Pierce Transit Receives Recognition for Collaboration with West Pierce Fire and Rescue, Contribution to Community Safety

August 20, 2024

At the Lakewood City Council meeting on August 19, West Pierce Fire and Rescue recognized Pierce Transit for its continued support and partnership during emergencies. Most recently, during the Hidden Lake Apartments fire last month, Pierce Transit provided a bus to park at the scene to temporarily shelter displaced residents while fire and rescue personnel set up an evacuation shelter.

When recognizing Pierce Transit at the Council meeting for the agency’s help with the Hidden Lake Apartments fire, West Pierce Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Hallie McCurdy said, “When we get folks that are burned out of their homes, they (Pierce Transit) bring a bus and let people stay in the bus until we can figure out where they can go next. Pierce Transit not only brought a bus, they also brought snacks, water, and went above and beyond for our community.”

Pierce Transit often responds to requests from partnering agencies to assist in emergency situations or when transportation for emergency responders is needed. For example, transportation was provided to and from SeaTac airport for the Urban Search and Rescue Team, Washington Task Force One following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, and free rides to Pierce County Department of Emergency Management cooling or warming centers are often provided to the public in extreme heat or cold.

“The primary thing people know about Pierce Transit is that we provide transportation to help community members access education, jobs, medical appointments and a host of other important destinations,” said Pierce Transit CEO Mike Griffus, who attended the Lakewood City Council meeting to accept the award on the agency’s behalf. “What folks may not know is that Pierce Transit is also a strong community partner in assisting when there are emergencies, and when shelter or transportation is a critical component of the response. It is an honor to provide this service, and we thank the team at West Pierce Fire and Rescue for their recognition of our strong partnership.”

Collaborations between Pierce Transit and West Pierce Fire and Rescue include:

Stop the Bleed training for more than 90 Pierce Transit employees
Creation of Pierce Transit’s Narcan policy and program
Donation of a retired Pierce Transit Rideshare vehicle to West Pierce Fire & Rescue to help with movement of personnel and trainees to exercises and incidents
Establishment of Pierce Transit’s emergency Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) training pad
Development of an agency policy for emergency assistance allowing Pierce Transit’s Communications Center to send two coaches immediately to any incident involving West Pierce Fire & Rescue for cooling, warming or firefighter rehab
Monthly participation in the West Pierce Emergency Management Coalition
Monthly communication with the West Pierce Fire & Rescue Training Division
Partnering on active shooter training/policy work

Back To News

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
You should not enter the suite number or apartment number. Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital