Fire starts in closet, damages Forest Grove home

Firefighters were called to a home in the 2300 block of Main Street in Forest Grove on Saturday afternoon when neighbors noticed smoke coming from the roof of the home. When fire crews arrived just after 12:30 pm they found light gray colored smoke coming out of the roof vents and from under the eaves. No one was home at the time, so firefighters from Engine 421 had to break a door down to get into the home and they were quickly able to locate and contain the fire that was burning in a hall closet of the 1940's era home.

Firefighters from Cornelius Fire Department Squirt 8 cut a hole in the roof of this home to help remove the smoke that was in the attic of the home.

The homeowners told fire investigators that they had smelled what they thought was something burning in the home off and on for the last week and had tried to determine what the cause of the burning smell was earlier in the day. They looked throughout the house but were unable to find the cause of the smell and by then the smell had dissipated and they had to leave for work. All of the while the fire was burning deep at the bottom of a hallway closet where some kitty litter and wood chip type pet bedding was stored in a plastic bag. Investigators believe that this kitty litter and pet bedding material had spontaneously combusted on it's own and that this naturally occurring process was accelerated because the materials in question were stored in direct contact with hot water pipes in a shut closet. The combination of the heat from the hot water pipes as well as the poor ventilation from the closet caused the material to decompose which naturally generates heat. In the un-vented closet this heat had no place to escape so it eventually built up enough that the material caught fire and spread to some camping equipment and other materials in the closet.

The closet where fire investigators found the cause of the fire

"No one did anything wrong here, but our safety message is that no matter how simple you think something like this is please call 9-1-1 and let us investigate it" said Forest Grove Fire Marshal Dave Nemeyer, he goes on to say: "Often times we find small fires like this that smolder in hidden areas and even though you may see nothing out of the ordinary we have special tools and cameras that can detect even the slightest difference in temperature. Our thermal imaging cameras will even enable us to look inside walls, above ceilings, and under floors to see if a fire is burning there."

Twenty-five firefighters responded to the blaze including fire crews from Cornelius and Hillsboro to assist in extinguishing the fire. Even though no one was home at the time, the family cat perished from apparent exposure to smoke and toxic gasses that are produced when a fire burns inside a home. To keep the fire crews safe, Forest Grove Police Officers closed Main Street for over two hours during the fire because firefighters were working in the roadway and had people attempting to drive through the emergency scene. Fire investigators believe that the fire caused over $20,000 in damages to the home and contents.

Safe Holiday Decorating Tips

Tis the season, as the song says "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." which for many of us is very true but at the same time all of the things we do to decorate and make our home into it's own winter wonderland can also bring with them a certain level of risk if not done properly. We hope that you and yours have a safe and joyous holiday season so we wanted to share with you a few tips to make holiday decorating as safe as it is beautiful.

• Keep that tree green! It is so important to make a fresh cut and remove about 1 inch from the bottom of your Christmas Tree right before you put it into your stand. This will help remove the pitch that has built up that would otherwise prevent your tree from taking in water. Beyond this check the water in your tree at least twice a day and keep the tree stand full of water at all times. You can test your tree to see if it is dry by gently pulling on a branch, if the needles come off easily the tree is too dry and needs to be removed from the home. There is a video out there that shows a dry Christmas tree burning down in less than 45 seconds, we are completely serious when we say that they should be removed as soon as you see them showing signs of drying out.
  
  
• Be careful with candles. About three years ago a church in our fire district brought out the Christmas decorations from the year prior and did not replace the candles in their decorations. This allowed a candle that was much too short to be in place and it caught the decorations and nearby flooring on fire before suddenly burning out on its own. Take a close look at your candles. Are they away from combustible materials like decorations, drapes, and of course the tree? Are they in a place where the pets and kids won't knock them over? Always blow your candles out when you leave the room and never leave them burning while you are sleeping.
  
  
• Use electricity safely. It's not the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" so be careful with the extension cords. If you haven't seen the movie I just mentioned the character in the movie has more extension cords in use for his Christmas lights then the local Home Depot has in stock on their shelves. Do not overload your extension cords, if you are constantly blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers you have a problem with your circuit and it needs to be looked at. Decrease the number of lights and make sure they are free from damage. If you have cords that are damaged replace them immediately. Avoid coiling cords as this can cause them to overheat, and do not use a bunch of multi-plug adapters or power strips, just because the power strip has 8 places to plug something into it, that doesn't mean you can safely. Always turn your Christmas lights off at night before you head to bed and never leave them on when you are out of the home.

No one wants to have a fire in their home, but they can be especially troublesome this time of year. Let us know if you need help deciding what you should and shouldn't use for decorations. Call our Fire and Life Safety Division at 503.992.3240 and we would gladly help you learn how to decorate your home safely.

We wish you a happy and safe holiday season!

In Oregon, changing your clocks does not always mean you have to change your smoke alarm battery

For years the national fire safety message that came along with the bi-annual changing of our clocks has been "Change your clock...change your smoke alarm batteries". In Oregon however our state laws require that if the smoke alarms in your home receive their power from only a battery, that the battery be considered a "long life" battery capable of ten years of continuous life. Obviously this poses a bit of a problem for Oregonians as the national message in effect actually voids the warranty on your battery operated smoke alarm. So what to do?

