Issue No. 10November 2010
Division Spotlight - Management Services
  
  
From the desk of Jack Graham...

This month, the Management Services Division Spotlight focuses on PF&R's budget process.  In preparation for the City's FY2011-12 budget process, PF&R's Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) met on November 9th for a kick-off meeting. The newly appointed BAC is comprised of citizens, stakeholders, employees, labor representatives, and PF&R's leadership team. 

 

The BAC is an integral part of PF&R's budget process, and makes recommendations to the Commissioner-in-Charge about the budget request, provides feedback on current and future budget issues, assists in the development of strategies to make the best use of our limited resources and helps communicate the budget to City Council, the public, and other employees.

 

Future BAC meetings will be held in December to receive budget development information, review PF&R's budget list, and make recommendations on any cut/ad packages to the Commissioner-in-Charge.  Proposed decisions from the Commissioner and Fire Chief on these recommendations will be communicated to the BAC, employees, and the public in January or February 2011. 

 

The Mayor ultimately makes final decisions on the City's budget and is anticipated to release his proposed budget in April/May 2011 after public feedback forums are held in February 2011 to solicit public feedback on budget recommendations.  Final adoption of the City's budget is expected in June 2011. 

 

PF&R will be posting regular feedback on its website www.portlandonline.com/fire about its budget process.  Employees and members of the public are encouraged to follow this process and provide feedback on this year's budget.

  Inside PF&R's Station 9
 
(Station 9 - Located at 1706 SE 39th Ave.)

Station 9 is a newer station with a rich history. It serves the Buckman, Kerns, Sunnyside, Laurelhurst, and Richmond neighborhoods. This station is staffed by an officer, two firefighters, and a paramedic; a battalion chief also has quarters in the station. Apparatus housed at the station include Engine 9, Mobile Command 9 (MC9), and Battalion Chief 4 (C-4).

 

Station 9 was built in 2003 with funding from the 1998 General Obligation Bond, which was passed by voters to seismically strengthen existing and build several new stations. The former Station 9 was the oldest running fire station west of the Mississippi and was an active station for 120 years before closing.

 

The location of former Station 9 (900 SE 35th Avenue) is now the Historic Belmont Safety Learning Center and Fire Museum. In the museum, visitors can still see where horses were kept before it was retrofitted to accommodate fire engines. Horses are a trademark of Station 9 and dozens of historical photos feature horses coming out of the station, prepared to run to an emergency. Today, Engine 9's logo still depicts a horse.

 

A blend of history and modern technology, Station 9 is home to PF&R's Mobile Command Center. MC9 is a fully outfitted apparatus with mobile capabilities that allows PF&R to have a command center on the scene of any major emergency incident.  MC9 is automatically deployed on any 3-alarm fires, 2-alarm high rise fires, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Incidents.  The funds for this apparatus were acquired through an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant designed to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness among public and private community representatives, State, and local government agencies.

 

The crew at Station 9 is trained to use a wide variety of features that are available on MC9.  In addition to serving Portland and Multnomah County, MC9 responds to requests as part of a UASI agreement to Washington, Clackamas, Clark, and Columbia Counties. This unit is equipped with cameras on a 42-foot mast that allow firefighters to get an aerial image of a fire, a variety of radio capabilities, six computer work stations, office space, a small conference room, and a galley. This unit is an important piece of apparatus that is available to all regional counties in case of a large-scale emergency incident.

 

Station 9's Fire Management Area (FMA) is highly residential and includes nine different neighborhood associations. The FMA includes a large number of single-family residences, small commercial structures, and a growing number of condominiums and apartments.

 

Crews from Station 9 enjoy being a part of their community. In addition to having a community room at the station where neighborhood associations and other organizations can meet, they participate in a large number of block parties on National Night Out and maintain the firefighters' plot in Lone Fir Cemetery each Memorial Day.

 

Station 9 is a modern station with a rich history and a strong future. They are proud to continue the tradition of service established so many years ago to the neighborhoods in their FMA.

PF&R Releases 2010-2015 Strategic Plan
 

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) unveiled its 2010-2015 Strategic Plan on November 17, 2010 after City Council formally adopted the document.  The plan is a "roadmap" for advancing and enhancing operational readiness and effectiveness, customer service, workforce development, and maximizing financial resources in support of PF&R's mission, vision, and principles.

 

The strategic plan is the result of collaboration from citizens, management, labor, sworn and non-sworn employees, and a broad range of stakeholders. 

 

Fire Chief John Klum noted, "Our five-year strategic plan demonstrates the continued commitment of Portland Fire & Rescue to enhance the services we provide to our community."  Chief Klum further stated, "We have used the strategic planning process as a proactive mechanism to plan for our future and locate areas where we can improve upon the quality of services we provide."

