UPDATED WITH FIRE CAUSE & DAMAGE ESTIMATES

4:35 PM

Portland Fire has determined that the cause of this fire was electrical in nature. Roofers were working on the roof shortly before the fire broke out. Reports indicate they were discarding a piece of metal flashing, which accidentally connected with a high powered electrical line and shorted out the line causing the fire. Damage to the home is estimated at $75,000.

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February 2, 2012

3:04 PM

Video file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2012-02/549/51381/00022.wmv

Video file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2012-02/549/51381/00020.wmv

Video file: http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2012-02/549/51381/00019.wmv 

At 12:05 pm on February 2, 2012, Portland firefighters were dispatched to reports of a house on fire at 14200 NW Riverview Drive.  Firefighters from Portland Fire Station 22 (St. Johns) arrived first on-scene. 

Firefighters quickly discovered that a piece of metal flashing from the roof had dislodged and fell against a transmission power line, fully “energizing” the structure and any metal parts therein.  This created extremely dangerous conditions for firefighters to search the home for occupants and a cat that was reported missing.

Firefighters determined that everyone had exited the home safely. Deputy Chief John Harding ordered all crews to evacuate and stay out of the structure for their safety until the power could be shut off.  Firefighters were directed to leave all aluminum ladders that had been deployed in place and withdraw from the house. 

At 12:56 pm, PGE disconnected the power. Firefighters then entered the structure to knock down the fire after the Incident Commander deemed it was safe to do so.

Reports indicate that the power outage affected traffic lights in the vicinity of the Sauvie Island Bridge and along some portions of Highway 30.

Fire Investigators were called to the scene to help determine the cause of the fire and no estimates of damages are available at this time.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

The City of Portland has a new Fire Lieutenant.

During a formal swearing-in ceremony at Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PF&R) Training & Safety Facility this morning, Paul Komanecky was appointed to the position of Fire Lieutenant. The ceremony was witnessed by Training, Safety & EMS Chief Glen Eisner, Operations Chief John Nohr, other Fire Bureau personnel, and family members.

Komanecky began his career with Portland Fire in 1996 and had worked at Stations 2, 3, and 9. Most recently, Komanecky managed PF&R’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Driving Program.

As a Fire Lieutenant, Komanecky will be responsible for supervising firefighters when working at a fire scene or other emergency. He will also organize and supervise the day-to-day tasks at a Portlandfire station, and provide training on safety procedures and fire equipment to firefighters. Click here to view the City of Portland Fire Lieutenant job description.

Congratulations to Lieutenant Komanecky! 

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

February 1, 2012

2:02 PM

On February 1, 2012, the City of Portland announced that Oregon Iron Works, Inc., headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, had won a competitive contract to built two new fireboats for Portland Fire & Rescue. Funds for the $5 million dollar project will come from the $72 million General Obligation Bond passed by Portland voters in 2010. $20 million dollar of the bond is earmarked to replace aging fire apparatus.

"’Made in Oregon’- a phrase that is music to my ears. I'm excited that Portland's new fireboats will be built right here by Oregon Iron Works," said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. "This is a needed investment for Portland Fire & Rescue and a great way to help create jobs in Oregon."

"Portland Fire has an aging fleet of fireboats that must be taken out of service on an increasing basis for repair and maintenance, impacting our marine response capabilities," notes Commissioner Randy Leonard, "These two new boats will insure dependable emergency response on Portland’s waterways for the next 40 years."

The aluminum boats will be built at the Clackamas, Oregon plant back to back with the latest navigational equipment, pumps, and controls. They will be powered by twin 1080 horse-powered engines that will drive two jet pumps, enabling the fireboats to achieve 40 knots, or just over 46 miles per hour.

Each boat will be 50 feet long and 15 feet across the beam. The boats will be capable of pumping over 7,000 gallons of water per minute to fight land and marine-based fires, as well as pump water to fire engines, if needed, during a catastrophic emergency. The boats will be ready to place in service in approximately one year.

