TVF&R is investigating a fire in a bathroom at West Linn High School. One staff member at the school was transported to Willamette Falls Hospital to be evaluated after inhaling smoke.
Firefighters from TVF&R’s Bolton Station 58 were dispatched to West Linn High School at 11:01 after a fire was reported in the bathroom. Firefighters arrived to find the school evacuated and smoke in the building. Firefighters quickly made their way to the bathroom and ensured that the fire was out while other firefighters evaluated one employee who had inhaled smoke while extinguishing the fire. The employee was transported to Willamette Falls Hospital for precautionary reasons.
Firefighters determined that the fire did not spread to the rest of the building. It took more than an hour for firefighters from TVF&R and Clackamas Fire to successfully clear smoke from the building using fans and the building’s HVAC system.
A TVF&R investigator is working with West Linn Police to determine the cause of the fire.
On January 23rd, TVF&R’s Board of Directors and Deputy Fire Chief Dustin Morrow recognized Catlin Gabel High School student, Anne Gilleland, and her robotics team coach, Dale Yocum, for their recent work to resuscitate TVF&R’s Robbie the Robot. The fire hydrant mascot had been used for decades at community events to help children learn about fire safety. However, in recent years, Robbie’s 1980′s technology no longer worked, and he faced the fate of being recycled. (New animated hydrants cost $5,000 or more, so TVF&R had no budget to replace Robbie.)
Last fall, Anne and Dale put their robotics knowledge to work and were able to locate hard-to-find parts, install new drive belts, and fix corroded connections. Once Robbie was running again, Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Lee gave him a complete makeover which included new paint.
The Catlin Gabel Robotics Team, also known as the Flaming Chickens, are active year-round and compete in contests locally, regionally, nationally and globally. During competition season, students spend as much as six hours per day working on software, fabrication, and control systems for robots.
Thank you Anne and Dale for resuscitating our old friend, Robbie! We look forward to using him for many years in our fire safety program.
Investigators continue to conduct witness interviews, examine evidence, and analyze burn patterns to determine what caused an early morning fire that destroyed four cars, damaged six additional cars, and caused heat damage to the siding of a nearby building.
Just after 2 a.m. this morning, several frantic callers living in the Hallwood Apartments in Beaverton described a fiery scene outside their windows. While 9-1-1 dispatchers attempted to calm them and provided safety instructions, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to the blazing carport that was threatening the three-story building nearby. Fire crews split up to evacuate residents and contain the mass of burning vehicles and the collapsing roof.
Though the firefighters’ aggressive fire attack wasn’t able to save some of the vehicles, they kept the fire from spreading to the apartment building where dozens of residents could have been harmed or displaced. Additional firefighter paramedics and ambulances from Metro West were staged nearby in case anyone was hurt, but fortunately none of the residents or emergency responders suffered injuries. All of the residents were able to return to their homes.
There is no damage estimate at this time, and fire investigators have narrowed the area of the fire’s origin to a recycling and trash containment area.
Since 1995, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has responded to at least 1200 apartment fires in which:
•18 tenants have died
•50 tenants have been injured
•Over 550 tenants displaced, and
•Millions of dollars in property damage has occurred
To reduce these devastating fires, TVF&R has a Multi-Family Housing Fire Reduction Program. This innovative, multi-faceted program offers resources and training for landlords, property owners, and tenants in hopes of keeping their apartment community safer from fire. Visit the Fire District’s web site for more safety tips for landlords or tenants.
Heavy rain has resulted in standing water on roads and highways and concerns about rivers, creeks, and culverts flooding. This morning Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews responded to several crashes in which the standing water may have been to blame. With heavy rains expected throughout the week and weekend, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue’s Water Rescue Team advises the following tips for your safety:
Slow down. Rain decreases visibility and increases stopping distances.
Drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles must remember that they are not immune from hydroplaning on wet surfaces. SUVs are just as likely to lose traction as any other vehicle.
Do not walk or drive through flooded areas. Less than six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
Motorists should heed all “Road Closed” signs and not attempt to cross any standing or moving water that looks more than a few inches deep. It doesn’t take much water to cause a car’s engine to stall or cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. Cars, including heavy trucks, can get swept away in less than two feet of swift water.
If flood waters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground, if you can do so safely.
Individuals concerned about localized flooding near their home or business are reminded that sandbags are available at various sites in Washington and Clackamas County. To see a list of sites, visit TVF&R’s website at www.tvfr.com or www.tvfr.com/safetytips/emer_prep/Sandbags.aspx.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue’s Water Rescue Team is based in West Linn at Fire Station 59. The team consists of 12 firefighters who are stationed permanently at that station, and six additional associate team members. The team responds as part of the Clackamas County Water Rescue Consortium consisting of several fire departments and sheriff offices that protect the water ways in the tri-county area. Team members excel in swift water rescue, advanced boat operations, and (SCUBA) dive support. TVF&R’s team utilizes various tools to perform its tasks including a 23 ft. Motion Marine jet boat.