First, how old are your smoke alarms? All smoke alarms have about a ten year life span, once they get around 8 to 10 years old it is more likely that they will have more frequent false alarms, or worse yet fail to function when needed. If you have a smoke alarm, regardless of how it is powered and it is over ten years old replace it as soon as possible.

Second, identify if your smoke alarms are battery operated or if they are hard wired. Since 1998, battery operated smoke alarms sold in Oregon have been required to have a long life lithium battery that is designed to last ten years (conveniently the life of the smoke alarm). Now realistically we find that these batteries often times wont make it the entire ten years, but they consistently last longer then the older 9 volt Alkaline batteries we all used prior to the new style Lithium 9V.

If your smoke alarm is solely battery operated and does have a long life battery all you have to do is test it. You can do this by pushing the test button until you hear a beep. That should be all it takes to make sure your smoke alarm will function when needed. Really twice a year isn't enough though, you should test these smoke alarms monthly and when you do it is also a great time to practice a family fire drill.

If you find that you have a battery operated smoke alarm without a long life battery replace the entire smoke alarm with one that does have a long life battery. You can find these at most retail stores, locally Ace Hardware, Bi-Mart, and Fred Meyer all sell smoke alarms, as well as the big box home improvement stores in Hillsboro.

Not all of us have a battery operated smoke alarm however, modern homes have their smoke alarms wired into the home's electrical system. If this is the case a battery back up (for if the power goes out) is required, but it does not have to be of the long life variety. Since the smoke alarm receives its power from the home, a standard 9V alkaline battery will be able to keep your smoke alarm operating if the power in your home does go out. These alkaline back up batteries are the only battery you should replace in a smoke alarm when you change your clocks.

If you are a low income resident FGF&R has a smoke alarm assistance program that is funded solely through private donations and grants that allows us to help you. You can call our fire station at 503.992.3240 and one of our firefighters will make sure that we get a smoke alarm out to you and we'll even install it in your home.

So you're changing your clocks this weekend, now what...

1. If your smoke alarm is ten years old, replace it.
2. If your smoke alarm is battery operated and has a long life battery, test it.
3. If your smoke alarm is hard wired, replace the back up battery.
4. If your smoke alarm is battery operated and does not have a long life battery, and is less then ten years old, get a long life battery for it.

Smoke alarm tips

• Install smoke alarms on each story of your home and outside all sleeping areas. If you sleep with your bedroom door shut a smoke alarm inside your bedroom is recommended.
• Clean your smoke alarm every so often, a little vacuum or computer keyboard cleaner will help keep the dust, and little mites and spiders that come with it from making a home inside your smoke alarm and creating false alarms.
• Test it! You walk past it each day and probably never notice it, but it takes only seconds to make sure it will work. In a fire the smoke is what kills, testing your smoke alarm monthly will drastically improve your chances of surviving a fire in your home.
• Practice, practice, practice a fire drill. Kids in school have to practice a fire drill every month, it seems so redundant at times, but our statistics prove that people do not lose their lives in school fires. Most fire deaths in Oregon occur in the home (most occur in homes without a working smoke alarm), and often times we find that families aren't prepared to handle an emergency in their homes. A simple family fire drill at different times of the day/night every month can help you all identify how to get out and what to do. The State Fire Marshal has a excellent fire drill form that your family can use to prepare and practice this absolutely vital safety item.
• If you have a false alarm, use the "hush" feature on your smoke alarms (also an Oregon requirement since 1998) to silence your alarm temporarily. Never unplug your alarm or remove it.

If you have questions please call us at 503.992.3240 or post a comment here and we will answer it. These devices are too inexpensive and too important to put off taking care of. Forest Grove has not had a fatality in a house fire since 1998; please help us be able to continue to say that, make sure that your smoke alarm is ready to protect your family.

Be Seen at Halloween!

There were a dozen or so adults dressed up like firefighters during Forest Grove's downtown Trick or Treat your merchants event this Halloween, but the costumes were pretty realistic. That's because they actually were not costumes at all, they were real firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and they were on hand to pass out not only candy, but glow sticks as well.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Forest Grove Firefighter's Association, Forest Grove Firefighter's Union, and the Forest Grove Police Officer's Union we were able to purchase 1,500 glowsticks to share with the trick or treaters. This is all part of our "Be seen at Halloween" project that is intended to help kids get noticed by passing motorists and avoid the tragedy of a trick or treater being hit by a car. Over the course of the two hour event we were able to hand out all of our glowsticks and we are proud to report that no one was struck by a car during Halloween 2010!

Be Safe, Be Seen on Halloween!

Halloween night in Forest Grove is always a fun and enjoyable experience. Thousands of ghouls and goblins flock to the downtown area to trick or treat the merchants, visit the "Hall - O - Safe" at Pacific University, or flood local sidewalks in search of the sugary goodness that fills the orange plastic pumpkin buckets. At the same time it can be a stressful night for drivers as they try and negotiate traffic filled roads at night, in who knows what kind of weather, with all of these "new" pedestrians hitting the streets and sidewalks. According to the child injury prevention group Safe Kids USA, twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than the other 364 days in a year, so can parents do to prevent this tragedy from happening to their little ones? It really all starts with being seen on Halloween!