"As a local small business manufacturer that employs hundreds of skilled Oregonians, we are delighted to build these reliable, safe, high-performance fireboats for the City of Portland," stated Robert Beal, Chief Executive Officer of Oregon Iron Works, Inc. "It’s good for our economy, it’s good for the safety and protection of our local citizens, and it supports real family-wage jobs with benefits."

About Oregon Iron Works

Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OIW) is a specialty manufacturing firm with commercial, marine, nuclear, aerospace, hydroelectric, defense and transportation manufacturing divisions. Founded in 1944 in Portland, Oregon, the company has been under the same management since 1974. They have been building high performance aluminum, composite and steel hulled marine craft for the United States and other Governments and commercial operators since 1984, with over 300 boats delivered. The small business currently employs over 400 employees and is headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, with additional manufacturing facilities in Vancouver, Washington. For more information visit www.oregoniron.com.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

February 1, 2012

1:32 PM

At 10:52 this morning, firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a commercial fire at the Banfield Motel located at 1525 NE 37th. On arrival, firefighters from Engine 28 (Rose City/Hollywood) found fire coming from room 26 on the lower level of the motel.

All occupants had exited from the unit. One resident did suffer smoke inhalation and Portland Fire medics treated the occupant at the scene and called for an ambulance.

Firefighters were able to fight through the fire and put most of the fire out within a minute. The fire did not spread to other units. Firefighters are letting occupants back into motel rooms at this time. A fire investigator has been called to the scene to help determine the cause of the fire and no estimates on damage are available at this time.

The fire was recalled at 11:25 am.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

Firefighters from Portland, New York, and Florida pose with Lima, Peru Firefighters after a long day of fireground training

Portland Fire & Rescue and the Portland Bombero Association were privileged to be able to assist FDNY Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan down in Lima, Peru for a very special mission…a week of training in honor of Father Mychal Judge, the FDNY chaplain killed on 9/11 at Ground Zero. 

Sheridan had been a personal friend of Judge’s, and took the loss especially hard. When Father Chris Dunn, a priest in Peru from the same Franciscan Order as Father Judge called and asked Sheridan’s Mutual Aid Training Group for training and assistance, Sheridan knew what he had to do.  Commemorating the 10th anniversary of Judge’s sacrifice, Sheridan assembled a team of instructors from the United States who had years of experience in training fire departments in Latin America and gathered much needed firefighting equipment from donors.

Left to Right: Portland Fire Lieutenant Joe Troncoso, Miami-Dade Fire Department Firefighter Juan Rubio, FDNY Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan, and Miami-Dade Fire Department Firefighter Jorge Troyano 

Sheridan was joined by Fire Lieutenant Joseph Troncoso from Portland Fire & Rescue, as well as Jorge Troyano and Juan Rubio, two experienced instructors from Miami-Dade Fire Department in Florida.  The team arrived on January 21, 2012 and hit the ground running, training the Peruvian firefighters at Station 120 in South Lima. 

The city of Dumont, New Jersey donated a 1986 engine.  Despite its age, it had extremely low mileage and was in top-notch condition.  One of the Lima drivers pointed out that the older apparatus are preferable, given that they are able to work on them when a breakdown occurs.  They said that with the newer apparatus being computer controlled, they don’t have anybody in the country who can fix them. Sheridan equipped the engine with a full complement of firefighting gear.  Father Mychal Judge’s name was put on the engine in his memory.

Left: Lieutenant Troncoso explains how to quickly don an SCBA

Right: Lieutenant Troncoso and Lima firefighters outfitted in turnouts and MSA SCBA's

MSA generously agreed to ship 30 MSA Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) down to Lima. 