3 adults and their 3 dogs are without a home this afternoon after a fast moving fire gutted their manufactured home in Washington County. A neighbor called 911 just after 12:30 pm reporting seeing flames inside a residence at 17725 SW Independence Way. Firefighters en route to the call could see a large column of smoke as they approached.
Upon arrival, firefighters worked quickly to search the home and look for anyone inside while additional arriving firefighters attacked the flames and established a water supply. No one was inside the home. Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue were assisted by firefighters from Hillsboro Fire and Rescue as they worked quickly to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to surrounding homes.
No one was injured. The fire’s cause is under investigation.
Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue quickly extinguished a fire at a home in Aloha, despite the fact that flames had spread into the attic. No one was injured.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene after a nearby resident called 911 reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from 3115 SW 170th Avenue in Aloha. Firefighters from TVF&R Station 67 arrived minutes later to find 20 foot flames coming from the roof of a one story home. They quickly forced their way into the home and determined that no one was inside. It appeared that the house was vacant. As more firefighters arrived at the scene, firefighters pulled hose lines and began attacking the flames. Within minutes, firefighters had extinguished the bulk of the fire and began working to knock down hot spots.
As water from fire operations began to pool on 170th Avenue, it began to freeze and the roadway became very slick. A battalion chief on scene called for a Washington County sanding truck to make the road safe for driving.
A team of TVF&R fire investigators is working to determine the cause of the fire.
An old wood stove ignited a large stack of newspapers and magazines in a wicker basket and caused this morning’s fire at a winery in Sherwood. A TVF&R investigator made the determination this afternoon after examining the scene of the fire on Ladd Hill Road and interviewing people involved with the business. The investigator estimates the damage at $225,000. No one was injured, but unfortunately two cats perished in the fire.
Firefighters were called to the business at 27015 SW Ladd Hill Road near Sherwood at 1:20 a.m. Friday and encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from a large metal building. The building was separated into three sections and one of those sections, containing a wine tasting room, was fully engulfed. Despite a lack of fire hydrants in the area, firefighters were able to aggressively attack the flames and keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the structure.
After a thorough investigation of the scene and extensive interviews, a TVF&R investigator has determined that the fire started because combustibles were stacked too close to a wood stove. A wicker basket had been packed full of newspapers and magazines and was placed next to the stove.
”It is so important that people remember to keep anything that can burn three feet away from any stove, heater, baseboard heater, fireplace or anything else you might use to stay warm,” says TVF&R Public Information Officer Brian Barker, “this is a good reminder to check your home or business. Look for any furniture, paper, wood or other combustibles that may be close to whatever you use to heat your home.”
TVF&R offers the following tips on the safe use of heating sources:
If using a fireplace or woodstove, check to ensure the flue is unobstructed and the damper is open. Always use a tight-fitting fireplace screen or glass doors to contain burning embers.
Keep a close eye on your fire and keep it manageable. A fire that grows too large and hot can result in a chimney fire. Also, ensure your fire is extinguished before going to bed or leaving your home.
Never use gasoline or lighter fluid to start a fire.
Keep combustible materials (Christmas tree, furniture, paper, etc.) at least three feet away from fireplaces, woodstoves, and all heating devices.
Ashes can rekindle and start a fire. Wait several days before cleaning out your fireplace or woodstove or dispose of ashes in a metal container with a lid, placed outside your home.
Candles are a fire hazard – use only flashlights, battery-operated lanterns, and light sticks as emergency lighting in your home.
Never use outdoor equipment including propane or kerosene heaters or charcoal barbecues inside a home due to the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that claims hundreds of lives every year.
Gas-fueled generators must be used outside in a well-ventilated area to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully before using a generator.
Check your smoke alarms to ensure they are working and install a carbon monoxide detector as a precaution.
TVF&R has extinguished a fast moving fire in a large metal garage type building near Sherwood. No one was injured.
Firefighters were dispatched to 27015 SW Ladd Hill Road at 1:20 am after a resident called 911 reporting a fire in an out building on his property. Firefighters arrived to find large flames shooting from a metal building containing a wine tasting room and garage.
Although there are no fire hydrants in the area, a rapid, well planned effort to attack the flames and shuttle water to the scene allowed firefighters to stop the fire before it spread beyond the building’s wine tasting room. The fire scene was made more dangerous for firefighters this morning because ice formed anywhere water collected. Fortunately no one was injured. Sadly, a cat belonging to the property owner perished.
The cause of tonight’s fire is under investigation.
Roughly 40 firefighters, including TVF&R volunteers and water tenders from Washington County Fire District 2 and Newberg responded to the fire.
