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.
At approximately 2:33 am Sunday firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a report of a house fire at 6195 SW Griffin Place. The first firefighters arrived from Fire Station 67 in less than 3 minutes and found heavy flames blowing out the front windows of the single story home that were about 20 ft high. Firefighters also saw a large glow coming from the back, indicating heavy fire throughout the structure.
Crews began a transitional attack of the fire, starting on the exterior with large 2 1/2″ water lines. After initial knockdown of the heavy flames, crews pulled multiple hose lines to both the front and back of the home to do an interior attack of the remaining fire. Visibility was extremely low for the firefighters entering the home and a significant amount of debris made search of the building challenging, however, no one was found or injured in the fire. In all, 7 fire units were dispatch to the scene (28 firefighters) and the fire was brought under control in about 25 minutes. The owners were not home at the time of the fire.
The ranch-style home is considered a total loss. Investigators are on scene to determine cause of the fire.
TVF&R firefighters extinguished a room and contents fire in a Tigard home this morning. Firefighters were dispatched to 9240 SW Center Street in Tigard at 4:55 a.m. after a neighbor called 911 reporting smoke coming from the second floor of a residence at that address.
Firefighters from TVF&R’s Tigard Station 51 arrived minutes later, entered the home and extinguished the fire with help from firefighters from TVF&R stations in Tigard, King City and Beaverton. No one was injured. Smoke and fire damage to the home’s second floor is significant and, unfortunately, three people who live in the home are displaced.
TVF&R fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
Seven-year-old Abi Zoske has spent the last year braving a battle with Leukemia. While many kids her age would cite their most stressful activity as learning subtraction and multiplication, Abi has had to contend with doctor visits, painful procedures and most recenlty a transplant of lifesaving bone marrow from her younger sister Taylor.
Before Abi was released from the hospital in mid-December, local resident Dee Manser called TVF&R’s North Operating Center for help with an idea to surprise the Zoske girls with a special delivery of Santa…..via a fire engine. Volunteers Nic Granum and Guy Haynes jumped at the opportunity to fulfill the Christmas wish and plans were made. On Christmas Eve a caravan could be seen in downtown Beaverton with TVF&R’s 1918 American LaFrance carrying Santa followed by two modern engines and Truck 67.
They arrrived at the Zoske residence to find a crowd of caroling neighbors and friends, as well as some awestruck kids, including Abi who broke the bounds of her recent quarantine to visit with Santa on her front porch. Despite the protective mask on her face, you could see the joy sparkling in Abi’s eyes as she exclaimed, “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had. The doctors would instruct me to be lying in bed right now, but they are wrong!”
Be careful with your Christmas tree this holiday season! The video above demonstrates how quickly a dry Christmas tree can catch fire and fill a room with deadly heat and smoke. See below for some tips to stay safe.
Select a fresh tree. Grab the branches and if the needles fall off in your hands, the tree is dry.
Before placing in a stand, make a fresh cut (1/2 – 1 inch).
Place your tree in a sturdy, tall tree stand and immediately fill with water.
Water your tree DAILY. Most trees consume between a quart and a gallon of water each day. Do not let the water level drop below the base of the trunk; the tree will form a seal of pitch and will no longer consume water.
Place your tree away from heat sources and open flames including heat vents, fireplaces, and candles.
Decorate your tree with UL-approved, miniature lights that produce less heat.
Do not overload electrical sockets and always turn off lights before going to bed or leaving your home.
Periodically check your tree for freshness by grabbing the branches. If the needles fall off in your hand, your try is dry and should be disposed of.
When it’s time to dispose of your tree, NEVER burn it in a fireplace. The combination of oil, pitch, and dry branches can ignite within seconds, sending sparks and flames into a room.
For added protection, check all smoke alarms to ensure they are working in case of a fire and keep all matches and lighters out of reach of children.
Last night at 6:46p.m., firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Lake Oswego Fire Department were called to extinguish a fire at the Hunt Club Apartments located near Tigard at 6125 SW Bonita Road.
When firefighters arrived, they found many residents of the 254-unit complex had already safely evacuated due to the quick actions of a tenant who had activated an alarm pull station. While taking out his trash, a resident heard the faint but shrill sound of a smoke alarm near his apartment. He traced the sound to an apartment where he could see smoke and a red glow. He immediately called 9-1-1 and started knocking on doors. “Because of the quick activation of 9-1-1 by an alert tenant, and aggressive intervention by firefighters, this fire did not spread to other units in the complex and property damage was limited”, stated Cassandra Ulven. “This is exactly how the alarm system is designed to work.”
The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes of the call to 9-1-1 and damage was limited to the room where the fire started. (Damages are estimated to be about $7500.) The complex does not have a fire sprinkler system. A fire investigator confirmed that blankets and bedding had been placed too close to a baseboard heater. The tenant was not at home when the fire started and there were no injuries as a result of the fire.
Fortunately the managers of the Hunt Club complex require residents to have renters insurance, so the tenant’s loss and relocation will be covered. Property managers from the Hunt Club have participated in Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue’s Landlord Training Program which educates property owners about ways to mitigate and reduce the severity of fires on their property. Identifying access issues, building deficiencies and unsafe tenant behavior can mean the difference between life and death when fire breaks out.
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.
The following press release was issued today by Portland Fire and Rescue regarding a fire that both TVF&R and Portland Fire responded to:
At 11:50 am, firefighters from Portland Fire’s (Sylvan) Station 16 respond ed to an automatic home alarm at 5735 SW Grover Court in Multnomah County. Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke through the windows and coming under pressure from the doorway. They immediately called for a full residential fire response. As additional fire crews arrived from surrounding fire stations, firefighters began laying 1,000 feet of hose lines from hydrants on SW Grover Ct. all the way up a steep and winding driveway to the multi-million dollar property.
The 6,000 square foot home was partially involved in flames and thick smoke. At 12:08 pm, Incident Commanders called for a second alarm response bringing additional resources, crews and apparatus to the scene. Initially, fire crews fought the fire from a defensive position as they developed a plan of attack and crews positioned for an interior attack. Crews from Engine 16 aggressively knocked down the main body of fire in the living room on the second floor of the three-story home. Other firefighters pulled additional hose lines, laddered up to the roof to cut vent holes, and extended a fire truck aerial up the hill for a defensive firefighting operation.
This fire required a joint response between TVF&R and PF&R. Portland Fire arrived at the fire first, and then discovered it was TVF&R’s area. Because of mutual aid agreements, a flawless response from both agencies was executed to battle this blaze. Approximately 60 firefighters and other personnel responded to the scene. TVF&R will complete the fire investigation. TVF&R investigators are on scene working to determine the fire cause and damage estimates. No one was home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.
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.