Lima is a large city of nearly 9 million inhabitants, served by 59 fire stations. Station 120, located in the southernmost of the four districts, covers 25 square kilometers with a population of 750,000 residents in their fire management area alone!  They have 60 volunteers based out of their station. Lima’s firefighters, like most throughout South America, are nearly all volunteers. The fire service is on a national level in Peru, and any firefighter from Lima can transfer to any other city in the country once they’re trained. The only exception to being a volunteer is if one is the driver/engineer. They are paid to do their job and can frequently be the only ones in a rig driving to the fire where they will await the firefighters who respond in their own vehicles. 

Sheridan asked Portland Fire to train the Lima firefighters in the use of SCBAs and fireground management techniques.  Portland Fire & Rescue Retired Lieutenant Dan Rossos was kind enough to consult and work with Troncoso to develop a very comprehensive training program which was translated into Spanish and taught in Lima.

Trainings topics provided during the week included MSA SCBA’s, air management, engine operations, fire attack, strategies and tactics, and ventilation.  Although Station 120 was the recipient of the donated engine and airpacks, numerous other stations participated, eager to receive training. 

Lima firefighters take a rest after fire attack training

Friday night at nearly midnight when the training was completed, Sheridan addressed the exhausted students.  “I hope that when the Engine with Father Mychal’s name on it is going through your city, that you’ll remember him and what he stood for”. 

The students were very grateful for the training and said it was the first time in the 15 year existence of Station 120 that they’ve received any outside training.  That it came from American firefighters (who they consider the best in the business) left them thankful beyond words.

Blog and photos courtesy of Lieutenant Joe Troncoso.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

January 30, 2012

2:34 PM

At 11:33 am, Portland Firefighters were dispatched to reports of fire in the attic of a house at 3244 NE 51st. When firefighters from Portland Fire Station 28 (Rose City/Hollywood) arrived at 11:36 am, just three minutes later, they found heavy smoke coming from the finished attic of the two-story house. Firefighters made entry into the house and found an occupant standing at the bottom of the stairs preparing to head up the stairs to fight the fire with a garden hose.

The occupant was advised to remove himself to safety and firefighters ascended the stairs and began fighting the fire. Concealed spaces on the second floor/attic made firefighting difficult.

Fire attack crews reported very high heat and requested vertical ventilation (a hole cut in the roof) by ladder truck crews. The fire was declared under control at 12:16 pm. There were no injuries associated with the fire. The occupant’s pets were removed safely.

Fire investigators responded and determined that the cause of the fire was from an unattended candle. Damage estimates are not available at this time. The house is uninhabitable and the occupants will be staying with friends.

Candles start more than 13,000 home fires each year. Portland Fire & Rescue reminds citizens never to leave burning candles unattended.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is odorless, tasteless, and colorless.  Radon gas is found throughout the world in varying concentrations. Radon forms naturally from the radioactive decay of Uranium in rock, soil, and water.  When radon gas is formed, it migrates through the soil to the air above.

Why is Radon Harmful?

Each of us is exposed to a certain amount of radiation each day, most of which comes from natural sources such as radon. Radon accounts for the largest percentage -- more than half -- of radiation exposure that the average person in the United States receives.

Radon breaks down into solid particles know as radon decay products. These decay particles can become trapped in the lungs and may damage tissue by emitting radiation. Over time, exposure to elevated levels of radon increases a person's risk of developing lung cancer. This is the only known health effect. For smokers, this lung cancer risk is even higher.

Click here to learn more about risk from radon and how to take action if a high radon level is detected in your home.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

January 29, 2012

9:06 PM

Portland firefighters from Station 11 located in the Lents neighborhood responded to a fire involved in a home at 6725 SE 77th Avenue at 8:06 pm this evening. Upon arrival six minutes later, the officer on Engine 11 reported a smaller home with smoke and fire showing from the rear and sides of the house. Firefighters from Engine 11 and Rescue 11 immediately pulled handlines and mounted an interior attack while the crew from Truck 25 went to the roof to open up ventilation holes in order to clear some of the heat and smoke to assist the interior firefighters in locating the seat of the fire. Other crews from neighboring stations also assisted the effort by manning back up lines, searching the structure for fire victims, securing utilities, and staffing a Rapid Intervention Team whose primary mission is to rescue downed firefighters in the case of a catastrophic event.

