolis, Indiana

Introducing the Firefighter Mile

Ergometrics’ new physical abilities test, the Firefighter Mile, simulates the physical duties required during an emergency. The Firefighter Mile is ideally suited for both entry-level candidates and incumbent fitness testing.

Research has shown that the most common cause of firefighter injury and death is overexertion and stress. Ensuring the physical fitness of firefighters reduces the chance of these outcomes, providing for the safety of victims and fellow firefighters alike.

The Firefighter Mile was designed to incorporate realistic aerobic and anaerobic demands, allowing candidates the maximum opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities while working at a level of full physical effort for approximately 20 minutes. High effort tasks are included, but are spaced throughout the exercise to allow for some fatigue recovery. For more information, contact: sales@ergometrics.org

Welcome New NTN Agencies!

-Belmont Fire Protection District -Chino Valley Independent Fire District -Citrus Sheriff Fire Rescue -City of Commerce City -City and County of San Francisco -City of Long Beach -City of San Jose -City of Snoqualamie Fire Department -City of Upper Arlington -Clark County Human Resources -Elburn & Countryside Fire Protection -Fort Lupton Fire Protection District -Linn County Sheriff’s Office -Loveland Fire Department -Marion County Fire Rescue -Miami County Sheriff’s Office -Northwest Central Dispatch System -Northwest Fire District -Orange County Human Resources -Pierce County Sheriff’s Office -West Pierce Fire & Rescue

Welcome New NTN Testing Centers!

NTN opened four new testing locations that will begin testing applicants for the positions of; firefighter, law enforcement officer, corrections officer and emergency communications officer.

New Locations

National Testing

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18720 33rd Avenue West Lynnwood, WA 98037

425-774-5700

[Addressee] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code]