1. Choose light colored costumes that can be seen in the dark.

2. Consider adding reflective materials to your child's costume. Simple reflective decals can be found at craft stores, or talk to your local fabric shop about reflective material that can be sewn onto your child's costumes. It is amazing how bright these reflective strips are when headlights shine on them.

3. Have your children carry flashlights and glow sticks with them at all times, even if it is still daylight when they start.

4. Walk on sidewalks or established paths, never walk in the street and only cross at marked cross walks with traffic lights. Always look both ways when you cross the street and walk, don't run.

5. Help your kids slow down, it is so easy for them to be excited and rush from place to place, but teaching them to slow down and be alert of what is around them will help them see cars that are backing up or turning.

6. For drivers please be safe, pay attention, slow down, and turn off all distractions. Do not eat or drink in the car, talk or text on the cell phone, and be extra vigilant of kids of all ages.

On Halloween night starting at 4:00 p.m. our firefighters will be in downtown Forest Grove passing out glow sticks to the trick or treaters so that they can be seen at Halloween, and don't forget that even though our Station 4 is off the beaten path downtown we still have candy and would love to have the kids trick or treat the fire station.

Be Safe, Be Seen at Halloween!

Fire Station Open House and Public Service Fair

Last Saturday, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue partnered with departments from all over the City of Forest Grove as well as our friends at the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Metro West Ambulance, and the Lifeflight Network when we hosted the annual Forest Grove Public Service Fair. This event started a few years ago as a way of expanding on the already popular fire prevention week fire station open house so that all public safety and city departments could showcase what they have to offer to the community.

Even though this event definitely catered to the younger at heart, there were still plenty of things to see and do and it was an excellent chance for a one stop shopping experience for everyone to get their questions answered about city services in Forest Grove. On hand during the event were representatives from the Forest Grove Library, Parks and Recreation, Water Department, Public Works, Police, and Light and Power departments. Outside of the umbrella of the City of Forest Grove we also had the Washington County Sheriff Crime Prevention Team, an actual ambulance and crew from the county's private ambulance provider Metro West Ambulance, as well as one of the helicopters from the Lifeflight Network landed at our heli-stop for a few hour visit during the event. Children were able to get rides on our fire engines, could walk inside any number of assorted vehicles from backhoes to helicopters and police cars, and our Light and Power Department would take those without a fear of heights up into the air on a bucket truck ride.

So far the fall weather has been fantastic in NW Oregon and we were lucky enough that it continued one more weekend as we were able to have a sun shine filled, comfortable open house. Combining the outstanding weather, and excellent assortment of things to do and see we think that this year was the best ever for our open house. It was hard to get a good count of attendees but we estimate that over 1,000 visitors came through our fire station for this year's event which was a few hundred more then our typical 500 to 700 guests. We are already planning for Open House 2011, so we hope to see all of you again next year.

It's Fire Prevention Week!

October 3 - 9 marks the annual week that the fire service declares as National Fire Prevention Week. Fire prevention week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire which occur ed started on October 8, 1871 which destroyed much of the city over the course of three days. The first fire prevention week was declared in 1925 by President Calvin Coolidge. Each year the fire service selects a theme so that firefighters all over the United States can remind their communities how to be safe from the perils of fire. This year the national theme is "Smoke alarms, a sound you can live with!"

In Forest Grove we actually take the entire month of October and work specifically with our elementary schools to start this safety message with our youngest audience. In the coming weeks our Fire and Life Safety Division will visit almost all of our K-4 schools in the coming weeks sharing safety information with the kids and answering their questions about firefighters and fire safety. All of this culminates with our annual Public Service and Safety Open House which will be held this year on Saturday October 16th at our Forest Grove Fire Station.

Smoke Alarms, a Sound You Can Live With Safety Tips

• Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, in the hallway outside the bedrooms, and on each floor of the home. Avoid placing smoke alarms near kitchens and bathrooms where steam and smoke can cause frequent false alarms.
  
  
• Replace your smoke alarms every ten years.
  
  
• Test your smoke alarms monthly and practice a family fire drill when you do. Many kids do not know what to do when they hear their smoke alarm so they react by hiding instead of escaping the home. Teach your kids how to safely get out of the home and meet at the family emergency meeting place.
  
  
• Keep your smoke alarm clean by gently dusting or vacuuming it regularly, if it chirps consider replacing the battery or the entire alarm.

Fall Backyard Burn Season

Friday October 1st is the official kick off for the fall backyard burn season. From October 1st to December 15th the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) allows residents to burn the yard debris from their property. Backyard burning is allowed in and around Forest Grove, however it's not a burning free for all and there are a number of rules that must be followed to avoid a visit from us or a letter in the mail from the DEQ.

First only burn on open burn days. Each day the DEQ tests the air quality in our area and based on this test they will let us know if burning is allowed that day or not. We update the Washington County Open Burning Hotline each morning with this information. You can hear our pre-recorded message by calling 503.992.3242 to see if you can burn that day. It is very important that you burn only on open days during the time limits allowed.

