FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2014

MEDIA CONTACTS
Gwen Schuler, Media and Communications, gschuler@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5160
Maria Lee, Media and Communications, maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2054

Tacoma Fire Department Advances to Semi-Finals
in Good Morning America's "5 Alarm Firefighter Challenge"
-- Community Invited to Vote in Support of Tacoma’s Video July 10 --

The Tacoma Fire Department is a semi-finalist in Good Morning America's "5 Alarm Firefighter Challenge", a contest open to all fire departments across the country featuring professional or volunteer firefighters performing their own lip synched renditions of the song "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities. Two videos will be highlighted each day on Good Morning America through July 11. Tacoma’s video will air tomorrow, July 10. 

Viewers will be asked to vote at goodmorningamerica.com for their favorite video among the semi-finalists’ videos that are broadcast each morning. Semi-finalists will then advance to the finals based on the number of votes. 

If Tacoma advances to the finals, three firefighters will travel to New York City next week to appear live on Good Morning America and compete for a total of $10,000 in physical, skill-based and/or knowledge-based competitions. The firefighters have suggested that the department donate any prize money to local charities. 

"We viewed the contest as more than just an opportunity to compete with other fire departments across the country," said Tacoma Fire Chief Jim Duggan. "We saw it as a novel and entertaining way to remind ourselves and the public that our talented, engaged, and diverse Tacoma firefighters are here to serve the community. We intend to use the video not only for our future recruitment efforts, but also to introduce fire and life safety messages in our public education programs.”