6/18
The Seattle Fire Department mourns with firefighter Mike Washington, E27, who lost his 20 year old
son, Sgt. Michael T. Washington, Second Battalion 7th Marine Regiment, United States Marine Corps on Saturday the 14th. Sgt. Washington was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanastan, the day before Father's Day, with 4 other Marines while returning from a mission. Please read more about Sgt. Washington here and here. Services will be held June 27th at Northwest Church in Federal Way at 1000 hrs. Sgt. Washington will be buried in Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.
6/13
SFP&D was honored to play Kent Firefighter Marty Hauer's LODD funeral on Tuesday. Marty was 41 and succumbed to job related cancer. He was a husband, father of 2, IAFF Peer Fitness Trainer and fireman. Rest in peace, Marty.
5/13
Here are some St Patrick's Day videos courtesy of Brendan and Paul Mulcahy. See them below.
3/18
Rolling over 20 members strong, double bassed and single malted, the SFP&D ended another successful, 12+ hour, St Patrick's Day pub crawl ending this morning a little after 2 am. If you didn't make it out, you missed a great one cause only the die hards (and possibly the unemployed) are out on a Monday! Check out the first video of the band at a packed Fado's in Seattle, here.
3/15
Congratulations to SFP&D's newest piper, Jared Hassing, Batt. 3 medic. His first performance was the Saint Patrick's Day parade in downtown Seattle. He's pictured below and looks strangely like Steve Martin....hmmm.
2/15
If you haven't checked out Hooligans new fire department pipe band site, check it out here. He does 'band of the week' every week and interviews a fire service band from somewhere in the US. Some great interviews to check out.
2/8
SFPD welcomes out newest member on the side drum, Jason Lynch (E13A). His first performance was Ch. Scraggs funeral. Due to the occasion his 'kilting' was postponed but he promises it will be a good one though in Wenatchee. Welcome aboard Jason.
Members pictured at Scragg funeral: Back row: Fredrickson, Voigts, Larson, Weiler, Hartill, Place, Simpson, Burkhart, Cameron, Lynch. Front row: Stroyan, E Nelson, S Nelson, Schultz, Zapf, Davis, Almond.
2/2
Seattle fireman Tim Heelan, E38 C shift, passed away January 30th surrounded by family and friends after a courageous battle with cancer. SFP&D will lay our brother to rest on Tuesday, February 5th in Olympia. Tim was 43 years old.
1/21
Battalion Chief James Scragg passed away peacefully on the 17th at the age of 54, surrounded by friends and family. Chief Scragg bravely battled line of duty lung cancer for 2 years before going home. He almost lost his life at the Pang Fire in '95 where 4 Seattle firemen died. Read more about this great man here in today's Seattle times article. A celebration of Ch. Scragg's life is planned for February 8th at the Naval Reserve Hall on Lake Union in Seattle.
12/10
SFPD plays funeral services for Seattle Fireman, Joe Bly, L6 B Shift, who died in a tragic car accident off duty. Read about Joe's life here. Rest in Peace brother.
12/10
Liz Jackson at Hero To Hero has just launched their new website! If you dont know what Hero To Hero is, it's a non-profit organization, ran tireless by Liz, that travels around the US and Canada collecting t shirts off the backs of police and firefighters to send to our troops in Iraq. Liz never rests and her hard work pays off boosting out troops morale. The SFPD will be playing the 'pack out' (shipping the shirts to Iraq) party March 8th. Details to be announced. Check out her new and improved site here: http://www.herotohero.us
10/25
Our buddy Hooligan's at it again. This time he has a new site dedicated to fire service pipe bands. He interviewed Palm Beach County and Ferge suggested he interview us next. Check out his website and the interview by Les Davis. http://firepiper.wordpress.com/
9/21
Some videos from the Colorado Springs Fallen Firefighter memorial which took place last weekend and was attended by over 150 pipers and drummers, 400-500 honor guardsmen, and the family of the 122 fallen firefighters put on the wall this year. Heres a quick clip of the massed bands and a slide show put together by John "Fergie" Ferguson of Palm Beach County.