Second, be sure that you are only burning allowed materials. Backyard burning is for yard debris like limbs, clippings, and leaves. You cannot burn items like lumber, garbage, paper, plastics, or tires. Each year there are also questions from people that live in the rural area about agricultural (Ag) burning. Ag burning is for the removal of debris from a farming operation, just because a person may live in the country they are not considered Ag burning by default. For instance a filbert grower who burns the limbs from his orchard is considered to be ag burning but if the same farmer was to burn some hedges that he pulled out from around his home this would fall under the backyard burning requirements instead of those for Ag.

Third be fire safe and a courteous neighbor when you burn. Make sure your pile is dry before you light it off. Smoke complaints are one of the big reasons we get called by angry neighbors so a dry burn pile will help you burn cleaner without putting off a large amount of smoke. Locate your burn pile away from property lines and so that it is well clear of fences, buildings, trees, and anywhere else where you do not want the fire to spread. Constantly attend to your pile while it is burning and have firefighting equipment like a garden hose and hand tools close by to help control the fire. When you are done burning wet down the burn pile and the area around it with water so to be sure that the fire is completely out and will not flare up after you leave it.

We obviously encourage that you choose non burning methods such as composting or the curbside yard debris removal service instead of burning, but we understand that these options are not always good ones for every property owner. For more information check out the Oregon DEQ website about backyard burning by clicking on this link. To report an illegal burn or smoke related complaint please do not call our fire station, instead call 503.229.5393 and report it to the DEQ directly. If a burn pile gets out of hand always call 9-1-1 immediately.

9-11 Memorial in Forest Grove

Even though Forest Grove, Oregon is just about as far away from the east coast of the United States as you can get, we as Americans were all touched by the events of September 11, 2001. For those in the fire service, it was the largest loss of life in the line of duty in one day in the history of our profession. On that tragic day 2,977 innocent Americans were killed in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. In the City of New York 343 members of the Fire Department New York, and 60 law enforcement officers were killed while trying to serve the people trapped in the buildings of the World Trade Center. September 11, 2001 is regarded as the single most deadly day for firefighters and police officers in the history of the United States.

Last Saturday was the nine year anniversary of the attack on our country and we were joined by firefighters, police officers, current military members and veterans, as well as community leaders from all over western Washington County for a ceremony to remember one of the most significant events of our generation. We gathered alongside about 50 of our community neighbors at the community flag pole on Pacific Avenue in Forest Grove to remember the tragic day that will forever be recognized as a defining moment for the fire service.

Purchase of AED units will provide for better response to cardiac emergencies

In an effort to improve our ability to respond to cardiac emergencies we have recently completed the purchase of six new automated external defibrillators, commonly called AED's, and placed them in service on a number of our emergency vehicles. Prior to this purchase we only had four of these units (three at Station 4 in Forest Grove, and one at Station 7 in Gales Creek) and there were times when all of these could have been tied up on calls so we made it a priority in this year's budget to ensure that we were able to add to our inventory with the total cost of these new devices coming in at $13,800 dollars. In total we now have ten of these life saving tools ready to respond to emergencies in our community.

One of our new Phillips FR2 AED with ECG Units shows a normal heart rythym during testing last week

For the last few years you may have been seeing more and more AED's in the community. You can find them at malls, stores, airports, public swimming pools, offices, and other public places where they are becoming just as commonplace as a fire extinguisher or first aid kit. You really can't fault this either as statistics from the Heart Rhythm Foundation show that there are approximately 325,000 deaths per year from sudden cardiac arrest and that 93 to 95% of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before they even reach the hospital. Studies involving better access to a defibrillator show that the survivability rates increase to 50% or better when an AED is applied within minutes of the event. The Phillips model FR2 AED that we purchased is quite a bit different from the ones you see in public places however, all in a good way. According to our Emergency Medical Services Officer, Paramedic Will Murphy "These are not an AED alone like in the mall, our units have the capability for us to monitor the ECG (electrocardiography) of the patient and get us a better look at what is creating the reason they called 9-1-1."

Our new AED's will also allow us to work more efficiently. According to Murphy "These devices match the current ones that we use so no additional training will be needed, in fact they are able to be used by all certification levels of EMT from the Volunteer Firefighter/First Responder to the career Firefighter/Paramedic." In addition the Phillips FR2 model is compatible with other local area emergency crews so that we will be able to disconnect the cord and plug them directly into the same unit from Metro West Ambulance when they arrive to take the patient to the hospital. One more added benefit for our department is that we can also record data on these so that we can do regular quality control checks on our calls to ensure that we are indeed providing the first class emergency medical care that we would expect.

FGF&R Emergency Medical Services Officer Will Murphy places one of the new AED units on our Engine 423, until last week's purchase this engine did not carry an AED as part of it's normal compliment of equipment

An AED works by analyzing your heart rhythm to determine if an electrical shock is needed to help restart your heart's natural electrical balance. Some AED units that are in public places are truly automatic, meaning that you turn the machine on and a computer voice will tell you exactly how to apply the patches, the machine will then take it from there and deliver electricity as needed automatically. Our AED units are slightly different in that we have to actually push a button to enable them to deliver the electricity needed to "restart" your heart. Still these little machines are the most effective tool out there to help us save a life that has suffered from sudden cardiac arrest. This purchase ensures that every fire engine in our fleet as well as the vehicles driven by our Chiefs and Fire Inspector will carry an AED ready to respond to the needs of the community.

