YOU ARE INVITED!!!

The Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) is a national voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that those who are emotionally traumatized in emergency situations receive the assistance they need. To accomplish that goal, TIP works closely with local communities to establish emergency services volunteer programs. In these programs, well-trained citizen volunteers are available on a 24-hour, 365-day basis to be called to emergency scenes to assist family members, witnesses, and other bystanders who the emergency system often must leave behind.

The Portland/Vancouver TIP Chapter currently has over 200 volunteers that responded to 2,007 calls last year and served 12,214 citizens the Portland and Vancouver area. This chapter has served Multnomah, Clark, and Clackamas counties for over sixteen years and has just expanded into Sandy, Oregon. These dedicated volunteers don’t only offer their time during a crisis, but also help to organize annual fundraising events to benefit and celebrate TIP. 

And you, your family, and friends are cordially invited to take part in the next upcoming TIP fundraising event!

On Thursday, April 8, 2010, TIP will be partnering with the Lincoln restaurant located at 3808 N. Williams Avenue in Portland, Oregon for a night of fun and food!  From 5:30 pm until close, the Lincoln restaurant will generously donate 10% of their profits to the Portland/Vancouver TIP Chapter. Click here to view the Lincoln restaurant’s delicious dinner menu.

Donated funds from the Lincoln restaurant to the Portland/Vancouver TIP Chapter will be used to purchase grief literature and supplies that TIP volunteers carry with them when responding to citizens in crisis. 

Plan ahead to treat yourself and family to a night out for dinner at the Lincoln restaurant on Thursday and support a worthy cause!

April 8, 2010

Have you discovered the free hidden treasure for kids and adults alike in SE Portland?

This Saturday, pack up the kids and visit the Historic Belmont Firehouse Safety Learning and Fire Museum located at 900 SE 35^th Avenue (at Belmont). Housed in an original firehouse, the museum and safety learning center offers displays and stories of the history of firefighting in Portland and fun interactive hands-on exhibits such as a 1860 house cart, the “Listen & Learn” 9-1-1 call simulator, the fire pole, and a realistic emergency response on the “Fire Engine Experience” simulator.

The goal of the museum and safety learning center is to promote fire and life safety education for every guest.

The great part about the museum is that it is all free, thanks to Portland Fire & Rescue and the Jeff Morris Fire and Life Safety Foundation; donations are certainly accepted!

The Firehouse is open the second Saturday of every month from 10:00am to 3:00pm for “Safety Saturday.” The next Safety Saturday will be held on April 10^th, 2010.  Please note that Safety Saturday will not be held during July and August 2010.

Contact the staff at the museum and safety learning center at (503) 823-3615 with questions or to schedule a private, more customized tour and education program. The firehouse is also available for rent to hold parties, luncheons, and other social gatherings.

Before you leave, please stop by the gift shop to see merchandise and fire department clothing for sale. And for kids – make sure to ask for a firefighter sticker badge!

April 9, 2010

Check out the Fire Blog and look for trivia questions and answers to boost your fire IQ!  

Q:  According to the U.S. Fire Administration, how often does a fire department respond to a fire in the United States? 

Click the "Post a Comment" link below and tell us what you think - then visit the Fire Blog on Monday, April 12, 2010 for the answer!

April 9, 2010 

On Friday, April 9, 2010, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) will be conducting a training house burn at 148th and NE Sacramento in Portland, Oregon. The Burn to Learn training will provide valuable live-fire training in an actual residential structure for eighteen newly hired Firefighter Recruits.

The Burn to Learn will begin around 9:00 a.m. when PF&R training officers will set small fires in the house. The training officers will accompany firefighter recruits inside to extinguish the fires. The process will be supervised by experienced, career firefighters and will follow strict safety guidelines. Once the training drills for the Firefighter Recruits are completed, the house will be allowed to burn in a controlled and safe manner.

Portland firefighters from Truck 13 will also be at the burn, practicing roof ventilation tactics.

This training will provide the eighteen Firefighter Recruits with an opportunity to practice advanced firefighting techniques in a live fire setting and will save taxpayer money by reducing the amount of demolition debris that must be removed from the site.

Portland Fire & Rescue conducts these types of training burns several times a year. Training Staff Fire Lieutenant Jerry Bartolome notes, "Burn to Learn training exercises are especially valuable for PF&R's newest firefighters by allowing them to observe fire behavior and smoke conditions in a burning structure." Lieutenant Bartolome added, "Firefighters are able to learn the limits of their equipment and practice tactics in a controlled environment."

The Burn to Learn training exercise will be held adjacent to Margaret Scott Elementary School. However, a teacher in-service day is scheduled for April 9, 2010 and students will not be present at the school when the Burn to Learn occurs. As part of the pre-planning for the exercise, PF&R training officers met with staff and students at the school to help them understand the coming change in their neighborhood.

For questions or to learn more about Portland Fire's Burn to Learn training, contact Training Staff Fire Lieutenant Jerry Bartolome at (503) 823-4116.

Visit PF&R's website at http://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire to learn more!

April 9, 2010

Spring Into Safety

Spring is here once again. Check out the spring season fire safety tips below that will help ensure you and your family a fire free entrance to summer 2010!

Kitchen

• Establish a “safety area” in your kitchen to keep small children confined and away from hot surfaces, hot liquids, and flames.
• Allow appliances to cool before putting them away.  Never wrap cords around warm appliances.
• Do not leave cooking food unattended.
• Keep all paper and cloth materials away from heat sources.
• To prevent pot handles from getting bumped or grabbed, turn them inward toward the middle of the stove.
• Be consistent in cleaning grease and food off the stove.
• Check exhaust filters for dirt and grease build-up. Clean them on a regular basis.
• Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves while cooking; loose sleeves could easily catch fire.
• Do not hold children while cooking.
• Use only microwave safe dishes in the microwave; never microwave metal dishes.

Yard and Garage

• Clear your yard of leaves, debris, and other combustible rubbish.
• Make sure that mulch is at least a foot away from your home with a non-combustible barrier in between, such as rock.
• Store gasoline in a strong, metal safety-type can with self-closing caps on the openings.
• If your garage is attached to your home, make sure they are separated by a tight-fitting door which is kept closed.

Housekeeping

• Clear basements, closets, and attics of old rags, papers, mattresses, broken furniture, and other combustible odds and ends.
• Place used oily polishing rags or waste in covered metal containers.
• Store paint and varnish in tightly covered containers away from sources of heat.
• Keep matches out of children’s reach.
• Install child safety latches on all drawers and cabinets containing harmful products.
• Keep cleaning products in their original containers with the original labels.

You can find further safety tips for you and your family by visiting http://www.portlandonline.com/fire/index.cfm?c=51470.

Protect Yourself and Your Family Today!

April 12, 2010