Portland Fire & Rescue

Portland Fire and Rescue
Always Ready, Always There
Operational area
Country  United States
State  Oregon
City Portland
Agency overview[1][2]
Established January 3, 1883 (1883-01-03)
(volunteer force established 1850)
Annual calls 67,191 (2010)[3]
Employees
  • 756 total (2010)
  • - 699 uniformed
  • - 57 civilian
Annual budget $91 million (2010)[3]
Staffing Career
Fire chief Mike Myers[4]
EMS level ALS
IAFF 43
Facilities and equipment[1]
Battalions 4
Stations 30
Engines 28
Trucks 10
Squads 3
Rescues 1
Tenders 1
HAZMAT 1
USAR 1
Wildland 4
Fireboats 4
Rescue boats 2
Light and air 2
Website
Official website
iaff%20website
The Logo of the Portland Fire Bureau.
Station #1, the Headquarters of the Portland Fire Bureau.
Portland Fire and Rescue Boathouse.
Truck #4.
A Fireboat in the background during the Portland Rose Festival's Fleet Week.
A Portland Fireboat during Portland Rose Festival's Fleet Week.
Station 21, Portland's newest fire station. It is located on the shore of the Willamette River next to the boathouses.
A Truck at Station 21.

Portland Fire and Rescue Bureau, also known as the Portland Fire Bureau, and sometimes informally the Portland Fire Department, provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Portland, Oregon, United States. The department is responsible for an area of 151 square miles (390 km2),[1] with a population of over 632,309.[5] It is the largest fire and emergency services provider in Oregon.

History

Portland's first firefighting services were provided by Pioneer Fire Engine Company no. 1, established in 1850 by Thomas Dryer, founder of the The Oregonian newspaper.[2] It consisted of 37 volunteers wearing red shirts and operating a single hand pump. A fire at a steam mill in 1853 illustrated the need for an organized firefighting force, and on July 29, 1853, the Vigilance Hook and Ladder Company no. 1 was created, consisting of 36 volunteers. Less than a month later, 22 volunteers formed the Willamette Engine Company no. 1, and the first engine house in Portland was built on a donated lot on Yamhill Street.[2]

On May 22, 1854, the Portland city council passed an ordinance establishing the Portland Fire Department.[6] H. W. Davis was elected as the first "chief engineer" (or chief) and was reelected to the position in 1855 and 1856.[6] In 1857, businessman S. J. McCormick was elected chief. A reorganization of the department in 1857 brought the Willamette Company no. 1, the Multnomah Engine Company no. 2 (which had been formed in 1856) and Vigilance Hook and Ladder Company no. 1 into the Portland Fire Department, which thereupon had a total of 157 members (volunteer firefighters).[6] Another reorganization in 1859 added the Columbia Engine Company no. 3 to the department; it was the first engine company in Portland to use horses.[6] As the city's population grew, additional fire companies were organized, including the Protection Engine Company no. 4, in 1862; the Tiger Company no. 5, in 1873; and the Couch Engine Company no. 6, in 1880.[6]

On August 2, 1873, the Great Fire of 1873 broke out, burning for over 12 hours and destroying 22 blocks in the heart of the city. In 1883, the Portland Paid Fire Department submitted its first annual budget to City Council.[2]

Fire stations and apparatus

As of May 2016, the department operates out of 30 fire stations strategically located the city.[7]

