Issue No. 21October 2011
Inside PF&R's Station 29

13310 SE Foster Rd.

 


Serving the Powellhurst-Gilbert and Pleasant Valley Neighborhood Associations, Portland Fire Station 29 is located on the southeast boundaries of the City of Portland.  It covers an area from 111th on the west, to the City of Gresham on the east, Powell Blvd. on the north, and the Clackamas County line on the south.

  

The station was completely remodeled in July 2003.  All personnel now have individual bedrooms, improved bathrooms, and seismic upgrades were completed.

  

The apparatus housed at Station 29 consist of an engine, a brush unit with a 200 gallon water tank, and ATV's that are used throughout the city and placed strategically near Powell Butte, which is an area of the city that is susceptible to wildfire. 

 

Station 29's Fire Management Area (FMA) is comprised of mostly residential properties.  Due to infill in the last five years, the population they serve has increased.  This station averages around 2,000 emergency response calls each year.

  

In February 2009, Portland Fire launched the station-based utility incentive program.  Under the program, the six winning stations with the highest percentage of energy savings could use a reward of up to 50% of their savings to purchase items for their station.  Station 29 won the competition this year with an 18.2% energy savings over the previous year!

  

One firefighter, who has been nicknamed "Mother Earth Mariya", explains that firefighters installed a device this past year so that when the station's garage doors go up to go out on a call, the heaters in the apparatus bay go off.  In addition, the attitude of all the firefighters who work at this station is to be energy efficient.

  

Station 29 is a busy and growing station that straddles a number of borders of our city and county and proudly serves the residents of SE Portland.
New Items On Display at the Belmont Firehouse
The Jeff Morris Foundation brought a great artifact home to Portland Fire in September - a leather helmet and parade belt from Tiger Engine Company #5. These items are particularly rare since Tiger only existed from 1873 until 1883 when PF&R became a paid fire department. Tiger was formed as a result of the big fire on December 22, 1872 and Black Saturday of August 2, 1873.

This helmet and belt were discovered by Jeff Bancroft who brought them to the bureau's attention. The Jeff Morris Foundation made the purchase and has donated them to Portland Fire & Rescue. This is an unusual purchase for the foundation because they don't really have funds to make such acquisitions; however, the rarity of these items made them a justifiable expense.  Stop by the Belmont Firehouse at SE 35th & Belmont to take a tour of the learning center and see these new additions to PF&R's history.
PF&R Attends Oregon 
Small Business Fair 
OSBF 
Fire Inspector Pete DelVal represented PF&R at the 18th Annual Oregon Small Business Fair on September 24, 2011. At the event, Pete handed out information pamphlets and answered a variety of inspection related questions for small business owners and those who are considering opening a small business.
 
Many fair-goers ask the question, "Why is Portland Fire at a small business fair?"  That's exactly what DelVal wants them to ask.  Doing so gives him the opportunity to explain why it is important to consider fire and building codes when renting, leasing, or purchasing a space for your small business.  This was a great opportunity for PF&R personnel to have face to face conversations with the community and Pete is looking into other similar events that PF&R can attend in the future.
Station 13 Teams Up with Radio Disney
 Disney 1
On Saturday, October 1st, Lt. Tim Matthews and Firefighters Alex, Sally, and Gabriel joined a crowd of excited tween-aged Radio Disney fans at the Lloyd Center for some dancing, fun and games.  This was an excellent opportunity to slip some key fire safety information to the young fans.  Lt. Matthews and his crew were invited up on stage to talk with the kids about fire safety.  They emphasized the importance of knowing your address and when to call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.  The theme of this event was "Celebrating Heroes".  It was fitting that our heroes had to head straight from a North Portland fire to the event, where they participated for a brief time before being called to another emergency.

Disney 2

Portland Fire's Public Information Officer Paul Corah spent additional time with Radio Disney fans this month.  Last week he was in the Radio Disney studio with DJ Jessica and 9-year-old radio guests Elizabeth and Hannah, to tape the "Things You Should Know Show" and answer questions about fire safety.  This segment aired on Sunday, October 16th for Fire Prevention Week.  
In This Issue
New Items At Belmont
Small Business Fair
Radio Disney
Station 31 Open House
Monthly Statistics
Suicide Awareness
Halloween Safety Tips
Station 31 Open House
 
Join Portland Fire & Rescue and Gresham Fire & Emergency Services on Saturday, October 22nd from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm as we dedicate new Fire Station 31 to the SE Portland and Gresham communities. 
 
Station 31, Portland Fire's busiest station, responds to over 3,800 calls for service each year.  This station has been completely rebuilt to withstand a seismic event under a bond measure passed by voters in 1998 and is ready to continue serving for many years to come. 
 
Dedication will be at 10:00 am followed by refreshments and station tours.
Emergency Response Statistics (Sept.  2011)

Total Incidents:                        5,732
Medical:                                   4,514
Fire:                                            306
Other:                                         912
Portland Fire Raises Awareness of Suicide
 
Every year, Portland Firefighters respond to a number of calls of suicides.  In an effort to raise awareness of this growing community-wide problem, Portland Fire, Portland Police, Multnomah County Sheriff's and Oregon Partnership held a suicide awareness and prevention press conference on October 13th at Waterfront Park. 
 
Just 10 minutes prior to the conference's start, the 57th call this year of a bridge jumper came in and firefighters rushed to the scene.  
 
If you, a friend, or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, Portland Fire & Rescue urges you to call the Oregon Partnership's Suicide Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for immediate mental health assistance and sucide intervention from a team of trained crisis workers.
Halloween Safety Tips
 
Portland Fire & Rescue wants all Portlanders to have a safe and fun Halloween this year.  Towards this effort, consider the following when planning your Halloween activities:

 

* Make sure costumes are visible and can be seen by drivers
* Carry a flashlight or glow stick
* Make sure costumes are flame resistant
* Children should always have an adult with them and stay on the sidewalk when trick-or-treating
* Cross streets only at intersections
* Keep candle-lit jack-o-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps and extinguish the flame before leaving them unattended
* Consider using flameless candles
* Do not drive in a costume that restricts movement or vision
About Us
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) is the largest fire agency in the State of Oregon with 755 employees and serves a population of 582,000.  In 2010, PF&R responded to 65,403 emergency incidents, consistently demonstrating its 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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