While searching the home for potential fire victims, firefighters discovered a hole in the floor in one of the bedrooms that posed a dangerous situation for the interior crews. Due to the limited visibility and high temperatures within a building on fire, firefighters often work from a crawling position. All to often, hazards such as holes in floors are not discovered until a firefighter falls through one. Fortunately this one was discovered without that happening. �@

The fire was under control within 15 minutes of arrival, but damage to the home was extensive. The fire cause is unknown at this time, but a fire investigator is on scene examining clues to determine the cause. Portland Fire does not anticipate a cause or damage estimates release until at least mid-Monday morning.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

January 29, 2012

1:14 PM

Portland firefighters from Station 19 located in the Mount Tabor neighborhood, along with three other local stations, responded to a report of a shed on fire at 135 NE 78th Avenue just a couple of minutes before noon today. Upon arrival, the officer on E19 reported a large shed fully-involved in fire that was critically threatening a home right next to it.

While the driver of E19 was hooking supply hoses up to a nearby fire hydrant, the remaining two firefighters with assistance from two addiditonal firefighters from Rescue 19 were able to quickly mount an exterior attack and successfully knock down the bulk of heat and fire from the shed while also protecting the exterior of the home. This is another example of the benefit that residents of the City of Portland experience from having fully-staffed fire stations located strategically throughout the city. Fires grow exponentially with every minute they are allowed to burn and this one was extinguished right at the critical time that kept losses at a much lower extent.

An ambulance was called to examine a male occupant of the home for minor burns and scrapes that he received while trying to extinguish the fire before our arrival. Portland Fire would like to remind residents that the first priorty in the event of a fire is to retreat to a safe environment and then call 9-1-1. Too often, well intentioned people are hurt or killed trying to fight a fire without the proper training or equipment. The fire environment is an extremely dangerous one to be in and a small fire can erupt into a life-threatening one much more quickly than a normal person can react to. Luckily the injuries sustained in this fire were minor enough that the occupant did not require transport to the hospital.

The fire was declared under control within ten minutes of arrival, with damages to the shed enough for it to be declared a total loss and no damage reported to the house.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

Portland Firefighters Ed Resch, Brian Profit, Don Gresham and Al Burns will be joining firefighters from Clackamas Fire District #1, Keizer Fire District, Santa Clara County Fire Department, and San Francisco Fire Department to travel to Lima, Peru in March on a firefighter training mission.

Resch, Profit, Gresham, Burns, and other fellow firefighters will spend three weeks from March 18^th to April 7^th in the capital and largest city of Peru, teaching local police (National Policia) and public safety responders and officials Emergency Medical Response (EMS) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) skills. This trip to Lima will be the first time the group of firefighters will travel and serve together.  Training will include intense hands-on skills as well as classroom lecture.  A veteran interpreter will be joining the firefighters as a resource. During that time, the firefighters will call the Lima Police compound “home.”

The trip was arranged through Global Mission Readiness (GMR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and training to firefighters and rescue workers in developing nations. GMR was founded just under four years ago by Lieutenant Don Davis of Clackamas County Fire District 1.  GMR sends veteran firefighters, medical providers, and rescue personnel from the United States to countries with less advanced training.  Normally, mission such as this is planned over a 12 to 14 period.  This mission was planned in less than two months. Because of this short time window, it has been difficult to coordinate fundraising efforts and events to help support travel costs and other supplemental expenses.

Firefighter Resch teaches Haitians about proper nutrition and water treatment

Resch, a firefighter at Portlandfor over 14 years, has never traveled to Peru on a GMR mission or otherwise. He has, however, traveled to Haiti and Ghana, Africa. Resch joined GMR as a volunteer five years ago, and feels strongly towards supports GMR’s mission to provide education and resources necessary in developing nations.