TVF&R extricated one female patient from a rolled over SUV on Highway 217 northbound at Greenburg Road this evening. She was transported to OHSU with non life threatening injuries.
Firefighters from TVF&R’s Tigard Station 51 were dispatched to a two vehicle rollover crash this evening at 5:10 p.m. Police officers who arrived on scene reported that two SUVs had rolled over and at least one patient was trapped inside her vehicle. Because of the multiple vehicles and patients involved, a TVF&R Battalion Chief upgraded the response to a 2nd Alarm Medical call. The 2nd alarm brings more firefighters and extrication equipment to the scene.
When firefighters arrived, they quickly worked to ensure the scene was safe and then determine the number of patients and the severity of their injuries. They found one patient with minor injuries and another who was trapped in her vehicle. The female driver of the vehicle was extricated from her vehicle and transported to OHSU by Metro West Ambulance with non life threatening injuries.
Highway 217 northbound was closed at Greenburg Road for more than an hour.
TVF&R dispatched multiple fire units to the scene in order to quickly and efficiently care for the injured and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
“On a crash scene such as this, there are many tasks that are performed simultaneously by firefighter/paramedics,” says TVF&R Public Information Officer Brian Barker, “they’re working to treat injured patients, stabilize the vehicle so it doesn’t pose a hazard to the patients inside or the firefighters working around the vehicles, extricate the patients from vehicles and monitoring potential hazards like fire, traffic, downed power lines.”
TVF&R’s paramedics and EMTs frequently respond to incidents like the crash this evening. Approximately 80% of TVF&R’s calls for service are medical emergencies. Over 60% of our responders are Paramedics who can administer many of the same procedures and medications found in an emergency room, including intravenous drugs, advanced airway procedures and sophisticated cardiac monitors that can ‘shock’ a heart back to life.
Tigard Police are investigating the cause of tonight’s crash.
TVF&R Paramedic Conrad Brettschneider and Paramedic/AO Todd Raeburn present certificates to Dale and Jennifer Cook (center) for saving the life of Gerald Hassle (right, in white shirt)
Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue had a rare chance last night to publicly thank two bystanders who helped save a life by performing CPR. The firefighters recognized Dale and Jennifer Cook at Monday night’s West Linn City Council meeting for coming to the aid of delivery truck driver Gerald Hassle.
Hassle was driving his FedEx truck down Oregon Highway 43 on October 14th, 2011 when he suffered cardiac arrest. Dale Cook, an off duty Clackamas Fire District firefighter, and his wife watched as the FedEx truck rolled across the highway, crashed through a retaining wall and stopped in front of a home. The Cooks stopped their car and ran to help Hassle, who was slumped over in his seat. The Cooks pulled Hassle from his truck and began CPR until firefighters from TVF&R’s Bolton Station 58 arrived.
“This is why everyone should learn CPR,” said TVF&R Apparatus Operator and Paramedic Todd Raeburn, who responded to the call aboard Engine 58, “it’s simple, learn Hands Only CPR and you can save a life just like this couple did.”
“CPR saved my life,” says cardiac arrest survivor Gerald Hassle, “I am so grateful to the Cooks for knowing what to do.”
Hassle's FedEx truck. The Cooks pulled Hassle from the truck and performed CPR on the driveway until TVF&R arrived. Photo Courtesy West Linn Police
Both police officers and firefighters rushed to the scene as the Cooks performed CPR. West Linn Police often respond with TVF&R to cardiac related medical calls and several of their police cars carry AEDs. “This is a great example of firefighters and police officers working together to help citizens when seconds count,” says TVF&R Division Chief Brian Sherrard. “Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Cook’s quick actions, their effective use of CPR, and a quick response from police and firefighters, Mr. Hassle is alive today.”
Each year in the U.S., approximately 400,000 people die of unexpected sudden cardiac death before reaching a hospital or in a hospital emergency room. Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responds to more than 1,000 cardiac related calls every year. Over the past several years survival rates for cardiac arrest in TVF&R’s service area have ranged between 10 and 22 percent, surpassing the national average. TVF&R believes our survival rates are higher in part because local 911 dispatchers were some of the first in the region to instruct callers to perform Hands Only CPR. Other factors include quick calls to 911, the fact that TVF&R is an Advanced Life Support provider, and the increasing availability of automatic external defibrillators in the area.
Research shows that individuals still have ample air in the lungs and blood, and Hands-Only CPR keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the brain, heart, and other organs until emergency responders arrive and take over.
“Virtually anyone can perform Hands Only CPR,” says TVF&R Paramedic Todd Raeburn, “if you see someone collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast at the center of the person’s chest until help arrives.”
To learn more about heart attacks and cardiac arrest, visit http://tvfr.com.
You can also visit http://handsonlycpr.org to learn about Hands Only CPR. The website includes video tutorials that will help you and your family understand the basics of performing CPR.