Fire Safety for Hunting Season

This week a special guest blogger will be posting on our page. Lana Limbeck is a 2010 graduate of Forest Grove High School and volunteers in our Fire and Life Safety Division. Lana will be starting her college fire science studies soon, and to get her started we gave her a "homework assignment" to create a fire safety blog post related to the start of hunting season. Good job Lana, hope our readers enjoy it.

Summer is already coming to a close to the disappointment of many, but for some Oregon hunters it only brings excitement. Fall ushers in an exciting time for those preparing their plates for a little extra protein and their guns for this year's hunting season. Bow hunters kicked it off already this month and rifle hunting is due to begin later in the fall in October. Although August has blessed Forest Grove area residents with much cooler weather this year, it is important to remember that while summer may seem to be cooling off, the fire danger is still very high. This is especially true for hunters who will be spending a lot of time in the national forests in the next few months. When preparing your packing lists for this year’s hunting season, be aware of the dangers, restrictions, and laws regarding fire safety during the last month of summer.

According to charts provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry, wildfires are more prevalent throughout July, August, September, and even October. We may think that the danger ends in September, but depending on the weather, it can continue well into the fall. Until significant rainfall occurs, the ODF says that major restrictions will remain in place well into the fall.

This brush fire burned approximately an acre and was believed to have been started by a hunter on SW Fernhill Road last year

There are many restrictions currently in place on all Tillamook state forests and surrounding properties due to the current fire danger. Forest fires are too often caused by unattended campfires and smokers who fail to extinguish their cigarettes. To prevent this, the ODF has placed a ban on both. Absolutely no campfires are allowed on public or private land except in designated areas such as campgrounds. Smoking is prohibited unless kept inside closed vehicles on improved or well-maintained roads. ATV's and motorcycles are not permitted unless on improved roads because of the dry conditions and no non-industry use of chainsaws is allowed in any case.

The heavy restrictions may disappoint many hunters who plan on camping, but it is imperative to pack according to the current regulations. One very important thing to know when creating a packing list is this: when traveling on any unpaved county or logging roads all hunters must carry a fire extinguisher or one gallon of water and one shovel in their vehicles. It's not just a recommendation this year, it is required.

The regulations and fire dangers are different for every unit and area so it is very important to know and understand the regulations for the unit you will be hunting in. You can find information about the fire dangers in your unit by contacting the Oregon Department of Forestry, or by visiting their website at http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/.

FGF&R wishes for everyone to have a fun, successful, and safe hunt this year. Pack according to the current fire danger and remember to stay updated on the restrictions taking place in your unit. Enjoy your hunting season, and good luck!

New GPS units help us find you.

For years when firefighters would visit with school aged children we would talk about calling 9-1-1 and how the children needed to know their address when they called. As times changed and technology progressed, if you called 9-1-1 from a phone connected directly to a wall jack, our enhanced computer aided dispatch system could tell where you were calling from based on the phone you were using. This greatly improved our ability to respond timely when we could not get the caller to tell us where they were because the computer would tell us exactly where the phone was located.

In the 1990's with cell phones becoming more prevalent this became much more difficult. People would call and were not sure of their address, dispatchers had to use landmarks to help the caller identify where they were close enough to be able to give us accurate information which took valuable time away from our response. In recent years the cell phone and dispatch technology has evolved so much that now our dispatchers can sometimes locate your place on earth by your cell phone signal. At our dispatch center in Tanasbourne a dispatcher could use their computer to determine the latitude and longitude of the callers location based on their cell phone signal. As people abandoned their traditional land line home phones for cell phones this became all the more important of a tool to be able to use.

Last week we installed Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) units in our Engine 421 and Rescue 4 that enable us to use this cell phone location information on our end and direct our crews right to the scene. This is so vitally important when you consider how much of our 85 square miles of response area is really rural. It could be a farmer in the middle of a field in Verboort having chest pains while moving his irrigation, a mountain bike rider who has crashed on one of the local trails, or a child calling for their sick mother from a home in the city, but we hope that these new GPS units will help us respond quicker when seconds really do count.

These small GPS units in our engine and rescue can have a big impact on our ability to respond to an incident quickly when the caller isn't sure of their location.

In addition to the ability that these units provide us to find people they also help others find us. We use air ambulance resources like Lifeflight quite often and with our GPS units we can tell the pilots exactly where the landing zone is located. Don't worry however, we aren't abandoning the more traditional methods like paper maps that are still carried on our engines, and our firefighters will still train on basic road and area familiarization, but these electronic tools are just one of the many ways that we are looking towards technology to become more efficient improve our service to the community.

It may be "cooling off" but our fire season is just now starting to heat up

All over Forest Grove air conditioners are running non stop, kids are playing in sprinklers, and fresh cool Hermiston water melons are being enjoyed for dessert. At the same time we are already getting that feeling that fall is coming - Monday Night Football was on last night, Pacific University students are starting to return to campus, and parents are buying school clothes and supplies and getting their kids to bed a bit earlier each night in anticipation of the arrival of school and the unofficial end of summer. It's important to remember however that in Oregon our wild fire season is really just getting started, and may still be more severe then we've seen in years.