Firefighter Resch teaching EMS class to first responders in Ghana

Resch notes, “I have seen first-hand how this training can make a difference in peoples’ lives. The most rewarding part of these missions is knowing that the people that take our courses will use the skills they learn to save the lives of others.”  

To learn more about the goals, missions planned, and how to donate to Global Mission Readiness, visit http://globalmissionreadiness.org. Any donations made will aid the firefighters in their travels as well as purchase equipment needed to teach the EMS and USAR courses.  Emergency equipment purchased to teach on will be donated to the public safety responders in Lima, Peru.

At 11:00 a.m., January 26^th, the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) initiated the first-ever, citywide test of Portland’s relatively new community notification system operated by Louisiana-based vendor First Call. Despite previous small-scale successes activating the system for neighborhood emergencies, First Call was able to reach less than one percent of the targeted population during today’s citywide test. 

“Clearly, this failure is a disappointment. If First Call cannot adequately and immediately resolve the problem, we’ll have to reevaluate our service contract with them,” said PBEM Director Carmen Merlo. “We expected some room for improvement with this ambitious test. We did not expect this high degree of failure.”

First Call President Matthew Teague issued this statement in reaction to the failure: “The City of Portland’s notification system is a highly customized and powerful portal which has been built from scratch to meet the needs of the City. With any new software, load testing under live conditions is necessary to reveal issues that internal or small scale testing will miss and the problems encountered today are currently being addressed.”

During this citywide test of the First Call-operated system, PBEM attempted to send a single message via landline phone, cell phone, text, and email to about 317,000 Portlanders as quickly as possible. First Call reached only about 2,100 during the test.

Once these issues are resolved, PBEM is committed to testing the system again to ensure it is working properly at any scale. Greater participation in future tests will ensure a larger sample group and help PBEM gauge the system’s functionality. Merlo encourages Portlanders to register for future notifications by signing up at www.PublicAlerts.org. Personal contact information provided during registration is kept private and used only for the purpose of sending geographically tailored emergency messages.

In the first 25 days of January, the City of Portland has already accumulated heavy amounts of rain on the roadway. When the road is wet, the water on the asphalt can cause tires to lose traction. Another effect of heavy rain is the reduction in driver perception and a decrease in visibility through its action on headlights, windshields, and the road itself.

Each year during this time, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) sees a visible increase in the number of traffic accidents in the greater city of Portland. In January 2010,Portland firefighters responded to just over 200 traffic accidents.  One year later, that number increased by 16% to 245.

PF&R encourages citizens to follow the tips below which will help enable you, and those who share the road with you, from becoming a statistic.

• Always allow for additional travel time during rainy weather; rushing equals higher risk. Plan to drive at a slower pace than normal when the roads are wet. Keep in mind that traffic is likely to be moving slower as well.
• Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally. This will increase the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, and let the driver behind you know that you're slowing down. Also, be more meticulous about using turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
• If possible, stay toward the middle of the road to avoid deep standing puddles.
• Don't use cruise control. If you hydroplane, there's the chance your car could actually accelerate. Cruise control also allows drivers to be less vigilant and to take their foot away from the pedals.
• If you see a large puddle up ahead, drive around it or choose a different route. It could be that it's covering a huge gaping maw into the front door of hell. Well, maybe not, but water splashing up into your car's engine compartment could damage its internal electrical systems. Also, a pothole may be hiding under the water, just waiting in ambush to damage a wheel or knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can't gauge the depth, or if it's covering up the side curb, try to avoid it.
• Turn on your headlights, even when there's a light sprinkle. It helps you see the road and aids other motorists in seeing you.
• Watch out for pedestrians.
• If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road or the car in front of you, pull over and wait it out.
• Track the car ahead of you. Let the car ahead pave a clear path through the water.
• Give a truck or bus extra distance.  
• Defog your windows. Rain will quickly cause your windshield to fog up. Switch on both front and rear defrosters and make sure the air conditioning is turned on. Most cars' climate control systems will automatically engage the A/C when the windshield defrost function is selected.
• If you start to hydroplane, don't brake suddenly or turn the wheel, or you might spin into a skid. Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case you can put your foot down).

