Lieutenant promotion wraps up a series of personnel moves at FGF&R

The 365 days between October 2012 and October 2013 have been full of changes in the staffing at your local firehouse.  Two federal grants, and a retirement have allowed five of our longtime staff members to receive promotions and work in new roles, and brought three new firefighters into the group; the final of these promotions became official this week when firefighter Will Murphy promoted to the role of Shift Lieutenant with our agency, thus filling the final vacancy left by the July retirement of longtime Captain Dwight Lanter.

Will calls Portland his home, where he and his wife Maria raise their three beautiful children, he has been an employee of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue since 2006, and also serves as the department's emergency medical officer. This special EMS role makes him responsible for overseeing what truly is a bulk of our agency's work; with over 70% of the agency's responses being for calls needing emergency medical assistance, this role is obviously a major task that involves establishing policies, protocols, equipment, and training for the career and volunteer firefighters at FGF&R.  An Oregon certified EMT-Paramedic himself, Will routinely works with other Paramedics as well as Emergency Room Physicians from all across Oregon to ensure that the emergency medical program at Forest Grove truly matches or exceeds the high standards for patient care that we all expect if we had to call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency.  In 2010 Will received the EMS Impact award from the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services, and in 2011 he was honored as the recipient of the Forest Grove Fire Chief's Award to recognize his outstanding commitment to emergency medicine in our region.  Fire Chief Michael Kinkade had this to say about Will's promotion "Will is the final piece of a great series of promotions that I think will revolutionize how this department works in the community.  He is a true leader, and what he's already done in our EMS system will without a doubt transfer over to how we works with the firefighters here and our neighbors in Forest Grove."

Will Murphy showcases airway management tools that Paramedics use in the field to visitors at our annual Open House

Will's first official day as Lieutenant will be October 3rd, where he takes over as second in command of our A Shift behind Captain Joe Smith; along with three staff firefighters, these five work together with two college interns as one of the three rotating 24 hour shifts at the Forest Grove Fire Station.  In the near future Will plans on continuing his EMS Officer position and as he transitions into the Lieutenant role he hopes to continue to involve Forest Grove in the regional discussion of emergency medicine, as well as work with our younger group of firefighters here to mentor and prepare them for success in their own careers.  Congratulations Will.

An official oath, and swearing in ceremony for Will is scheduled for the Forest Grove City Council meeting on the evening of November 25th.