In July the 15 acre fire on the slopes of David Hill was not only easily visible from anywhere in Forest Grove as the smoke drifted over our neighborhoods, but it was also one of the largest fires in our community in recent history. This weekend almost 80 acres burned just a few miles south of us in the northern part of Yamhill County. Just weeks ago the Rooster Rock Fire near Sisters threatened homes, and 800 acres currently burning near Grants Pass is in danger of doing the same. All over the northwest crews are working the fire lines waiting for the fall rains to arrive that will end fire season 2010.

This cell phone photo shows the smoke column from the David Hill Fire in July

Now is the time to remember the old phrase "It's always darkest just before the dawn". We all remember the long winter that stretched into the spring; this has allowed fuels such as brush and grass to be more abundant then normal years and the recent dry weather has made for tinder box like conditions around us. We hear every year about fires in southern and central Oregon, but northwest Oregon has not experienced a large fire in decades leaving us extra vulnerable and complacent when it comes to fire danger. But we are at risk and history proves it, until Southern Oregon's 2002 Biscuit Fire our very own 1933 Tillamook Burn was the largest fire in our state in generations, and it started on August 14th of that year. The 1933 Tillamook Burn destroyed over 240,000 acres of the very same timbered hillsides that we all see when we look west to watch the sunset or drive over the hill to visit the coast.

So what can we do? Even if it does cool down into the 70's this week and stays that way until the October rains arrive we cannot let our guard down. September can be one of the busiest months for brush fires, and just a few years ago we fought a stubborn October brush fire all night long with frost on the ground when we were done. Now is the time for caution and attention to everything we do outside. Carry a fire extinguisher in your car, make sure your lawn mower or tractor is in good working condition, put a little extra water on that old burn pile or campfire or pig roast pit and make sure it's out, and if the signs in your camp site say no camp fires please don't start one. If you see smoke call 9-1-1 immediately, fires can spread rapidly and we would rather check on a small fire then have to try and control one that is growing by the acre instead of the inch. If we work together we can make sure that the summer 2010 is rememberd for fun family activities instead of tragic wild fires.

Illegal Fireworks

In an effort to cut back on illegal fireworks we teamed with the Forest Grove Police Department to hit the streets on July 4th to enforce the city ordinance that prohibits illegal fireworks. For the night we reassigned one of our fire inspectors who otherwise worked a part time schedule during the day. He and a Forest Grove Police Officer traveled the city looking for illegal fireworks and trying to catch those in the act when they were using them.

Starting at 8:00 pm on July 4th and patrolling until 12:30 am on the morning of July 5th they were able to issue four citations for violation of the city code that prohibits possession and use of illegal fireworks. Each of these citation carries with it a fine of $1000, which is obviously significant to those that were caught. In addition to the four citations, they gave warnings to twenty others who were believed to have used illegal fireworks. Fire and Police agencies all over the metro area do this type of patrol every year, but this is the first of it's kind in Forest Grove. Hopefully in the future we can make a bigger dent on the illegal fireworks that are popular all over the city.

We hired back two additional firefighters for the evening hours on July 4th and assigned them to a Brush Unit. Our Brush units are large pickups that are equipped with special hose and equipment for fighting fires in brush and grass that are otherwise more difficult for a large fire engine to access. These two firefighters spent the evening with a much more friendly approach to fireworks safety. All told they met with 30 groups of people and discussed how to make safety part of their celebration.

Over the long Holiday weekend we only responded to one fireworks caused fire. The small fire was called in in the early morning hours of July 5th and started when fireworks that were already used remained hot enough that they caught the side of a house on fire. Damage was small because it was found in time and controlled by the home owner. Fireworks should always be soaked in water after they are used and left well away from anything that can burn.

With our close proximity to the state of Washington we see quite a bit of illegal in Oregon fireworks in the metro area. Hopefully next year people can weigh the risk of this significant fine when they travel north across the Columbia to try and make their holiday more exciting. Even a small packet of firecrackers can cost you if you are caught with them, so next year let's keep it safe, and keep it legal.

Backyard Campfires

Remember those memories of your childhood? Summer time spent around the campfire, telling stories, watching stars above, roasting hot dogs, and creating flaming marshmallows for those yummy but sticky s'mores. With families not taking those big vacations they were able to in years past, we are getting lots of questions about backyard campfires. If you already have a place for one, or are planning to have a campfire in your backyard hopefully we can help you do so safely.

First off, backyard campfires are considered by the fire code to be a recreational fire. They do not fall into the same category as yard debris burning, so even though yard debris burn season is closed right now, you can still have a backyard campfire. There may be a time where if the weather gets extremely dry that even recreational fires are banned, but right now they are allowed. If a total burn ban happens we will get the word out. If a backyard campfire is in your near future we offer this advice:

• Locate it well away from anything that can burn. It should be clear from trees, brush, landscaping, buildings, and fences. Dig the pit down a little and ring it with rocks or other non combustible material to help prevent fire spread. Keep the area clear around it so embers cannot escape and start unwanted fires. If you use a commercially made outdoor fire place the same advice is appropriate. Keep the area around it free of grass and anything that can burn.
  


