Women firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue and other metro-area fire agencies will teach and supervise a 3-day fire training camp specifically for young women ages 16 to 19.  The goals of Fire Camp are to instill confidence and build leadership and team skills in young women and to provide an opportunity to try firefighting through hands-on training. 

The application period for Fire Camp 2011 will

open on

April 4th. 

Fire Camp 2011 will be held June 24, 25, and 26, 2011 at Portland Fire & Rescue's Training & Safety Facility located at 4800 NE 122nd Avenue in Portland, Oregon.  Applications will be available at: www.portlandonline.com/firecamp on April 4th.

Station 2 is located at 4800 N.E.  122^nd Ave in Parkrose, on Portland Fire & Rescues Training Center Campus.  Station 2 houses an engine and a truck.  The emergency response area that Station 2 covers borders the Columbia River to the north, I-84 to the south, encompasses Portland International Airport to the west, and the City of Gresham to the East. 

What makes Station 2 extremely unique is its commitment to excellence in training new firefighters (recruits).  Once a recruit makes it through Portland Fire's Training Academy, also located on Station 2's campus, they move to Station 2. There, they go through the final 12 weeks of hands-on training on the engine and 12 weeks on the truck. During this time, they respond to live calls as well as participate in numerous drills at the training center. 

Resources available at Station 2's Training Center allow recruits to utilize a six story drill-tower, a two story Class-A burn building, fire apparatus and equipment, and other training props on five acres.

The goal of training at Station 2 is to prepare new recruits to properly handle the dangers and responsibilities of being a firefighter.  During training at Station 2, recruits are expected to start thinking on their own and "outside the box."  Recruits are given complex situations on the drill ground that require thinking and reaction on their part as they utilize their solid base of fundamentals learned while at the Training Academy. 

As an officer or trainer at Station 2, there are advantages and challenges unlike those at other fire stations.  Station 2 allows you to work with a wide variety of people.  Located in the center of the Training Academy, Station 2 works with the most experienced firefighters and the least.  Training Captain Mark Kaiel finds it to be one of his best assignments in 22 years and especially finds fulfillment in the opportunity to teach.  "It is very rewarding to turn a crew with no experience into successful firefighters," said Kaiel.

On March 4th, firefighters from NE Portland's Station 13 participated in Mascot Night at the Portland Winterhawks hockey game.  Prior the game at Portland's Rose Garden, Lieutenant Jason Kelly and his crew from Truck 13 handed out hundreds of red plastic firefighter helmets to the Winterhawks' littlest fans and posed for photos with families.