TVF&R Blog » Events

West Linn Fire Station Hosts Hundreds During Parade

Brian Barker — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:14:17 +0000

Hundreds of people turned out to watch the West Linn Holiday Parade on Saturday, and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue was lucky enough to give Santa a lift. Santa rode aboard one of two TVF&R antique fire engines that led the parade. The two engines, built in 1918 and 1931 are meticulously maintained by TVF&R’s volunteer firefighters.

After the parade more than 500 people visited the Willamette Fire Station, where kids could visit Santa and firefighters served cookies, hot chocolate and hot cider.

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

Brian Barker — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:36:41 +0000

Photo Courtesy DEA

If you have expired or unused prescription drugs in your home, this weekend is your opportunity to dispose of them safely. In an ongoing effort to fight prescription-drug abuse by adults and teenagers in the United States, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled Saturday, Oct. 29 as a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

More than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to a 2009 survey from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Partnership for a Drug Free America also reports that about 2,500 teens use prescription medications to get high for the first time. Studies show that people who abuse these types of drugs get them by raiding the medicine cabinets of their friends and family members.

To keep unused or unwanted prescription drugs out of the hands of drug abusers, on Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., people can safely throw away their unused prescription drugs at designated collection sites around the country.

You can drop off your prescription drugs in TVF&R’s service area at the following locations:

Aloha High School – 18550 SW Kinnaman Road, Aloha
Beaverton City Hall – 4755 SW Griffith Dr., Beaverton
Sherwood Police Department - 20495 SW Borchers Dr., Sherwood
Tigard City Hall – 13125 SW Hall Blvd, Tigard
Tualatin Police Department – 8650 SW Tualatin Rd., Tualatin
West Linn Police Department – 22825 Willamette Dr, West Linn
Wilsonville Public Works Building - 30000 SW Town Center Loop East, Wilsonville

Fire Station Open House

vattimol — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 06:47:44 +0000

Today was a fun and educational day at the Station 69 Open House on Cooper Mountain! Over 200 friends and neighbors stopped by to enjoy cookies and punch, tour the station, and check out a variety of apparatus!

Fire Station Open House!

vattimol — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:41:38 +0000

TVF&R will be hosting an Open House at the Cooper Mountain Fire Station!

We invite you to join us for station tours, equipment & antique displays, safety education, and fun for the whole family!

Saturday, October 1, 2011
1:00 – 4:00 pm
TVF&R Fire Station 69
9940 SW 175th Avenue
Aloha, Oregon
(map)

TVF&R Remembers September 11th, 2001

Brian Barker — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:53:57 +0000

This weekend, the men and women of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue took a few moments to remember those who gave their lives 10 years ago on September 11th, 2001. Firefighters lowered flags to half staff early Sunday morning and participated in a moment of silence. You can watch a video of the moment of silence above.

Sunday afternoon, firefighters from TVF&R’s Stations 57, 58 and 59 took part in a moving tribute at West Linn’s Willamette Park. The event, organized by a private citizen, drew more than 100 spectators, West Linn Mayor John Kovash, the West Linn City Council, and Senator Ron Wyden. During the brief ceremony, a wreath was dropped into the water from Boat 59 as a bell tolled for those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. After the ceremony, citizens placed flowers in the water and had a chance to talk with West Linn’s firefighters and police officers.

Sherwood Community Services Fair

vattimol — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:19:42 +0000

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and the City of Sherwood will host the annual Sherwood Community Services Fair on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Sherwood Fire Station located at 15440 SW Oregon Street.

This free event will feature fun activities and displays for the whole family including gator rides, backhoe digging, squirting water from a fire hose, police vehicles, fire vehicles, a helicopter landing, and more! There will also be educational information from several public and non-profit agencies on crime prevention, fire and life safety, recycling and conservation, senior services, schools, health care, etc. In addition, kids can enter to win a fire engine ride (engine ride open to Sherwood residents only). Free lunch will also be provided (while it lasts). Come join in the fun!

Hundreds Attend Sherwood Community Services Fair

Brian Barker — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:57:49 +0000

Kids had a chance to squirt water from one of many pieces of TVF&R equipment parked outside Station 33.

Station 33's apparatus bay was lined with booths from various organizations that serve Sherwood.

