Time is the most valuable commodity in an emergency. If you or a loved one becomes seriously ill or injured, immediate medical care is crucial. When you call 9-1-1 to report a medical emergency, you activate the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. The EMS System is a join effort on the part of the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and private ambulance companies.The sole purpose of the EMS System is to provide effective emergency care in the in the shortest possible time.

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) is an important part of that EMS System Thirty-one fire stations are strategically located throughout the city, which allows our firefighters to arrive first at the scene of a medical emergency and provide immediate medical care. Private ambulances often follow up with continued life support and transportation of patients to the hospital. Our goal is to get there as quickly as possible...and that can make a dramatic difference in a patient's recovery.

More than 70% of all calls to which Portland firefighters respond are medical related. In fact, PF&R is the largest provider of pre-hospital care in the State of Oregon. 

For more than 100 years, firefighters in the City of Portland have had the dual job of fighting fires and performing other types of rescues. Every firefighter in the City of Portland is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) trained to provide basic life support, including Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. In addition, PF&R has over 150 firefighters are certified paramedics and each fire station in the city has at least one paramedic on-duty each shift. They carry advance life saving equipment and medication on their fire engines or rescue vehicles.