TVF&R Blog

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Announces New Fire Chief Mike Duyck

Brian Barker — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:34:17 +0000

: TVF&R Fire Chief Mike Duyck

This afternoon Deputy Chief Mike Duyck became Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue’s new Fire Chief at a formal ceremony in Tualatin. The ceremony included an Oath of Office administered by TVF&R Board President Bob Wyffels and an official ‘transfer of command’ in which retiring Fire Chief Jeff Johnson presented Duyck with a speaking trumpet.
For the past year Duyck has been responsible for the administration of TVF&R while Fire Chief Jeff Johnson served as President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). President Wyffels states, “It was critical that our next fire chief would ensure continuity of leadership, and take it to the next level of excellence and innovation.” Wyffels added, “We believe there is no better fire chief for TVF&R, its members, and the community we serve, than Mike Duyck.”

Chief Duyck joined Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue in 1995, after beginning a fire service career with the City of Lake Oswego in 1988. His 15 years of service with TVF&R includes all ranks in emergency services from firefighter to deputy chief, as well as logistics, fleet services, human resources, and governmental affairs. In 2010, TVF&R—under Duyck’s leadership—enhanced its deployment model when it became one of the first fire departments in the country to add Cars to its response fleet.

Retired TVF&R Fire Chief Jeff Johnson

Chief Duyck has a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Fire Business Administration, and an Associate Degree in Fire Science. He also holds numerous certifications in emergency services and is an Oregon-certified Paramedic. Chief Duyck is Chair of the IAFC Environmental Sustainability Committee and a Commission on Fire Accreditation, International (CFAI) peer assessor.

Chief Duyck also serves as Oregon Vice-President of the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and is the WFCA representative of the Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Association. He is also involved in many local and statewide fire service initiatives including urban renewal, emergency communications and dispatch, intergovernmental affairs, and interoperability.

Firefighters Move In to Bolton Fire Station 58

Brian Barker — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:06:41 +0000

Engine 58 and Heavy Brush 58 parked outside their new station

It was a historic day in the Bolton neighborhood as firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue moved in to TVF&R’s new Station 58 in West Linn. Firefighters have been responding to emergencies in the Bolton neighborhood for more than 100 years, and for more than 50 years they did so from the old Bolton Station located next door to the new building.

An old picture of Station 58

On August 25th, C-shift firefighters reported for duty for the first time at the new station and promptly began moving furniture and boxes between buildings.

Although the old fire station is historic, its structure does not meet current ADA, seismic, or a variety of District standards. The apparatus bays are too small and lack the overhead clearance and depth required to house standard District apparatus. The old location resulted in delayed response times as crews had to circle the block to access Highway 43.

The new station’s orientation and setup means crews will cut their response time by at least 30 seconds for each call. The building has space to store more critical fire apparatus, and includes a community room that will be available for local non-profit organizations to use at no charge beginning October 1st.

In November 2006, 68.6% of voters approved a $77.5 million general obligation bond for capital improvements. The projects funded by this bond are occurring throughout our entire service area and are expected to improve and maintain our response to emergency incidents.

To learn more about our capital improvement projects, visit our website at http://www.tvfr.com/aboutus/bond/Default.aspx.

TVF&R’s Bolton Station firefighters will host an open house this Fall after they move into the station. The event will be open to the public and include a ceremonial ringing of the bell.

Click here to see more photos of the new Bolton Fire Station 58 on our Facebook page.

Firefighters extinguish stubborn Tualatin house fire

peckw — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:38:32 +0000

Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Lake Oswego Fire responded to a house fire at 8685 SW Commanche in Tualatin at 2:15 PM today. First-arriving crews reported heavy fire and smoke coming from the garage and initiated an aggressive interior fire attack. They immediately encountered deep piles of household rubbish in the garage and portions of the home which contributed to the fire and made it impossible to move safely throughout the structure. The commanding officer ordered personnel out of the home and called for a transitional attack. Firefighters controlled the fire, starting outside and slowly working their way deeper into the home and garage, in approximately 35 minutes.

Four residents of the home were transported to area medical facilities, three for smoke inhalation and one with minor burns. No firefighters were injured. The Red Cross responded to the scene to assist the displaced residents. Tualatin Police personnel also assisted on-scene.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. The home was heavily damaged, but there is no dollar estimate available at this time.

TVF&R reminds homeowners of the importance of periodic household clean-ups, particularly in the garage area where hazardous and flammable materials are often stored.

