After going through Fire Ops 101, Mercer Island City Manager Julie Underwood said she has “a whole new appreciation for firefighters.” Mercer Island Fire Department Lt. Ray Austin invited Underwood to participate in a full day of fire training provided by the International Association of Firefighters and the Washington State Council of Firefighters. The local union on Mercer Island is an affiliate of the two organizations. The WSCFF has been putting on this program for a number of years now, and holds the training at the Hammer facility outside Richland.