Event: 14th Official PDX Adult Soapbox Derby

Day: Saturday, August 14, 2010

Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Location: Mt. Tabor

All are Welcome!

Firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue Station 19 have been working hard to prepare for a time honored tradition in the community they directly serve.

Off-duty firefighters will turn into race car drivers tomorrow, braving the daunting slopes of Mt. Tabor to test their home made soapbox at the 14^th Annual PDX Adult Soapbox Derby.  This family-friendly event runs Saturday, August 14^th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Mt. Tabor.

42 teams have currently entered the derby. Station 19 firefighters return for their third year of competition and are ready to show the crowd how it’s really done.

Firefighters began constructing their race “truck” about three months ago, and it has proven to be a labor of love.

Affectionately called “Truck 19.5”, it was constructed with ladders and heavy duty wheels and is close to 4 feet tall and 12 feet long.  Special safety considerations include brakes, a horn, a fire extinguisher, and two drivers – one at the front of Truck 19.5 and one to manuever the tillered back.  The color scheme matches Portland Fire & Rescue’s fire engines and trucks.

Why will the race truck “SMOKE” the competition? Firefighter Nate explains that they will run interference by swinging the tillered back of Truck 19.5, wiping out all other competitors.

Click here to learn more about this annual event!  Good luck to all soapbox derby participants but we are rooting most loudly for Station 19 to win!

More About Station 19

Station 19, located at 7301 East Burnside Street, protects the Center, Mt. Tabor, Montavilla and Madison South neighborhood associations. The station was built in 1953 and is 5,676 square feet.  Engine 19 calls the station home, and the on-duty personnel includes one paramedic-officer and three firefighters.  

  Portland Fire & Rescue We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  August 13, 2010