Firefighters in King City Help Make a Dream Come True for 4-year-old Cooper Albright

ulvenc — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:53:44 +0000

On Friday, August 27 TVF&R firefighters from King City participated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon to grant 4-year-old Cooper Albright’s wish of being a construction worker for a day. Cooper and his family live in Tigard and met Lt. Nokes and his crew while grocery shopping. Cooper has inoperable Neuroblastoma which is a form of brain cancer; the same type of cancer Lt. Nokes’ father endured. The shared experience helped forge a bond between Cooper and the firefighters, so when Make-A-Wish organizers asked whether the firefighters could be part of the festivities, Lt. Nokes and Captain Spisla jumped at the chance. Using a reserve apparatus and Engine and Medic 35, Lt. Nokes, Boysen and Miller, as well as firefighters O ‘Keefe, Pimentel, Arias and Cone visited the Albrights’ house and gave them a ride to Pape Machinery.

Cooper loves everything about construction, so spending the day running heavy equipment was a dream come true. Of course a lot of efforts were made to convince Cooper that being a firefighter would give him a lot of opportunities to run heavy equipement.

TVF&R Firefighters Battle 3 Alarm Fire in Tigard

Brian Barker — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:03:28 +0000

Fire roars through the roof of the three story building. Photo courtesy TVF&R Division Chief Tom Clemo

More than 80 Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Lake Oswego and Portland battled a three alarm fire at a condominium complex in Tigard Tuesday evening. Three residents suffered smoke inhalation and more than a dozen residents are displaced.

UPDATE:

A TVF&R fire investigator has determined that last night’s three alarm fire at 11048 SW Greenburg Road in Tigard was caused by an improperly disposed of cigarette butt. A team of investigators interviewed more than a dozen people and meticulously picked through the charred area of origin to determine the cause.

The fire caused $500,000 in damage to the 12 unit, $1.2 million dollar condominium building. All of the units in the affected building suffered some type of damage, from light smoke damage to heavy fire and water damage.

The building is not equipped with a sprinkler system and the fire investigator was unable to locate a smoke detector in the unit where the fire started.

Residents called 9-1-1 at 7:11 p.m. reporting heavy black smoke coming from a condominium at 11048 SW Greenburg Road in Tigard. Firefighters from TVF&R’s Progress Station 53 could see a column of smoke soon after rolling out of their station. Arriving fire crews encountered a large multiple family condominium complex with dozens of residents evacuating as heavy smoke poured from the building’s second and third floor. Firefighters from Engine 53 performed a quick attack in an attempt to knock down the flames as other arriving fire companies set to work establishing a water supply and advancing on the fire.

Firefighters had to lay more than 1,000 feet of hose from the nearest fire hydrant to the fire engine in front of the burning building. As firefighters worked to search the involved condos for residents and extinguish the fire, it became apparant that the flames had burned into the building’s attic. At that point the incident commander made the decision to pull firefighters out of the affected units and attack the fire from above with the elevated master streams from Truck 51 and Truck 67. The large aerial ladders are able to pump several hundred gallons per minute and were an effective tool in stopping tonight’s fire.

It quickly became clear that, because of the nature of the fire, the amount of residents affected and the hot temperatures, more fire resources would be needed on scene. Incident commanders called for a third alarm and activated TVF&R’s Incident Management Team (IMT) which brought more firefighters and rehab units to the fire as well as logistical and victim assistance personnel.

The American Red Cross quickly responded to the scene and is working with dozens of residents who may be displaced by the fire.

Three residents suffered from smoke inhalation, two of whom were transported to a local hospital.

Firefighters Volunteer Time for Kids with Cancer

Brian Barker — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:27:16 +0000

Last Saturday was a busy day at TVF&R’s Station 67 in Beaverton, as some special kids from the Children’s Cancer Association stopped by to visit with their new friends. Two TVF&R firefighters, Robert Petracca and Zach Wiens, are mentors in the association’s Chemo Pals Program.

According to the Children’s Cancer Association, the Chemo Pal Mentor Program pairs children and teens one-to-one with compassionate adults who offer supportive relationships throughout their chemotherapy or other cancer treatments. Chemo Pals are carefully selected from a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds. They spend time with young patients in hospitals, clinics and even at home to play games, take walks, read, do art projects, share hobbies and more.

You can visit the assocation’s website here: http://www.joyrx.org/

You can see a photo gallery of the kids’ visit to Station 67 on our Facebook page by clicking here.

Firefighters Save Home in West Linn

Brian Barker — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 07:06:37 +0000

Firefighters work to get to the seat of the fire. Photo courtesy Bill Carlile.

Flames burn through the home's roof.

TVF&R firefighters stopped a fast moving roof fire from destroying a home in West Linn tonight. Neighbors called 9-1-1 just after 7:30 p.m. Friday night after seeing smoke and flames coming from the roof of a home at 6259 Bridgeview Drive. The home’s owner was inside at the time of the fire and neighbors alerted her to the fact that her roof was on fire.

Firefighters from West Linn’s Bolton Station 58 and Willamette Station 59 arrived within minutes of being dispatched and quickly got to work searching for occupants in the home and working to knock down the flames. Soon, 40 firefighters from TVF&R, TVF&R’s volunteer firefighters and the Lake Oswego Fire Department were on scene.