TVF&R’s Sherwood Fire Station 33 was an exciting place for families this past Saturday. Kids had the opportunity to squirt water from a fire hose, crawl through a helicopter and sit in an armored Sheriff’s Office vehicle during the 11th annual Sherwood Community Services Fair. More than 800 people descended upon TVF&R’s fire station between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for the event, one of the biggest crowds in the Fair’s history.

“This is a great opportunity to connect with the community,” said Station 33′s Captain Dan Atkisson, “we want to get to know the people we serve, and while they’re here we hope they learn something about all of the great organizations that serve the citizens of Sherwood.”

Visitors to the station had a chance to visit booths and talk to representatives from TVF&R, Sherwood School District, Sherwood Planning Department, Sherwood Library, Sherwood Police Department, Sherwood Emergency Management, YMCA, Clean Water Services, Pride Disposal, Life Flight, MetroWest Ambulance, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

TVF&R Conducts Training Burns on Bull Mountain

Brian Barker — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Dozens of TVF&R firefighters are training with live fire, real smoke and burning homes in the Bull Mountain area of Washington County this month. The homes are owned by a developer who planned to tear the homes down and replace them.

An engine company prepares to make entry into the training structure

Although firefighters are frequently exposed to live fire during both emergencies and training, this opportunity is unique. Firefighters are taking part in compartment fire behavior training (CFBT), which allows them to study how fire, heat and smoke move through a structure as a fire develops and then practice safely cooling the air and extinguishing the flames.

During CFBT exercises, firefighters encounter situations which resemble the stage of fire development they’re frequently faced with when they arrive at a burning building: grey/black smoke is drifting from a building and inside heavy smoke fills the air, leaving a cooler, safer layer of air near the floor. Firefighters practice proper door entry and gas cooling techniques as they locate and extinguish the fire.

Smoke pours from the open door of the training structure. Note the layer of "good" air near the floor.

Firefighter instructors have prepared the homes so that they can burn each structure one room at a time, allowing them to set and put out multiple fires and cycle dozens of firefighters through each home.

When firefighters are done with their CFBT drills in each home, TVF&R prepares it to be burned to the ground in a controlled and safe manner. Before the homes are burned, firefighters ensure that the flames will not spread to any surrounding structures.

These final “burn-downs” are used as training for both veteran and probationary firefighters and provide a valuable opportunity to observe fire behavior and smoke conditions in a burning structure.

: Firefighters from Engine 35 man a hose line during a burn-down.

Training in the Bull Mountain area will continue throughout the month of April. You can see more of our photos by clicking here.

TVF&R Looking for Volunteer Firefighters

Brian Barker — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:33:35 +0000

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue is looking for a few good men and women who are willing to donate their time and help serve their community as volunteer firefighters for our Core Volunteer program. This exciting opportunity gives members of the general public the chance to give back to their community by protecting their neighbors and helping to educate fellow citizens about fire and medical safety.

TVF&R has one of the largest and most active volunteer fire departments in the state. Volunteers help paid firefighters by staffing rehabilitation units at major incidents and cover fire stations when paid firefighters are assigned elsewhere. They participate in fire and EMS related drills year round and play an active role in the District’s public education program.

This year, TVF&R has made some changes to its program. TVF&R now offers two facets to its volunteer program, the “Core” program and the “Auxiliary” program.

Core volunteers will be trained to respond to emergencies. They will have to attend the Volunteer Fire Academy, attain an EMT-Basic certification and attend weekly drills.

Auxiliary volunteers are NON-emergency response volunteers. They work as a part of our dedicated team of professionals. Auxiliary volunteers may work once or twice a week or even a few times each year, depending on their area of interest and commitment. Duties include community service and public education. They will participate in community events such as parades, educational booths and community events.

All volunteers must be 18 years old, be a high school graduate or have an equivalent certificate, pass a criminal background check and live within TVF&R’s service area.

Currently, TVF&R is recruiting only for the Core program.

Want to learn more? Check out our program online at: http://www.tvfr.com/careers/volunteer.aspx

Meet our Volunteers

Mike Berry

Mike Berry spends his days wearing a tie and working as a benefits consultant for a major company in TVF&R’s service area. “But I’ve always admired firefighters,” Berry adds, “so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

Berry started as a volunteer three years ago after learning about TVF&R’s program through a business relationship. Berry had no previous fire or medical experience. “I wanted to give back to my community,” Berry says, “and frankly, it’s just a whole lot of fun.”

