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Seattle firefighters ask for more protections as violent attacks continue

In May, the union president reported 50 attacks on firefighters over a six-month span between 2022 and 2023.

SEATTLE — Dale Cieslinski, 60, is accused of throwing a brick at a Seattle Fire Department ambulance Tuesday afternoon in Wallingford. 

“You are a danger to commit another violent crime, so I’m going to set bail at the amount of $75,000,” said the judge during Cieslinski’s first appearance in court. 

The crew inside the ambulance was uninjured, though the response time to the call they were on was delayed – obviously, that’s a problem. 

“I’m extremely concerned that this rising level of violence against firefighters has not been addressed appropriately,” said Kenny Stuart, president of IAFF Local 27 and an active Seattle firefighter.

Stuart has long been sounding the alarm as he reports an increase in violence towards the men and women he represents. In May, Stuart reported 50 attacks on firefighters over a six-month span between 2022 and 2023.

“We’ve had numerous saws taken from our apparatus while we’re out in the community. Our training facility has been burglarized 13 times with thousands of dollars in equipment taken,” Stuart continued.

In May of this year, the Seattle City Council voted to amend existing protections for police officers to specifically “include obstructing firefighters and fire department personnel,” making obstruction a gross misdemeanor. 

"They are facing some very critical situations where their own safety is constantly put at risk,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell in August of 2022.

“We are also trying to figure out when someone is in a crisis, what kind of skill set should be in front of this person as well, so our budget will reflect this acknowledgment that many of our officers and our firefighters are putting themselves in harm's way," he continued. 

Stuart says one attack is too many and he’s hopeful that this man will see a conviction for second-degree assault and first-degree malicious mischief. 

“All of these paint a picture of a city that is having a problem with accountability for this type of behavior,” Stuart said.

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