December 8, 2011

9:23 AM

At 6:00 am, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) firefighters were dispatched to the scene of a multiple vehicle crash at 82nd and NE Killingsworth. First arriving crews from PF&R's Sandy Boulevard Fire Station 12 found three cars that had collided with two people pinned within the cars. 

Because the crash involved multiple vehicles and trapped patients, fire trucks from North andNE Portlandwere called to bring specialized equipment to the scene. Firefighters worked together to carefully extricate the drivers of two of the vehicles while administering life support medical care.  The driver of the smaller sedan had been pushed into the dashboard during the crash. Fire crews used hydraulic spreaders, rams and cutters to tear the car out from around the driver. 

Both drivers were male, one being in his late 30s and the other driver being in his late 20s.  The drivers were entered into the trauma system with life threatening injuries and transported to local area hospitals by AMR ambulances.

The third driver involved in the crash was treated at the scene and released. Portland Police are currently investigating the crash.

Photographs by Dick Harris, Portland Fire & Rescue photographer.

  Portland Fire & Rescue

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) is Oregon’s largest fire and emergency services provider. PF&R provides fire, medical (emergency medical service [EMS]), and special response services to an area of approximately 151.6 square miles, within which reside over 564,000 people. The daytime population increases significantly during normal business hours in the Downtown and Central Eastside areas. PF&R provides services to a wide range of occupancies including high-rises, commercial/industrial, institutional (e.g., schools, hospitals, etc.), and residential.

As a first responder, PF&R (like fire departments in most communities) is the primary provider of EMS care to the public. PF&R provides “advanced life support” (ALS) care with a firefighter paramedic on all engine companies and a number of truck companies.

Firefighter paramedics at PF&R are responsible for a range of knowledge and skills, including new information resulting from the constant growth and evolution of the field of emergency medical care. In order to maintain up-to-date proficiency, PF&R firefighter paramedics are required to regularly participate in educational programs that provide exposure to new knowledge and skills resulting from advances in emergency medical care.

This week, firefighter paramedics from Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R), Gresham Fire & Emergency Services, and Port International Airport Fire Department alongside AMR ambulance paramedics are taking part in a mandatory Multnomah County Joint Training Session. 

The training, organized and supervised by Multnomah County EMS, is two-fold. Not only will it help fire and ambulance paramedics interpret and utilize medical protocols in a similar fashion, but it also provides personnel with the opportunity to witness an in-depth panel discussion on best practices when coordinating medical response to mass-casualty incidents.

  Portland Fire & Rescue

Goforth is officially sworn in as a Fire Captain

During a formal swearing-in ceremony at Portland’s City Hall this morning, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) appointed Bill Goforth to the position of Fire Captain. The ceremony was witnessed by Operations Chief John Nohr, other Fire Bureau personnel, and family members.

Captain Goforth's badge is pinned to his duty shirt by his father, retired Portland Fire Lieutenant Larry Goforth

Goforth began his career with Portland Fire in 1998 and has worked at fire stations across the City of Portland, most recently at Stations 1, 8, and 12. In 2004, Goforth was promoted to the rank of a Fire Lieutenant. As a Fire Lieutenant, Goforth was responsible for supervising Station 1 firefighters when working at a fire scene or other emergency. At that rank, he also organized and supervised the day-to-day tasks at Portland’s Downtown Central Fire Station 1, and provided training on safety procedures and fire equipment to firefighters.

Goforth is a member of PF&R’s Dive Team and Technical Rescue Team.

Captain Bill Goforth and his proud father, retired Portland Lieutenant Larry Goforth

As PF&R’s newest Captain, Goforth will be responsible for the direct command over firefighting personnel in a fire company, for the discipline and commendation of personnel, and for the proper maintenance of apparatus, equipment, and the fire station on an assigned shift as well as other shifts. Work differs from that of a Lieutenant in that the Captain is the administrative officer of the station and in that capacity is responsible for channeling directives from Headquarters to subordinates. Read more about a Fire Captain’s scope of responsibility here.

Congratulations to Captain Bill Goforth!

  Portland Fire & Rescue

UPDATED

December 8, 2011

2:47 PM

At 11:50 am, firefighters from Portland Fire's (Sylvan) Station 16 responded to an automatic home alarm at 5735 SW Grover Ct.  Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke through the windows and coming under pressure from the doorway. 

They immediately called for a full residential fire response.  As additional fire crews arrived from surrounding fire stations, firefighters began laying 1,000 feet of hose lines from hydrants on SW Grover Ct. all the way up a steep and winding driveway to the multi-million dollar property. 

The 6,000 square foot home was partially involved in flames and thick smoke.  At 12:08 pm, Incident Commanders called for a second alarm response bringing additional resources, crews and apparatus to the scene.  Initially, fire crews fought the fire from a defensive position as they developed a plan of attack and crews positioned for an interior attack.  Crews from Engine 16 aggressively knocked down the main body of fire in the living room on the second floor of the three-story home.  Other firefighters pulled additional hose lines, laddered up to the roof to cut vent holes, and extended a fire truck aerial up the hill for a defensive firefighting operation.   

This fire required a joint response between TVF&R and PF&R.  Portland Fire arrived at the fire first, and then discovered it was TVF&R's area.  Because of mutual aid agreements, a flawless response from both agencies was executed to battle this blaze.  Approximately 60 firefighters and other personnel responded to the scene.  TVF&R will complete the fire investigation. They have investigators on scene working to determine the fire cause and damage estimates.  No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

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December 8, 2011

12:11 PM

Portland Fire & Rescue is currently responding to a 2nd alarm fire at 5735 SW Grover Court. The Public Information Officer is en route. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

  Portland Fire & Rescue

December 8, 2011

4:22 PM

At 10:54 am, Portland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to reports of a vehicle into a building at the Jupiter Hotel, located at800 East Burnside Street.  Firefighters fromPortland's Old Town Fire Station 1 arrived at the scene within three minutes of receiving the call.

One police officer and three maintenance workers were able to lift the taxi cab off the bed, freeing the man trapped underneath prior to firefighters' arrival.

Firefighters discovered that a taxi had crashed through one of the hotel rooms and pinned a man inside.  The patient, Jon Toubin - age 40, was treated by firefighter paramedics and transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.  The driver of the taxi cab may have suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash and was also transported to the hospital.

Portland Police is conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Photos courtesy of Greg Muhr, Portland Fire & Rescue.

  Portland Fire & Rescue