Berry is part of the Core Volunteer program. He spends most Tuesday nights drilling with fellow volunteers and responds to fires, where he helps rehabilitate firefighters.

“Being in the business world I could be on the board of directors or finance committee for all kinds of organizations,” Berry says, “but this is a way to give back that’s more hands on. I get to help the everyday citizen, and that’s why I do it.”

Jeff Baker

Jeff Baker has dreamed of being a firefighter ever since he was a young boy. Today, he helps staff Engine 362 and wears a TVF&R uniform in his free time while juggling two jobs, one at a call center for a phone company and the other at the auto detail shop he owns.

“This is a dream for me,” Baker says as he walks around Engine 362, “I always knew this is what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

Baker and the other TVF&R volunteers respond to major fires and incidents staffing “rehab units,” which help firefighters rehydrate and cool off after working on an incident. He and the other volunteers occasionally act as back-up firefighters when paid firefighters are assigned to other calls outside of their station’s neighborhoods.

“Volunteering gives me a really a great feeling,” Baker says, “I like going to community events and teaching the public about fire safety.”

Baker attended his first fire academy elsewhere, but says his best training came from TVF&R’s volunteer academy. He’s now applying for full-time firefighting jobs.

“Someday, I want to be a full time paid firefighter for TVF&R,” Baker says, “in the mean-time it’s great to give back to my community as a volunteer.”

To learn more about becoming a TVF&R volunteer, click here.

Open House Scheduled at TVF&R’s Newest Fire Station

Brian Barker — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:35:23 +0000

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue invites you to an open house celebration at our newest fire station, the Willamette Fire Station in West Linn. Also called Fire Station 59, the station officially opened for business at the beginning of March. The open house will be an opportunity for the community to explore the new building and meet their firefighters.

Event Details:

• When: Saturday, April 3rd from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

• Where: Fire Station 59, 1860 Willamette Falls Drive, West Linn.

• What you’ll see: Visitors to the Willamette Station will get to tour the new building, meet our firefighters, and learn about what we do. You’ll be able to see our fire apparatus and our water rescue equipment.

More about Fire Station 59:

In addition to responding to fire, medical and rescue incidents, firefighters at Station 59 respond to a significant number of motor vehicle accidents on Interstate 205, as well as water emergencies in Clackamas County.

The station is home to a daily engine company crew of four firefighters and the District’s Water Rescue Team. The 12,260 square foot building includes sleeping rooms, a kitchen, physical fitness area, an office, a large apparatus and storage bay, and a community room.

The new station replaces an older fire station that was too small for current fire apparatus and was not seismically stable. During construction, firefighters from Fire Station 59 worked out of a temporary fire station located directly behind the old structure. With the temporary station being located so close to the former location, incident response times were not affected during construction.

The Willamette Station was constructed to survive a major earthquake and is large enough to accommodate today’s modern fire apparatus. It also allows the District’s Water Rescue Team to keep its water rescue vehicle hooked up to Boat 59, dramatically improving the team’s response time.

The station is also energy efficient and designed to meet a certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The building incorporates extensive use of natural light, solar panels to preheat water, on-demand water heaters, rain-water capture for toilets, use of low emission and recycled construction materials and high-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling systems.

The $2.26 million station was designed with extensive public input. TVF&R participated in over 40 public meetings with neighborhood associations, historical resource advisory groups, the Planning Commission, and the West Linn City Council detailing plans for reconstructing fire stations in West Linn.

Fire Station 59 is one of two TVF&R stations to be built in West Linn. TVF&R is also building a new fire station in the Bolton neighborhood to replace the aging Fire Station 58. Both projects are paid for by bonds approved by 68.6% of voters in November 2006. The $77.5 million general obligation bond pays for capital improvements across the District and is expected to improve and maintain TVF&R’s response to emergency incidents.

Finally, the Willamette Fire Station incorporates an important part of West Linn firefighting history: A historic bell that called firefighters to action for half a century now sits atop the new building for all to see.