April 23, 2012 -- Today marks the start of the first ever Severe Weather Preparedness Week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently partnered to designate April 22-28, 2012, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and is calling upon all Americans, in every area of the country, to Be a Force of Nature.

Just last year, there were more than 1,000 weather-related fatalities and more than 8,000 injuries nationwide. Building a Weather-Ready Nation requires the action of every individual and community because severe weather knows no boundaries and affects us all.  Be a Force of Nature by making a public pledge to be prepared at Ready.gov/severe-weather.

What can you do to Prepare?

Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions with your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and assist in saving lives.

• Know Your Risk: Every state in theU.S. has experienced tornadoes and severe weather, so everyone is exposed to some degree of risk. [Personal risk for specific area]
• Pledge and Take Action: Be Force of Nature by taking the pledge to prepare at Ready.gov/severe-weather.  When you pledge to prepare, you will take the first step to making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather.  This includes filling out your family communications plan that you can email it to yourself, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved.  Visit www.Ready.gov/severe-weather for more on family preparedness for severe weather.
• Be an Example: Once you have taken action and pledged, share your story with your family and friends. Create a video and post on a video sharing site, post your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, comment on a blog, or any other social media site you’re on. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example and share the steps you took to help us achieve the vision of a Weather-Ready Nation.

Join us today and pledge to prepare for the severe weather in our area.

Information on the different types of severe weather such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flooding is available at www.weather.gov and www.ready.gov/severeweather or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov.

April 22, 2012

11:26 AM

At 3:40 am Portland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to the Willamette River on a report of a man screaming for help just down river from the Morrison Bridge. Firefighters from Station 1 (oldtown) arrived shortly thereafter to find the 25 year old male clinging to the seawall. After getting the patient a life ring to keep him afloat, crews from the Eldon Trinity Rescue Boat at Station 21 quickly pulled the man out of the water.

Firefighters wrapped the man in warm blankets and helped transport him with AMR ambulance to Emanuel hospital. "The water temperature was around 43 degrees so hypothermia was a major concern." said Fire Captain Greg Espinosa, commander of the incident.

The patient said that he had just got to portland a couple of days ago and was looking for a place to sleep near the water when he slipped and fell into the river. He tried to get out of the river but there was no place to exit... just a 30 foot seawall.

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds the public that even though the sunshine is here, the spring snow run off in our rivers can keep temperatures between 43 and 50 degrees. Hypothermia can take over in minutes, causing clumsiness, confusion and even slurred speech. Doctors also check for shivering, a weak pulse, low blood pressure and a body temperature below 96 degrees F (normal body temperature is 98.6 F).

Note: At 4:47am an unrelated river incident kept our fireboats busy when fishermen reported an unattended jet ski floating down the river under the broadway bridge. Firefighters picked up the jet ski and took it to a local station for storage. Portland Police and Multnomah County sheriffs are trying to locate the owner.

Incident Statistics: 

Total Incidents: 1,327

Medical: 1,064

Fire: 38

Other: 225

Major Incidents: 4 (further information provided below) 

• 04/15/12@ 1634 hrs, Residential Fire, 5000 block of NE 7^th Ave.  Loss: $55,000 Cause: Under Investigation.
• 04/16/12@ 1341 hrs, Traffic Accident w/Pin-in, SE 96^th Ave. &Market St.  2 Patients extricated from vehicle and transported to local hospital.
• 04/17/12 @ 1237 hrs, Commercial Fire, 2900 block ofN Marine Dr.  Loss and cause: Undetermined at this time.
• 04/18/12@ 1336 hrs, Residential Fire, 6300 block of SE 72^nd Ave.  Loss: $20,000 Cause: Under investigation and one Civilian patient transported to local hospital.