PF&R Has a Busy St. Patricks Day Weekend

March 18, 2024 05:45

  Follow @PDXFire

First Responders were kept busy during this warm holiday weekend. Firefighters responded to a number of incidents, some of the more significant were:

-Early yesterday morning crews went to a 2nd alarm apartment fire that displaced people in five apartment units. No injuries were associated with this fire, but as the fire was brought under control a shooting in the area forced fire commanders to release one engine and crew from the fire to respond to the shooting. The victims of the shooting reportedly suffered injuries that didn't appear to be life-threatening.

-Yesterday a separate fire burned interior contents in a home when a burning candle reportedly came into contact with curtains and bedding. While the fire was extinguished quickly, one person suffered 1st and possibly 2nd degree burns. 

-A medical event in Forest Park necessitated a rescue by crews using ATV's and 4-wheel drive fire vehicles to bring the victim out. The victim is expected to recover.

These events are in addition to the always numerous smaller fires, vehicle crashes, medical and other emergencies that responders deal with daily.

This weekend served as a primer for responders and should be a reminder for the public that as things slowly heat up there are things that you can do to help us to keep you safe, here are a few:

Window Safety: Remember as weather warms a breeze can be nice, but those big open windows can pose a fall hazard for children. Keep climbable furniture well away from windows and keep windows closed and locked if small children are present. Remember screens keep bugs out, not people in. If you have auxiliary locks on your windows please ensure that they can be easily removed in the event that your family needs to escape a fire. Here are some tips from the National Safety Council:

https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/child-safety/window-safety-week

Hiking: If you’re going out to enjoy Forest Park or any of our other beautiful PNW natural areas please plan ahead with safety in mind. Let people know where you’re going and when you’ll return. Take your cell phone, even though you hopefully won’t use it, in an emergency it can allow responders to locate you more quickly. Lastly pack emergency equipment, what you need will depend on where you’re going. Here are some additional tips from our partners at the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue:

https://www.mcso.us/divisions/law-enforcement/search-rescue#ten-essentials-for-hiking

Backyard Barbeques and Fire Pits: We hope you’ll make safety the biggest consideration when burning outdoors. Only burn in specially designed and approved containers; these may be BBQ grills or fire pits with metal lids and or spark containing screens. While that fire pit might be a fun way to keep the party going, your neighbors may be elderly or have small children and they might not enjoy the smoke that’s blowing into their windows, consider limiting the time that you burn. Lastly, make sure to properly dispose of ashes in a metal container and store it well away from anything that could burn.

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/article/405003

*************

       

News Archives