The Spokane Fire Department announced full-time paramedic staffing at all of its 16 fire stations. The announcement comes after the launch of paramedics being staffed at Spokane Fire Station #8 during all shifts. "The overwhelming majority of emergencies that we respond to involve a medical nature and the complexity of those incidents are ever-increasing," said Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaffer. "Currently our life-threatening incidents year-to-date are 12% last years, and the data indicates the trend is showing no sign of decreasing. It's paramount for our department to have the most prepared and resilient system possible to meet the needs of our community."