Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) is Oregon’s largest fire and emergency services provider. PF&R provides fire, medical (emergency medical service [EMS]), and special response services to an area of approximately 151.6 square miles, within which reside over 564,000 people. The daytime population increases significantly during normal business hours in the Downtown and Central Eastside areas. PF&R provides services to a wide range of occupancies including high-rises, commercial/industrial, institutional (e.g., schools, hospitals, etc.), and residential.

As a first responder, PF&R (like fire departments in most communities) is the primary provider of EMS care to the public. PF&R provides “advanced life support” (ALS) care with a firefighter paramedic on all engine companies and a number of truck companies.

Firefighter paramedics at PF&R are responsible for a range of knowledge and skills, including new information resulting from the constant growth and evolution of the field of emergency medical care. In order to maintain up-to-date proficiency, PF&R firefighter paramedics are required to regularly participate in educational programs that provide exposure to new knowledge and skills resulting from advances in emergency medical care.

This week, firefighter paramedics from Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R), Gresham Fire & Emergency Services, and Port International Airport Fire Department alongside AMR ambulance paramedics are taking part in a mandatory Multnomah County Joint Training Session. 

The training, organized and supervised by Multnomah County EMS, is two-fold. Not only will it help fire and ambulance paramedics interpret and utilize medical protocols in a similar fashion, but it also provides personnel with the opportunity to witness an in-depth panel discussion on best practices when coordinating medical response to mass-casualty incidents.

  Portland Fire & Rescue