UPDATE: December 20 at 11:45 a.m.
The joint Spokane Valley Fire Department and City of Spokane Fire Department Swiftwater Rescue Technician Strike Team has returned to Spokane after supporting Western Washington during disastrous flooding.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department announced the team’s return on Saturday, honoring the team’s eight days in Western Washington.
“Thank you to everyone who supported our crews during this deployment,” the department wrote.
UPDATE: December 15 at 7:00 p.m.
More state resources will join the Spokane Fire Department and Spokane Valley Fire Department’s Swiftwater Rescue Teams already in place.
The announcement comes as Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol authorized the mobilization of state resources to aid Western Washington’s fire resources dealing with historic flooding.
This mobilization is under the State Mobe Act, the same mechanism that brought multiple fire resources to Spokane County after the Gray and Oregon Road fires of 2023.
UPDATE: December 13, 2025 at 6:19 p.m.
The Swiftwater Rescue team was staged in Mount Vernon, Burlington and Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, according to an update from SVFD.
Officials reported that some residents did not evacuate their homes, despite the emergency orders, and are currently surrounded by floodwaters as their food, water and medication supplies run low.
In preparation for a new storm system that is forecasted to hit the region on Sunday, bringing heavy wind and rain, SVFD crews are working with swiftwater rescue personnel from California Task Force 11.
UPDATE: December 12, 2025 at 10:25 p.m.
The Swiftwater Rescue team, made up of SVFD and SFD personnel, joined the Washington National Guard on Friday to conduct operations in the rural areas to the northeast of Burlington.
The team helped rescue a person stranded in a vehicle that was partially submerged. According to SVFD officials, the team also conducted searches throughout several flooded residential areas.
The Swiftwater crew will remain on standby in the area, ready to respond in the case of additional rescue or search operations.
UPDATE: December 11, 2025 at 11:32 p.m.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) released new photos on Thursday capturing the efforts of the combined Swiftwater Rescue team, with members of the SVFD as well as the Spokane Fire Department.
The team carried out two rescues in Skagit County throughout the day, contacting residents who were unable to leave their homes.
In addition to these rescues, the team supported a National Guard helicopter in rescuing an individual whose vehicle was swept off the roadway.
UPDATE: December 10, 2025 at 8:46 p.m.
The City of Spokane Fire Department (SFD) announced that Mayor Lisa Brown authorized their response to an emergency request from the state calling for water resources to assist in the Puget Sound region as flooding continues.
A six-member team of Water Rescue firefighters, led by SFD Station 2 Captain Jared Contabile, will reportedly arrive in Snohomish County later in the evening. The team is joined by water rescue personnel from the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
SFD officials stated that with the region expected to remain under severe flood risks through Saturday, it is unknown how long SFD’s water rescue team will be deployed.
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) is sending six members of their Swiftwater Rescue team and a boat to western Washington. This move comes in response to requests for water rescue resources and assistance during a period of historic flooding in the region.
SVFD Deputy Chief John Leavell announced the team would depart from Fire Station 5, located off Sullivan Road. Patrick Erickson, SVFD’s Interim Community Affairs Director, said the team would be heading out at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Article originally published December 10, 2025 at 6:01 p.m.