Massed bands
Slideshow
9/20
Honestly, I feel a little embarassed that we've been bumped up to the #1 "Baddest Fire Department Bands in the US". Honored? Definately! But I dont know if we deserve the #1 slot, or if there even is a #1 spot. It seems like a lot of bands could easily carry that title- like Bergen County, FDNY, Boston Gaelic, Palm Beach County, Orange County, New Hampshire, Tualatin Valley, I could go on and on....But Hooligan bumped us up! We thank you again Hooligan, for not only thinking of us but giving us the title! One thing we do have going for us is we know how to party and all I can think is that that must of played into the equation in Colorado Springs. Thanks again Hooligan, heres a plug and a cheers from us! Hooligan.wordpress.com
9/17- Half Way to St. Patty's
Quite possibly the greatest kilting of all time went down last week as James B. was initiated into the SFP&D. We have a "kilting" tradition that new members must go through to be accepted into the band. After a new member is signed off to perform they must sing Minstrel Boy, drink a shot, then drop their drawers before we play the next set. It's been escalating every time but no one expected this.....welcome to the merry band of brothers James! I'd hate to have to follow this:
08/25
Hooligan.wordpress.com ranked the SFP&D #3 of the "Top 5 Baddest Fire Department Pipe and Drum Bands..." (back in June). I just hope by 'baddest' bands he meant good-bad and not bad-bad. We can assume he did since the other bands included were Cleveland, D.C., Palm Beach and FDNY, all great bands. Thanks Hooligan for: 1. knowing we even exist and 2. ranking us in the top 5! We owe you a pint...see you Colorado?
08/11
I'm a little late posting my own baby...but not because I dont love her more than anything. Sienna Grace was born to Michelle and Spencer on May 17th (yeah,yeah, I know) and has been a blessing ever since!
6/20
click to enlarge Combs' artwork
6/19
9 Charleston, S.C firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice today fighting a wharehouse fire. Rest in peace, brothers. You're going home.
Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson
Capt. Mike Benke
Capt. Louis Mulkey
Engineer Mark Kelsey
Engineer Bradford "Brad" Baity
Assistant Engineer Michael French
FF James "Earl" Drayton
FF Brandon Thompson
FF Melven Champaign
6/14
Keep your eyes, and ears, open for the sound of pipes from our brothers from the north. Snohomish County firefighters are getting together and starting a band, called the Snohomish County Firefighters Pipes & Drums. Welcome to the club, boys, we hope you'll be up and running soon! Click here to check em out.
6/3
Click here to watch a slideshow put together by our Cleveland Fire brothers (www.clevelandfirepipers.com) as they celebrate their 15th year as a band and remember some of the LODD's in which they honored the fallen. Strong work Cleveland.
5/21
Attention SFP&D members and trainees: Regular practices will be moved from Friday mornings to Wednesday mornings. Same bat channel, same bat time. The new practice days will begin on June 13th (C shift).
05/15
The SFP&D is featured in today's Seattle Post Intelligencer. Read Hector Castro's article online here. Thanks to Hector for the article and Gilbert Arias for the pictures!
05/14
More babies! Congrats to Karl (Engine 27) and Ann Zapf with their new arrival, Simon!
And to Mark (Rescue 1) and Catherine Place with their newest baby girl, Mary Catherine!
03/17 St. Patrick's Day week was a busy week for the SFP&D. Besides opening for the "Rod" (see below), the band also played Pre-St. Patrick day parties, Rollergirl jello-wrestling events, and appeared in 9 bars on St. Patty's day. We also added a new piper, Karl ("Hot") Zapf. Congrats Karl! And three cheers for Mark "Hot Legs Hoolihan" Place for winning the 'best legs in a kilt' contest at Jimmy Z's. (Sorry Rick, no honors for 2nd place).
03/10
The SFPD will open for rock legend Rod Stewart at the Key Arena in Seattle on Monday the 12th! Check ticketmaster for available tickets.
01/31
SFPD welcomes 2 new member....Mark Place on the bass drum and Rick Weiler on the side. Both were kilted on the 24th but at different locations as the band performed out first split-band gigs in Tacoma and Wenatchee. Welcome aboard boys!
01/31
Click on their names to see the kilting ceremony of our 2 newest members: Travis Stanley and "Paris" Hilton Almond. Those looking to be kilted, lessons start Feb. 02!
11/15
NEW TRAINING CLASS STARTS THIS JANUARY '07!!! The SFP&D is looking for a few good members. If you are a current or retired Seattle Firefighter
and are interested in learning how to play the pipes or drums and join the band, contact a current member for further info
or stay tuned to this website for further details.....