 

The strategic plan charts an ambitious path through the next five years by identifying themes, strategic issues, goals, performance measures, objectives, and strategies in the following areas:

 

          Ensuring 9-1-1 calls are triaged correctly

          Improving public service through collaboration with other agencies

          Developing partnerships to influence fire service trends

          Establishing health and wellness practices that benefit employees

          Creating a cohesive workforce

          Participating in implementation of the Portland Plan

          Increasing customer responsiveness

          Enhancing the code enforcement inspection model

          Evaluating customer needs to deliver core services within budget

          Increasing efficiencies to improve appropriate use of 9-1-1

          Responding to increased cultural changes and social demands

          Securing funding needed for apparatus, equipment, and facilities

          Identifying regional initiatives with regional partners

          Enhanced communication about financial activities and decisions 

 

With City Council adoption, the next step is plan implementation.  The 2010-2015 Strategic Plan and comprehensive information on its development process can be viewed at: www.portlandonline.com/fire/10-15plan.
PF&R's Photo of the Month
 
 (Firefighters respond to the scene of a pin-in vehicle accident at the intersection of SE 122nd & Division St.)

On November 21, 2010, Firefighters from Stations 7, 11, and 30 responded to a pin-in vehicle accident.  November's photo of the month shows firefighters working together to extricate and provide medical attention to the driver of this car.

In This Issue
Inside PF&R's Station 9
PF&R Releases 2010-2015 Strategic Plan
PF&R's Photo of the Month
Emergency Response Statistics
Winter Heating Safety Tips
In Memory of Firefighter Frank Cleys
About PF&R
Emergency Response Statistics (October 2010)

Total Incidents:                                   6,348
Medical:                                     5,023
Fire:                                           202
Other:                                        1,123
Major Fires:                                21
Chimney,  Fireplace, and Woodstove Safety Tips

 

As the weather turns cold and home heating systems warm up, many Portlanders also fire up woodstoves and fireplaces - not just for warmth, but for the seasonal smells and dancing flames.

 

Portland Fire & Rescue would like to remind you about some basic maintenance and safety precautions that will reduce the hazards of chimney, wood stove, and fireplace fires.

 

*  Have all fuel-burning equipment and chimneys inspected by a professional each year.

 

*  Burn only seasoned, dry wood.

 

*  Keep the doors of your wood stove and the screen on your fireplace closed unless you are loading or stoking a live fire.

 

*  Keep children and pets away from fireplaces and hot metal.   

 

*  Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from the house and anything that can burn. 

 

Portland Fire & Rescue also reminds you to call 9-1-1 if you suspect that you have a chimney or roof fire.  People inside are often unaware a chimney fire has started.  
In Memory of Firefighter Frank Cleys

On May 4, 2010, retired Portland Firefighter Frank Cleys passed away at age 84.  Frank was not only a dedicated firefighter, but the kind of man who was described by those who knew him as "one of the greatest men I ever knew."

 

Firefighter Cleys was born in Portland in May 1926. He graduated from Gresham High School in 1945 and then attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, achieving a Bachelor of Science degree.  After college, he then served as a staff sergeant in the US Army and then joined the ranks of Portland Fire & Rescue in October 1953.  He retired in April 1988 after serving the citizens of Portland for nearly 35 years.

 

In the early 1960's Frank built and ran a small restaurant across from David Douglas High School called "The Thistle", which served milkshakes, hot dogs, and hamburgers.  His son Tracy, a Captain at Portland Fire Station 15 and 20-year-veteran of Portland Fire & Rescue, remembers that his dad would buy a David Douglas yearbook each year because he knew the students so well.

 

For many years, a mentally challenged man named Junior would ride his bike in the North Portland area to visit Stations 8, 13, and 24, where Cleys worked.  Junior always greeted the crews with the phrase "you owe me money", to which they would reply "no, you owe me money".  Then Junior would laugh and pretend to write a check.

 

When Junior's mother became unable to care for him, Frank took the step of becoming Junior's guardian.  Until Junior's death, Frank took him to doctor appointments and cared for him.  Captain Steve Nyquist of Portland's Station 25 recalls that Frank had a huge heart.  He spent a lot of time at David Douglas High School sporting events and always took Junior with him. 

 

In later years, Frank was known by the neighborhood children for always having a sack of Brachs candies with him, which he handed out to the delighted kids.  When the neighborhood kids saw Frank's car pull up the kids would come running.  

 

On the night before he died, Cleys celebrated his 84th birthday surrounded by his family and with an old favorite - strawberry ice cream.  Firefighter Frank Cleys was a man who dedicated his life to helping people - through his work as a firefighter and enriching the lives of those in his community.  Frank is missed by many life-long friends at Portland Fire & Rescue.
About Us
 
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) is the largest fire agency and emergency medical service provider in the State of Oregon with 755 employees and serves a population of 582,000.  In 2009, PF&R responded to 69,000 emergency incidents, consistently demonstrating our commitment to be Always Ready, Always There for the citizens of Portland.
 
Portland Fire & Rescue
55 SW Ash
Portland, Oregon 97204
503-823-3700
 
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