The fire was challenging for firefighters because much of the home’s attic space was involved. In order to extinguish the fire, firefighters pulled multiple hoses into the structure including a two and a half inch line to knock down the flames. The home suffered significant water and smoke damage to the second floor.

The American Red Cross is assisting the homeowner. No-one was injured as a result of the fire. A TVF&R investigator is working to determine the cause of the fire.

TVF&R Filling the Boot for the MDA

Brian Barker — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:00:04 +0000

Off-duty TVF&R firefighters are well on their way to their goal after raising more than $23,000 for the MDA last weekend. This Friday and Saturday, firefighters will be at it again hoping to make their goal of raising $40,000.

There are over 100 families in TVF&R’s service area receiving support from the MDA. The money that you donate to our Fill the Boot effort is dedicated to our Columbia/Willamette Chapter of the MDA. This chapter helps provide assistance for medical care expenses, specialized equipment, and other costs including MDA camp, and local support groups.

Look for our firefighters at the following locations:

Friday 8/20

7:00 – 10:00 am
Beaverton – Hwy 217 / Farmington
West Linn – 10th St/I-205

3:00 – 6:00 pm
Beaverton - Hwy 217/Farmington
Tualatin – Bridgeport Rd/I-5

Saturday 8/21

10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tualatin – Bridgeport Rd/I-5

You can also donate to the MDA on-line! Just click here. Thanks for your support!

Fire Damages Home on Crater Loop in Beaverton

Brian Barker — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:50:57 +0000

The fire caused heavy damage to the garage (below, right) and the rooms above it.

A family from Beaverton is staying with relatives tonight after a fire ripped through more than half of their home this afternoon. The fire caused significant damage to the home’s garage and two rooms directly above.

A neighbor called 9-1-1 at 2:23 p.m. reporting smoke at the residence. As firefighters from TVF&R’s Progress Fire Station 53 rolled out of their building, they could see a column of smoke rising to the west. They immediately called to upgrade the response to a full box response, bringing additional resources to the scene. Engine 53 and Medic 53 arrived four minutes later to find heavy smoke and flames pouring from the windows of the home’s second floor.

Firefighters quickly made entry into the home and verified that no-one was inside. Meanwhile, additional arriving units began working to attack the fire and ensure the safety of the firefighters who were searching the residence.

Firefighters were able to knock the fire down quickly and prevent further damage to the rest of the home. No-one was injured.

A TVF&R investigator is working to determine what caused the fire.

TVF&R Firefighters to “Fill the Boot” for MDA

Brian Barker — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:58 +0000

Quinnell Flanagan is just 11 years old, but the Sherwood Resident is holding down a busy schedule this summer as Oregon State’s Muscular Dystrophy Association Ambassador. Today Quinnell, who has muscular dystrophy, stopped by her home town fire station in Sherwood to thank firefighters for their work raising money for MDA.

For the next two Fridays and Saturdays, off-duty firefighters and family members from Tualatin Valley Firefighters Union (Local 1660) will be asking motorists to “Fill the Boot” for Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). These volunteers will be posted at several locations in TVF&R’s service area (see below schedule), asking motorists to donate cash into their firefighter boots. Last year, TVF&R firefighters raised approximately $35,000.

Quinnell Flanagan, who attends Sherwood’s Archer Glen Elementary School, has attended several Fill the Boot kickoff events with her family across the metro area. Flanagan’s parents are also involved in spreading the word about MDA. The money raised by firefighters is used by the MDA for research and treatments to prolong children’s lives. It is spent on braces and wheelchairs, on community health centers, support groups, and summer camps. The International Association of Firefighters has been a strong supporter of MDA since 1954.

Individuals unable to visit a “Fill the Boot” intersection can donate on-line at www.tvfr.com or at any TVF&R office or fire station. Checks should be made out to MDA.

Off duty firefighters will be standing on street-corners across the metro area accepting donations to MDA. The locations within TVF&R’s service area are listed below.

Friday 8/13 and Friday 8/20

7:00 – 10:00 am
Beaverton – Hwy 217 / Farmington
West Linn – 10th St/I-205

3:00 – 6:00 pm
Beaverton - Hwy 217/Farmington
Tualatin – Bridgeport Rd/I-5

Saturday 8/14 and Saturday 8/21

10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tualatin – Bridgeport Rd/I-5

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has been a major contributor to MDA for over 50 years through its annual “Fill the Boot” event. There are over 100 families in TVF&R’s service area receiving support from the MDA. The money that you donate to our Fill the Boot effort is dedicated to our Columbia/Willamette Chapter of the MDA. This chapter helps provide assistance for medical care expenses, specialized equipment, and other costs including MDA camp, and local support groups.