Station # Location Address Apparatus Notes
1 Old Town 55 SW Ash Street T1, E1, S1, RC1, TR1, USAR 1, C103
2 Parkrose 4800 NE 122nd Avenue E2, T2 Station 2 includes PF&R's training facility, so both apparatus have extended cabs to seat two additional firefighters.
3 Northwest/Pearl District 1715 NW Johnson Street T3, E3
4 Portland State University 511 SW College Street T4, E4
5 Hillsdale 1505 SW DeWitt Street E5, C1, R99 Rescue 99 is Portland Fire's SERT paramedics, which responds to tactical incidents when Portland Police's Special Emergency Reaction Team is activated.
6 Northwest Industrial 3660 NW Front Avenue E6, FB6, FB6R Reserve Fireboat 6 is the David Campbell, which entered service in 1927.
7 Mill Park 1500 SE 122nd Avenue T7, E7, R7, C3, HM7, HC458 Hazmat 7 is Portland's primary hazardous materials response unit, and Oregon State Region 7 HazMat Emergency Response Team.
8 Kenton 7134 North Maryland Avenue T8
9 Hawthorne 1706 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd E9, C4, MC9
10 Burlingame 451 SW Taylors Ferry Road T10, RHB10, AU10
11 Lents 5707 SE 92nd Avenue E11, R11
12 Sandy Blvd. 8645 NE Sandy Boulevard E12, HS12, AU12 Heavy Squad 12 is a tillered crane, the first of its kind manufactured by Pierce in 2012, designed to support Urban Search and Rescue operations in the event of an earthquake.[8]
13 Lloyd 926 NE Weidler Street T13, E13, WT13
14 Alberta 1905 NE Killingsworth Street E14, E14R
15 Arlington Heights 1920 SW Spring St E15
16 Sylvan 1715 SW Skyline E16, BU16
17 Hayden Island 848 North Tomahawk Island Drive E17, FB17, RB17
18 Multnomah Village 8720 SW 30th Avenue E18, HS18
19 Mt. Tabor 7301 East Burnside Street E19, R19
20 Sellwood 2235 SE Bybee Boulevard E20
21 Eastbank 5 SE Madison St. E21, FB21, RB21
22 St. Johns 7205 North Alta Street T22, E22, BU22, UT22
24 Overlook/Swan Island 4515 North Maryland Street E24, C2, HS24, FU24
25 Woodstock 5211 SE Mall Street T25, E25
26 Portsmouth/University Park 5247 North Lombard Street E26
27 Forest Heights 3130 NW Skyline Boulevard E27, BU27, JP27
28 Hollywood 5540 NE Sandy Boulevard E28
29 Powellhurst 13310 SE Foster Road E29, BU29, UT29
30 Gateway 13313 NE San Rafael Street E30, E30R
31 Rockwood 1927 SE 174th Avenue E31 Station 31 is shared with Gresham Fire & Emergency Services. PF&R staffs Station 31 on A and C shifts, and Gresham staffs it on B shift.

Legend

Callsign Full title
T Truck (PF&R operates tillers, towers and quints all under the callsign "Truck")
E Engine
S Squad (PF&R operates one heavy rescue squad, located at Station 1)
R Rescue (modified GMC Yukons which respond to medical emergencies and can provide ALS)
HS Heavy Squad (These units are assigned to Chemical and Biological, Radiological/Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) response, as well as responding to high-rise fires)
FU Foam Unit
FB Fireboat
RB Rescue Boat
RC Rescue Craft (specially outfitted SeaDoos which respond to water rescues from Station 1)
C Battalion Chief (PF&R always has four battalion chiefs on duty across the city, as well as a deputy chief at its headquarters at Station 1)
BU Brush Unit (responds to brush fires and emergencies in areas not accessible by normal fire apparatus)
JP Jeep (responds to emergencies in areas and weather conditions not accessible by normal fire apparatus)
UT Utility (ATVs which respond along trails and other areas not accessible by normal fire apparatus)
HM HazMat
HC HazMat Conditions Unit
RHB Rehabilitation Unit
AU Air Unit
TR Technical Rescue Unit
USAR Urban search and rescue

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Portland Fire & Rescue GET TO KNOW US". City of Portland. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Firefighting in Portland Through the Years". City of Portland. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 ""FY 2010-11 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT Portland Fire & Rescue"". City of Portland. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mike Myers named new Portland Fire chief". KATU News. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Harry, De Witt (June 13, 1920). "Spirit of Emulation Inspires Portland's Fireman [sic] to Great Deeds". The Sunday Oregonian. Magazine section, p. 1.
  7. ↑ "Fire Stations". City of Portland. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "PIERCE DELIVERS HEAVY-DUTY RESCUE TILLER TO OR FIRE DEPARTMENT". Fire Engineering. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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