• Use only small amounts of dry seasoned fire wood. We get dozens of complaint calls each year about smoke, and using dry fire wood will help you have a smoke free fire. Never burn treated outdoor wood, plastic, or garbage in your campfire.
  


• Be prepared and responsible for your fire. Have a garden hose and shovel handy to help control your fire and put it out when you are done. If you are having a campfire as part of a party at your home please make sure someone remains in control of the fire. This should be an adult who is not drinking and remains near the fire at all times.
  


• Use a spark screen over the fire pit so that embers and ash remain in the fire pit and not blowing into you or your neighbor's yard.
  


• When you are done make sure the fire is out. Completely soak the fire pit area with water and stir it with a shovel until no steam or smoke comes from it. Never leave the fire burning when you are done.
  

Agricultural Burning

With the spring backyard burn season ending last week we have been flooded with phone calls about agricultural burning. The big question has been "can I ag burn today even though backyard burning is closed?". We run into a number of issues in our rural areas where people are burning yard debris under the assumption that because they live in the "country" it is agricultural burning so hopefully this blog post will help answer those questions.

Here is the Oregon Department of Agriculture definition for agricultural burning (with hyper link to their website if you want more information):

"Agricultural Burning is the burning of any agriculture waste generated by an agricultural operation that uses, or intends to use, land primarily for the purpose of obtaining a profit by raising, harvesting, and selling crops or raising or selling animals (including poultry) or the products of animal husbandry. Prohibited materials, such as tires, cannot be burned even in an agricultural setting."

So basically to answer the question simply, it is only agricultural burning if you are burning debris from a farming operation that you profit from. Just because you live in the country you are not considered an agricultural burning operation by default, and even if you do operate a farm the material you are burning has to be part of the farming process to be considered agricultural burning. For instance a local hazelnut orchard cannot burn brush clippings from the yard outside of backyard burn season because they aren't burning the debris from the orchard itself, nor can someone with a couple of acres and a horse burn tree limbs under the agricultural burning rules.

So when can you burn your yard debris? Backyard burn season is determined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and is open twice a year. Spring burn season runs from March 1 to June 15 and fall season starts October 1 and ends December 15th. Based on air quality testing DEQ determines day to day during these times if burning will be allowed, they then pass this on to us to update our open burning hot line (503.992.3242). During the summer months the Washington County Fire Defense Board will typically close all burning, even ag burning, for fire safety reasons. If the weather dries out early or stays dry longer this burn ban can be during the typical backyard burn season so it is important to always call the open burning hot line to find out if you can burn today.

The Oregonian's Blog of the Week

Typically my Saturday morning routine is to get up early, sit down in the backyard (weather permitting) with a glass of tea and read the Oregonian newspaper. With all of the breaking news alerts on your smart phones, Twitter posts, and web based news services, reading the paper for news may seem old fashioned to many, yet at the same time I have always enjoyed getting my news from the words I read in a paper that was in my hand at the time. There is just something about reading these stories, and the ability that the reporters and editors have to tell the story that makes print media just as vital and relevant as ever. Don't get me wrong, I love social media and believe in it as a communication tool, so much so in fact that Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was one of the first fire departments in Oregon to use sites like Twitter to get our message out; but how much detail can you really get out of a 140 character "tweet" compared to an entire column in the local paper.

I try and read the Oregonian every day at some point, but I always pay attention to the Saturday addition. For one because it's the weekend and I have more time to read, but mainly because on Saturday the Oregonian runs a special section called Community News that showcases local stories from the communities and cities in the Portland Metro Area. Last Saturday as I sat in my back yard and flipped through the pages I came to something that was suddenly familiar. It was our blog post about driveways and emergency vehicle access and it was listed as the "Blog Of The Week".

On behalf of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, thank you to the staff at the Oregonian. Your staff and reporters have always been great to work with when they covered our emergency calls, they are always professional and do a first class job with the words they put together. Between the Forest Grove News Times, Hillsboro Argus, and the Oregonian we work with some pretty awesome print media reporters, photographers, and editors and we are always grateful for their coverage of our stories. There are also some great fire blogs out there, so we are especially honored by the selection as the Oregonian Blog of the Week.

Kitchen Fires

Even though the weather has been more like January then June, summer vacation will soon be upon us. Later this week, kids of all ages from the Forest Grove School District will turn in their last homework assignment, ride the bus home one last time, and be home again until September. For the older kids, especially if they are home without a parent, a summer responsibility might be to make their own meals. Hopefully when you talk to them about how to use the kitchen appliances you also consider safety a part of your chat.

Last week at the Fred Meyer Safety Fair, Cornelius Fire Department Lieutenant George Robards put on an excellent demonstration of how fast things can get out of hand in your kitchen. Using a standard sized cast iron skillet, George would heat up vegetable oil, simulating what happens when you leave the kitchen and stop paying attention to your cooking. Within minutes the oil would start to smoke eventually reaching a temperature so hot that the common cooking oil would ignite.

Small flames show up as the vegetable oil reaches it's automatic ignition temperature

Now a small fire in a pan can be a scary enough experience for most people. The key is to not react in the inappropriate way that can cause the small fire to get much larger. We all know that water can be an effective means of controlling some types of fire. Water does not work, and will actually make the fire conditions worse, when the fire involves a liquid such as vegetable oil. George continued his demonstration by carefully taking just one cup full of water and pouring it into the burning oil to show you the dangers of this often afterthought in an emergency.

