Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) has launched our newest issue of our E-Newsletter! The E-Newsletter focuses on the following topics:

• Station Profile 
• Chief Janssens Swearing In 
• Fireworks Safety 
• Open Window Safety 
• Emergency Response Statistics 
• Dragon Boat Races 
• Rose Festival 
• Blood Drive 
• About PF&R 

To read the previous month's newsletters, please click on the links below:

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010

Link here to read the entire June 2012 E-Newsletter issue and learn more about the above topics. Click here to subscribe and receive PF&R’s monthly newsletter via email!

On June 26, 2012 marked the anniversary of the 101 year memorial of Fire Chief David Campbell who died in the line of duty on 1911. This memorial was not just for Chief Campbell it was also for all fighters who have lost their lives during the line of duty through the history of the Fire Bureau. The ceremony took place at West 19^th & Burnside. The ceremony started with a processional, bagpipes where then played, Honor Guard, and than followed by a line of speeches. Many members of the community Portland Fire department, and city officials were in attendance. This memorial symbolized the sacrifice that firefighters take every time they go out on a call, to go above and beyond the line of duty.

June 28, 2012

6:30 AM

At 5:01 am, firefighters from St. Johns Station 22 and University of Portland Station 26 responded to reports that a man was pinned underneath a vehicle. Incident command immediately recognized that if additional equipment was necessary, it would be a lengthy response for the next nearest unit which prompted dispatching an additional truck company from the Pearl District Station 3, as well as a unit from Scappoose Fire.

Fire crews arrived and found a mid-20's male patient, pinned underneath the front axle of a minivan on NW Alderview Rd. They immediately assessed the scene and used the Holmatro spreader tool (sometimes referred to as the jaws of life) and wood blocks called cribbing to jack the van up off of the patient. They were then able to slide him out onto a waiting gurney. The extrication process took 9 minutes from the time of arrival. The patient was transported to Emanuel Hospital with serious injuries.

Station 22 covers one of the largest response areas in Portland, from the St Johns neighborhood to Cornelius Pass Rd at Skyline Blvd. This unique district requires longer than average response times and presents unique hazards such as steep, winding roads with frequent motor vehicle accidents.

On the weekend of June 22 through the 24 Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) hosted the 4^th annual Portland Metro Fire Camp for young women.  This years camp was the largest to date with 39 campers, most traveling from somewhere within the state of Oregon or Washington, but one camper coming all the way from California for the once in a life experience.  There were a total of 31 camp counselors, 12 of them from other departments withinWashington andOregon with the farthest hailing fromHood RiverOregon.  The support system and sponsors that enable the camp to be of no cost for the participants were Portland Firefighters local 43, Clackamas Fire District #1, Gresham Firefighters local 1062, Portland Fire Chiefs Association, Round Table Pizza, Costco, and Jim & Patty’s Coffee.

This three day camp exposes the 16 to 19 year old ladies about the career of firefighting, but also empowers them and shows them what they are truly capable of.  On day one the campers get issued a set of turnouts and are placed into engine company’s that they will be working with as a team for the duration of the camp.  Some of the tasks that the campers are asked to do both as a team and individually are taking a hydrant, extending a hose line, chopping a hole in a roof, search and rescue, low angle rope rescue, emergency medical services, and many more.  These tasks force the campers to work together as a team and problem solve to come up with the best possible solutions to many different problems they are faced with, much like what professional firefighters do on a daily basis.  When asked about their experience at camp one camper stated “The camp opened my eyes and showed me that I have a lot of work ahead of me, and it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it”.  Another camper stated “I enjoyed going into this camp unsure of my abilities, but able to push myself, and coming out of this camp proud of my accomplishments”.

Although not every one of these young women may go on to a career in firefighting all of the counselors and individuals involved know that they helped make a difference in the lives of these young women.  Every person who witnessed the transformation of these campers within a short three days span have faith that they can draw on their experience at camp to be successful at whatever they do in life.  With the continued support from within PF&R and departments all across the Northwest the Portland Metro Fire Camp will be continuing to move forward for years to come hopefully inspiring many future firefighters. 

June 29, 2012

5:15 PM

Portland Firefighters from Station 27 in the Forest Park neighborhood responded just before 2:30 this afternoon to a child that had fallen approximately 15' from a window. Initial reports suggest that the boy was playing in an upstairs bedroom and managed to open up the window before the fall. He landed onto a concrete entryway below before falling the remaining distance to the ground.

After arriving on scene in the 10100 block of NW Ash Court, initial examinations and vital signs revealed that the child had sustained critical injuries, including significant head injuries. Due to the distance to the hospital from this location and also the Friday afternoon traffic slowdowns, it was determined that transporting the child via Life Flight helicopter was an appropriate option. A landing zone was established in a field next door to the house while paramedics from Portland Fire and AMR continued to treat the boys injuries. He was flown to Emmanuel Hospital in critical condition.

Regionally, we tend to see an influx of these types of incidents every year in the spring time. They mostly occur in children from two to six with the younger ones falling from a bed and the older ones usually climbing onto something near the window. Most of these can be easily prevented by installing some simple hardware to keep the windows from opening fully. Armed with a few pictures of your windows, a trip to your local hardware store, and some basic tools, most parents can easily install these device in a matter of minutes. There are also numerous websites that can be searched for additional information concerning these devices.

I apologize for the erroneous location of the call that I gave earlier, the corrected location is off of NW Ash St off of NW Skyline Blvd, not near the intersections of NW Ash St/NW Cornell.