The Historic Belmont Firehouse, which houses the Safety Learning Center and Fire Museum, is in contention for a $10,000 award from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The Safety Learning Center and Fire Museum shares the rich history and heritage of the fire service in Portland, Oregon and promotes fire and life safety education for every guest. Exhibits and stories help visitors to recognize ways in which they are vulnerable to injury and fire.
To help us earn the $10,000, we need supporters like you to take a brief and easy fire safety quiz on the internet. Once completed, you will have the option to vote for the fire department in your area (Portland Fire & Rescue). If Portland Fire & Rescue is voted either first or second overall, $10,000 in funds will be donated to the Jeff Morris Foundation on behalf of the Safety Learning Center at the Historic Belmont Firehouse.
To participate, go to www.BeFireSmart.com/KylieTacheny and click on the "Get Started" button. You'll take a 10 question fire safety quiz and be asked for your name and email. After the quiz, you will receive an email that you must respond to as verification of your quiz. You are then able to vote for Portland Fire & Rescue and help us win $10,000.
Please help support the Historic Belmont Firehouse during these difficult funding times. Voting ends on December 21, 2009. You are only allowed one vote per e-mail address. Thank you for your help!
Learn More About the Jeff Morris Fire & Life Safety Foundation
The Jeff Morris Fire & Life Safety Foundation is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization assembled to serve the safety needs of citizens in Oregon. Founded in 1982 as "The Friends of Jeff Morris," it has evolved to the organization it is today. Jeff Morris was a well loved and charismatic member of Portland Fire & Rescue. As the public information officer and educator, he was well known around the city and was considered the city's greatest ambassador. When he died of cancer in 1974, his friends decided his should be more than a memory. While it took eight years to develop, the Friends of Jeff Morris finally formed in 1982.
One of the first projects of the "Friends" was to purchase a safety education van dedicated to education programs delivered by Portland Fire & Rescue. While the original vehicle has been replaced several times, the "Jeff Van" can still be seen cruising the streets of Portland, promoting safety education everywhere it goes.
The next big project of the "Friends" was to develop a fire museum. This goal was realized in 1985 with the addition of the museum on the north end of the central fire station in Old Town. Lack of staffing left the facility as a viewing museum only. Today, however, the fire museum is alive and well at the Historic Belmont Firehouse in the Belmont District. Not only are the artifacts and exhibits more accessible, they are surrounded by many great stories and images of the entire history of the organization.
Jeff's passions were the education of Portland's citizens and the preservation of the history of Portland Fire & Rescue. Today, the Foundation is working to continue Jeff's legacy. To learn more about the Foundation, click here.
December 18, 2009
