Lieutenant Jackson and Lila wait to be sworn-in

Lieutenant Jackson’s job description as Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PF&R) Arson Investigator continues to evolve.

Inside a federal office on January 18^th in Portland, Lieutenant Jackson joined five other local police officers to be sworn in as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals. The commission, which lasts one year, gives the police officers the authority to arrest anyone wanted on federal charges by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Lieutenant Jackson is sworn in as a Special Deputy

Lieutenant Jackson is not only a sworn firefighter, but he is also a sworn police officer. In addition, Jackson has been trained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and is part of a certified accelerant detection handler/canine team.  His partner, “Lila,” is a black Labrador Retriever and PF&R’s fourth accelerant detection canine.

Lieutenant Jackson signs an ATF document

Because Lieutenant Jackson and Lila are part of the ATF's Canine Accelerant Detection Program, the team is available for deployment on ATF National Response Team (NRT) activations and other significant ATF arson investigations.

Lieutenant Jackson shakes the hand of the judge that swore him in

Jackson’s appointment as a Special Deputy of the U.S. Marshals is a testament to his character, dedication, and professionalism.

Lieutenant Jackson and Accelerant Detection Canine "Lila" investigate a fire in 2010

Learn more about ATF's Canine Accelerant Detection Program at http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/AES/ATF.shtml.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

  We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  January 24, 2011 

Follow Portland Fire & Rescue on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Incident Statistics:

(January 16 - 22, 2011)

Total Incidents: 1,258

Medical: 1,009

Fire: 44

Other: 205

Major Incidents: 4

• 01/16/11 @ 1520 hrs, Residential Fire, 6100 Block of SE Knapp St. Loss: $90,000 Cause: Sparks from woodstove ignited nearby combustibles
• 01/17/11 @ 1917 hrs, Commercial Fire, 2100 Block of NW 25^th Av. Loss: $10,000 Cause: Trapped debris ignited conveyer belt
• 01/19/11 @ 1639 hrs, Apartment Fire, 400 Block of SE 151^st Av.  Loss: $45,000 Cause: Discarded cigarette
• 01/20/11 @ 1620 hrs, Residential Fire, 3600 Block of NE US Grant Pl.  Loss: $65,000 Cause: Discarded cigarette

Year to Date Incident Statistics:

(January 2, 2011 - current)

Total Incidents: 3,809

Medical: 3,077

Fire: 114

Other: 618

Major Incidents: 10

   Portland Fire & Rescue 

   We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

   January 24, 2011 

Follow Portland Fire & Rescue on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube 

Video courtesy of KOIN Local 6

Visit KOIN online at http://www.koin.com

Around the dinnertime hour on Wednesday, January 12, 2011, sisters Cora and Loraina Krewson were busy playing in an upstairs bedroom of their home on 5568 SE Oak Street in Portland, Oregon when danger struck. The girls heard a smoke alarm go off and noticed smoke billowing into the room from under the door.

The girls quickly checked the bedroom’s door knob to see if it was warm to determine whether or not they could exit through the door, down the stairs, and out of their home. The knob was warm – indicating that there was probably fire nearby – so they kept the door closed.  Quickly thinking, the eldest of the sisters pried open the bedroom’s window, exited onto the covered porch below, climbed down a few more feet onto the roof of a shed, and finally stepped down onto a retaining wall in the home's back yard, safely escaping the fire.

Meanwhile, down on the home's first floor, the girls' mother also heard a smoke alarm and raced upstairs to reach her children.  With the fire burning hot and fast, the 35-year-old woman received burns to her face and hands as she ran upstairs to find her children and help her family escape.  The injuries she received were non-life threatening and she is making a full recovery.

Sisters Cora and Loraina Krewson and their mother Lindsay visited KOIN Studio 6 on Friday, January 21, 2010 to talk about their experience of activating and successfully executing a home fire escape plan. Portland Fire & Rescue’s Assistant Public Information Officer and Lieutenant Damon Simmons was on hand to present the sisters with awards and medals, praising their bravery and quick thinking. 

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds all community members that practicing a fire escape plan and having working smoke alarms can save your life.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

  We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  January 24, 2011 

Follow Portland Fire & Rescue on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

What:  Career and Internship Fair

When: Thursday, January 27, 2011 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where: PSU’s Native American Student Community Center

710 SW Jackson, Portland, Oregon 97201

Who: All are welcome

Portland State University’s (PSU) Native American Student Services and The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians will be hosting a Career and Internship Fair this Thursday.  This event is free and open to the public.

Portland Fire & Rescue’s Recruiting Officer Terry Foster will be hand to answer questions and provide information about the two different routes to become a Portland firefighter.  

Interested firefighter candidates are encouraged to attend the event and also sign up on PF&R’s Firefighter Recruitment Notification list in order to receive periodic hiring updates by email.  Learn more about employment at PF&R http://www.portlandonline.com/fire/jobs.

Other participating organizations and business's include the Indian Health Service, Native American Youth & Family Center, Portland General Electric, Oregon Health and Science University, Center Coastal Margin Observation & Prediction, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, US Bonneville Power Administration, Northwest Inter-Tribal Timber, Safeway, PSU School of Business Admin. & Career Center, Nike, Intel Corporation, NARA NW, and Walmart.

See you there!

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

  We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  January 26, 2011 

Follow Portland Fire & Rescue on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube