Station 1 currently houses the only heavy rescue company in the City. It is designated Squad 1 and provides services and capabilities not typical to most fire apparatus. Unlike trucks that are equipped with ladders, forcible entry tools, and some extrication equipment; or engines that carry hose and various firefighting appliances; Squad 1 carries and employs an array of specialized rescue and heavy extrication equipment.

According to Captain Espinoza, Squad 1 is essentially a "big tool box" that, when combined with the skills of its crew members, provides unique capabilities related to specialty rescue. "The Squad," as it is know throughout the bureau, includes equipment for heavy extrication, rope rescue, structural collapse, trench and confined space rescue, and water and/or dive rescue. In addition to its specialty services, Squad 1 also responds on typical emergency calls such as structure fires and EMS incidents.

Squad 1's specialized services include: 

• Heavy Extrication - includes rescuing patients from vehicles and machinery. This is accomplished using the Hurst Tool ("jaw of life"), cutting torches, specialized saws, and even air bags capable of lifting train cars.
• Rope Rescue - includes using specialized rope systems to rescue patients who have fallen down embankments, cliffs, or a ship's hull, or are trapped on the side of a structure. Firefighters rig rope systems and deploy firefighters in harnesses to reach and retrieve an individual.
• Trench and Confined Space Rescue - includes deploying special equipment to stabilize and otherwise make safe environments where there has been a trench collapse or it is necessary to rescue someone trapped in a narrow or constricting environment.
• Structural Collapse - includes building collapse or other events needing extensive and specialized heavy equipment for extrication. Squad 1 compliments the bureau's Urban Search and Rescue vehicle (USAR 1) when it is deployed to these types of events.  
• Water Rescue - includes surface water rescue and dive operations. In addition to carrying divers, Squad 1 generally provides dive operations support and expertise to the Incident Commander.

It is important to note that Squad 1 and its crew are a part of the 12-member technical rescue team quartered at Station 1. While Squad 1 may operate independently on some smaller events, it is generally deployed with the entire team from Station 1. This includes Engine 1 and Truck 1, and may also include other specialized apparatus quartered at Station 1 such as the Dive Van, Trench Rescue Van or USAR 1. It is also important to note that all firefighters assigned to Station 1 hold technical rescue certifications that allow them to employ many of the specialized tools and equipment they carry, and to operate in certain hazardous environments.      

Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PF&R) FY 2012-13 Requested Budget was submitted to the Office of Management and Finance on January 30, 2012. The submitted budget complies with the City Council’s directive to bureaus receiving General Fund support to identify reduction packages of four percent, six percent, and eight percent of current FY 2012-13 appropriation levels. 

At the four percent level, PF&R’s reduction is $3.6 million and at the eight percent level increases to $7.2 million.

To develop the reduction packages, PF&R worked collaboratively with private citizens, internal and external stakeholders, employees, and labor and management on PF&R’s Budget Advisory Committee (BAC). PF&R also encouraged all internal employees to submit reduction suggestions through an online trackit form; all suggestions were considered and discussed by the Fire Bureau’s Leadership team.

PF&R currently operates a network of 30 stations that serve 31 fire management areas.  At the four percent level, two fire stations would be closed; the six percent reduction level would essentially close two additional stations; and the eight percent level would close one more station plus reduce funding for another.  In all, five stations would be closed and the sixth station would experience a reduced level of staffing. Besides station closures, eleven positions would be eliminated, impacting code enforcement, public information, training and recruiting, hazmat coordination, and administrative and support activities.  PF&R’s Return-to-Work program would also be terminated.

View Portland Fire's Requested Budget
To view PF&R’s FY 2012-13 requested budget, click here. 

Communicate Your Budget Priorities

Citizens can communicate their budget priorities by attending a Community Budget Forum or submitting feedback online.