COMMUNITY I SERVE

I am currently am assigned to provide coverage at stations to the Cathedral Park,St. Johns, and Linnton neighborhoods in North Portland.

ARRIVING ON-SCENE

I was hired as a line firefighter when I was 20 years old in October 2000 and promoted to a Fire Lieutenant nine years later.  In spring 2006, I was selected to join the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) as a paramedic.  SERT team members respond to incidents involving uncooperative armed suspects (such as barricaded subjects or hostage situations). As a paramedic, I provide advanced life support for SERT team members that are in harms-way.

FIRST SHIFT MEMORY

My crew was very fresh at Station 2 and we were sent to the North Portland Bluff Fire that eventually went 5 alarms.  When we arrived on-scene, people were packing their cars with valuables and fleeing, fearing all their houses were going to burn like a scene out of southern California.  Eventually, we had Blackhawks above us performing water drops.  I remember thinking that is one thing I never thought I would see working for a big city. 

MEMORABLE CALL

We were sent to a young boy reported to have some time of hand injury.  Unfortunately, there was a language barrier and the 9-1-1 dispatcher was unable to get any further information.  We found a 5 year-old boy who stuck his hand up the ice cube dispenser of the fridge that his parents believed to be inoperable.  Unfortunately, the machine engaged and trapped the young boy’s hand. 

The crew and I were unable to even fully open the door of the fridge to take apart the machine since his hand was through the chute and stuck towards the back.  Working as a tea, we weighed all options to free his hand and manage his pain.  It took 45 minutes of working to dismantling the fridge and plan "B", plan "C", etc.  There was no training guide on this situation.  It showed the importance of having good communication within your crew and having members with different backgrounds or skills.

FAVORITE MEAL TO COOK

Fish tacos or buffalo chicken burgers.  There are a lot of other things I like to make, but they definitely don't fall into the "healthy" recipe book which has become a lot more popular.

MAKING MY WAY TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER

I worked for the pools of a park district.  I lifeguarded and taught swimming lessons including our lifeguard training programs.

BEING SUCCESSFUL

Integrity.  A successful firefighter wants to do their best just because and for no other reason. 

OFF-DUTY FUN

During the summer, I enjoy boating or camping anywhere on the water.  I live on a floating home, so mostly I enjoy any hot weather where I can relax on my deck, jump in, and swim in my backyard. In the winter time, I look forward to fishing when it's wet and golfing when it's dry (there's nobody else on the course when it's 40 degrees)!

ARRIVING ON AN EMERGENCY SCENE

I always try to make a rapid assessment of what we have and what/who we need.  When you need some support, you want it quick!

ADVICE TO LIVE BY

KNOW YOUR JOB AND ORGANIZATION. That's one of my former advisors' ten rules of the fire service.  You should strive to learn every aspect and be the best at your position.  But not only be educated in your position, but strive to know what others are doing or things going on in your department.  Knowing those things can only make you better at being a solid piece of the puzzle.

January 26, 2012

12:05 PM

At 1:55 am, Portland Fire & Rescue received reports of smoke and flames coming from a house on fire at 409 NE 126th. Upon arrival, Portland Fire Station 7 (Mill Park) encountered heavy fire inside the structure. Firefighters discovered a 5 foot by 5 foot hole in the floor that extended into the crawl space. The Incident Commander was concerned for firefighters' safety and stationed a firefighter to watch over the space to ensure that no firefighters were injured while battling the blaze.

Ladder truck crews cut a hole in the roof of the home to vent the heat, smoke, and flames and used forcible entry to open the garage door, allowing engine crews to bring the blaze under control in about 15 minutes.

It was determined that the home was vacant and undergoing an extensive remodel at the time of the fire. Fire Investigators are investing the fire's cause and estimate damage to the home to be approximately $75,000.

Photos and fire cause will be released as they become available.