South King Fire and Rescue
JOINT PRESS RELEASE:
From: Captain Chaney, Public Information Officer, South King Fire and Rescue
Kassie Swenson, Chief of Communications and Strategy, Federal Way Public Schools
Date: October 27, 2020
RE: Operation Warm: Firefighters provide coats to children in the community
It is the 8th year of Operation Warm, and 2020 presented some fun and unique challenges for South King Fire and Rescue. With the knowledge and expertise of our partners at Federal Way Public Schools, we were able to successfully to provide a “drive through” style event that kept children and families safe while still providing free coats for all kindergarten and first graders at both Mark Twain and Mirror Lake Elementary schools.
Mark Twain Elementary
2450 S Star Lake Rd
Federal Way, WA 98003
Date: October 15th
Time: 4pm - 6pm
Mirror Lake Elementary
625 S 314th St
Federal Way, WA 98003
Date: October 20th
Time: 4pm - 6pm
Holding two events of this magnitude takes the efforts of many dedicated individuals. There were over 60 volunteers involved, including 38 South King Fire and Rescue personnel and 22 school staff members. From the Chiefs, our finance and front office personnel, I.T. personnel, front-line firefighters themselves, school principals and school staff, all were happy to help. Even friends and family of the firefighters showed up to help spread some joy to the youth. The real work and coordination of keeping track of everything was done by the incredible staff at both schools.
South King Fire and Rescue’s Operation Warm doubled its efforts and served two schools this school year. 320 coats were distributed, and 138 smoke alarms were provided at no cost to families. These coats were paid for and provided by members of the South King County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 2024, the Aid Fund, and the South King Firefighters Foundation.
As always, we wish we could provide coats for every single child in the area. Operation Warm is a great program that allows agencies to purchase large quantities of coats for kids. It truly is more than just a coat, it is an opportunity to provide warmth, confidence, and hope to children in need. If you would like to help sponsor this event for next year please consider making a donation to Operation Warm Donations. These funds will be used to provide coats to children within our local communities.
“Investing in today’s youth is one of the most important things we can do as an agency, and this event brings all of us together to provide some warmth and comfort to the children within our community during these difficult times”
Vic Pennington
Fire Chief