March 5, 2011

Portland Fire & Rescue

We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

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March 7, 2012 -- Representatives from Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) attended the 15^th Annual Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions this past Tuesday morning at the Oregon Convention Center to help honor local heroes who jumped into action and used their skills and smarts to save lives. PF&R’s Truck 2 also helped set the stage at the Convention Center for a fun and entertaining breakfast atmosphere.

The Breakfast of Champions is the Oregon American Red Cross’ signature event to not only honor heroes but to raise funds to support disaster relief, CPR/first aid training and other services throughout the Oregon Trail Chapter's 16-county service area.

The local heroes honored included:    

• Following the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri on May 22, Team Captain Jack Jewsbury, the Portland Timbers, and their legion of fans helped to raise over $11,000 for the American Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts.
• David Douglas High School responded to a call for blood donations by bringing their entire football team into the Portland Blood Donation Center during the summer of 2011.
• DeOna Bridgeman of Canby witnessed a teenage boy being struck by a car.  She rushed to the boy and performed citizen CPR until paramedics arrived.
• When a rare, but incredibly damaging tornado struck Aumsville in December 2010, Dean and Marcia Howell and their family mobilized to respond to the immediate needs of their community.
• Chelsea Carpenter used her CPR training to aid a woman who had collapsed in a parking lot.  After EMTs arrived, she offered assistance and emotional support to the woman’s daughter.

Portland Fire & Rescue is proud to help honor these individuals that exemplify courage, kindness, and unselfish character through their acts of heroism in our local community.

More About the Red Cross
In Oregon, the Red Cross responds to an emergency once every 16 hours, but the Red Cross does much more than just disaster response. The organization trains everyday people in lifesaving skills. It assists members of the military and their families. It provides transportation to essential appointments for the elderly and disabled as well as warming centers in response to particularly cold nights in the winter. The American Red Cross also educates the community about emergency preparedness and reconnects families separated by war or disaster.

For more on the American Red Cross, or the Oregon Red Cross chapter, visit www.oregonredcross.org.

March 7, 2012 -- On Saturday, March 3rd, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) conducted a training house burn at 236 NE 102nd Avenue. The goal of Burn to Learn trainings is to provide valuable live-fire training in an actual residential structure for newly hired Firefighter Recruits and career firefighters already serving on the line.

The Burn began around 9:00 am when PF&R training officers set small fires in the house. The training officers then accompanied Firefighter Recruits inside to extinguish the fires. The process was supervised by experienced, career firefighters and followed strict safety guidelines.

The next two burns will occur on Thursday, March 8th, and Saturday, March 10th, 2012.

For questions or to learn more about Portland Fire's Burn to Learn Program, contact Training Staff Fire Lieutenant Jim Sestric at (503) 823-3848. 

Photos by Greg Muhr, Portland Fire & Rescue Photographer.

Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Sandwiches  

Recipe Courtesy of Portland Lieutenant Matthew Silva, Special Ops

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce can) In Juice Pineapple Drained, Juice Reserved
• 1 Tablespoon(s) Honey Mustard 
• 2 (4 ounce) Skinless Chicken Breast Halves Boneless
• 1 Small Red Bell Pepper(s) Thinly Sliced Into Rings
• 2 Multi-grain Hamburger Rolls Split

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill or broiler.
2. In a small bowl, mix together honey mustard with 1 tablespoon pineapple juice.
3. Place chicken and pineapple slices on rack coated with cooking spray.
4. Brush chicken and pineapple slices with mustard mix.
5. Grill or broil the chicken breasts and pineapple slices 2 minutes per side, brushing both sides when turning with mustard mix.
6. Continue broiling until chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF. (Remove pineapple slices if chicken is not cooked through if pineapple is getting too brown.)
7. Serve the chicken on multi-grain sandwich rolls, topped with pineapple slices and red bell pepper rings.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories 386
• Total Fat 5 g
• Saturated Fat N/A
• Sodium 478 mg
• Total Carbohydrates 51 g
• Fiber 5 g
• Protein 35 g