Lesly had just turned five when she was diagnosed with Stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma, a very rare form of children's cancer.  She is now working on her fourth relapse, and her future is uncertain.  But this news, the chemo and radiation treatments, all the needle pokes, and surgeries she has endured will not slow her down or shrink her beautiful smile.

At this time, the only treatments available to help Lesly fight this cancer are out of state phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.  Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective.  During clinical trials, researchers test a new drug or treatment in a set group of people to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.

To help raise money for the out of state travel to and costs associated with the clinical trails, friends and family hosted a birthday party/”fun”-raiser on Tuesday night at the Oaks Park Roller Skate Rink. To show their support, firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue Station 20 and Deputy Chief John Harding attended the event and offered Lesly a fire badge and a ride on the fire truck!

Lesly and Firefighters from Station 20

As the night came to an end, nine-year old Lesly offered some parting words of advice –

• Dress fancy
• Wear heels and dresses
• Remember that the cancer is only one part of a person’s life
• Enjoy eating nachos, hotdogs, and cupcakes

Portland Fire & Rescue wishes Lesly and her family

many blessings and encourages them to stay brave and strong!

If you would like to read more about Lesly and see her photos, visit her website at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leslyfoster/mystory. 

To gain more of an understanding about Neuroblastoma, visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leslyfoster/resources.

To donate to Lesly’s expenses, visit any Chase branch nationwide or click here to locate the branch nearest to you.  The tax deductible account number is 492-397-9631.

December 11, 2009

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) firefighters will be ringing the bell in front of downtown Macy’s department store on December 15, 16, and 17, 2009 beginning at 11:00 am. The effort is part of the Salvation Army's "Everyday Heroes" campaign that both raises money and allows the public to thank the uniformed men and women who keep them safe everyday.

Look for PF&R firefighters dressed in red and black outside of Macy’s department store

and donate to help support those in need who turn to the Salvation Army for food and toys during the holiday season!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Even the wintry weather this morning couldn’t stop firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue’s Training & Safety from ringing bells, opening doors, and playing and singing holiday carols to inspire passersby to place donations inside red kettles. 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Fire inspectors from PF&R's Fire Marshal's Office (FMO) braved the cold and rain Wednesday as they volunteered their time to be bell ringers for the Salvation Army outside of the downtown Macy's department store.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The celebrity bell ringers for Thursday were firefighters and chief's from Portland Fire & Rescue's Operations Division.  Fire Chief John Klum also was in attendance to support this worthy cause. 

Stay turned to learn the amount PF&R raised in donations over the past three days!

December 17, 2009

The men and women of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local #8 are stepping up – again – this year. Portland Fire & Rescue Toy N Joy Maker's "Head Elf", Dean Johnson, will arrive to pick up approximately $10,000 worth of toys from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's offices at 2435 NW Front Avenue in Portland, Oregon. 

In this sluggish economy donations to charities are down; Portland Fire & Rescue Toy ‘N' Joy Makers is no exception. Toys and cash donations are hard to come by this year and, because of the slow economy, more families are in need than ever before. 

Portland Fire & Rescue Toy N Joy Makers help the needs of low-income families in the Portland area to give their children toys for Christmas. The Portland Toy N Joy Makers started giving toys to needy children in 1914. Everyone can help by dropping new, unwrapped toys at any Portland Fire & Rescue station throughout the holiday season. This year we need everyone's help to make the holidays special for those less fortunate. 

Click here to view locations of all 30 Portland Fire stations.

December 15, 2009

Beginning December 1, 2009, you may notice bright orange signs with the letter “U” posted on some buildings.  The signs are intended to provide Portland firefighters with an extra measure of safety when responding to an emergency at one of these buildings.  Approximately 24 buildings around town will have these signs posted above their entrances to supplement information that firefighters already carry with them on the apparatus en route to a scene.

The designation indicates to firefighters that the building, or a portion thereof, has unsafe conditions.  This allows incident commanders to assess the structure when formulating an action plan and to reconsider standard firefighting tactics when operating on-scene at a structure identified as an unsafe building. 

These signs do not necessarily mean that a building cannot be entered or occupied.  For example, in an 8-story building floors 1 and 2 may be safe and legal for public occupancy while floors 3 through 8 must remain vacant due to structural issues identified by fire inspectors during routine building inspections.  If you have questions or concerns about unsafe buildings, contact the Public Information Team at (503) 823-3700.

December 16, 2009