The burning vegetable oil reacts violently when water is used to attempt to extinguish the fire

So what happened? At the time the vegetable oil ignited it was around 600 degrees. When you add the water, it instantly boils and the resulting steam explosion causes the vegetable oil to explode from the pan. This increases the surface area of the vegetable oil and can make for a very dangerous situation. Imagine the photo above inside your kitchen instead of the open air of the Fred Meyer parking lot, the damage to your home and the injuries to whoever puts the water on it would be devastating.

We offer these safety tips for your kitchen:

• Avoid wearing long sleeves and loose fitting clothes when you are cooking. These can drape into the burner and catch fire.
  
• Never leave the cooking unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you cook and pay attention to your cooking at all times.
  
• Keep the kitchen area clean, make sure that things that can burn like rags and food containers are well clear of things that get hot, like the toaster, coffee pot, and cook top.
  
• Before you start to cook make sure that you have a tight fitting lid and pot holder or oven mitt handy. If a fire happens in the pan, use a pot holder to carefully slide the pan lid into place (do not drop it). Turn the burner to the off position and call 9-1-1. Never attempt to carry a hot pan away from the cooking appliance.
  
• Have an ABC rated fire extinguisher ready to go in the kitchen. Talk to your family about how to use it and make sure that it is charged and accessible. Never use water on a grease fire.
  
• Even if you think the fire is out, call 9-1-1 and have us come check it out for you.
  
  

Can we get to your home to help you in an emergency?

Late last week a family in rural Forest Grove lost their shop building when it caught fire in the middle of the night. When firefighters arrived the building was completely involved with fire and had already collapsed. It took a dozen firefighters from FGF&R, Hillsboro, Gaston, and Cornelius to extinguish the flames and control the fire, however the situation could have been much worse.

Near the shop was another shop building, the family home, and a large amount of parked heavy construction vehicles and equipment, as well as the timbered woodlands that cover Blooming Fernhill. Had this fire occurred later in the summer when we typically get higher winds and the woods around us are considerably drier this could have easily spread up the hill. In these cases we need to get our equipment and firefighters in to fight the fire quickly so that we can control the spread. What we found last week with the shop fire was that the driveway was so steep with sharp turns, bare spots without gravel, and tightly lined with trees and brush, that we were only able to get one engine (with 4 firefighters) and a command vehicle to where the fire was. All of the other firefighters had to walk in from the main road, which took time and limited the amount of equipment that they could carry. In addition to this, when the fire was controlled we had very little room to turn our engine around.

So what can you do? Our driveway standards are pretty straightforward and are based on the Oregon Fire Code. There are a lot of things we look at in a driveway, but the 5 basic things include:

• Driveways that serve single homes need to be at least 12 feet wide and have a good solid all weather surface such as gravel, concrete, or asphalt. Multiple homes need to be 15 feet wide so that there is room for our engines and your neighbors to pass each other on the road. Make sure turns and corners aren't too tight and that the driveway isn't too steep.
  
• Cut back trees, limbs, and brush so that there is a clear height of 13 feet 6 inches for us to drive through. We hear all of the time that dump trucks can make it, why can't a fire engine? The reason is all of the equipment that we carry on top of our engines. From our emergency lights, radio antennas, and firefighting equipment all of this can be damaged by low hanging trees.
  
• If your driveway is really long (over 400 feet) help us by making wide spots every 400 feet where our fire engines can pass each other. On large fires we will need to bring multiple fire engines and water tenders that may be leaving the scene to go find a fire hydrant to fill with water and return.
  
• Is there a place to turnaround? Our engines and water tenders are quite long, so look at your driveway and determine if you could easily turnaround a big truck there. This is very important to us in times of large wild land fires where we are trying to defend homes from a forest fire. We need to be able to turnaround the engines quickly to get out if the fire becomes out of control and threatens the lives of our firefighters.
  
• Post your address, our green and white reflective address signs are free and can be ordered by calling the fire station at 503.992.3240.

If you need help call us, we would be happy to take a look at your driveway and help you determine what improvements you can make to help us.

Oregon Fire Service Meritorious Awards

Saturday May 22 was a special night for Forest Grove Fire & Rescue as one of our staff members was recognized by the Oregon Fire Chief's Association at their annual Fire Service Meritorious Awards Dinner. This year's event was held in Salem at the Salem Conference Center and was attended by over 400 fire service employees, volunteers, and leaders from all across Oregon. This year FGF&R Captain David Nemeyer was presented with the Award of Excellence because of his efforts serving the Forest Grove community.

FGF&R Captain David Nemeyer with Oregon State Fire Marshal Randy Simpson (left) and Oregon Fire Chief's Association President Mark Prince after David recieved the Award of Excellence

This is what the night's Master of Ceremonies Tim Birr had to say about David as he was on stage receiving the award:

"Captain Nemeyer serves as a Fire Prevention Officer with Forest Grove Fire and Rescue. He has become one of the fire service leaders in the utilization of social media to communicate with the public, which has improved public education, information and code enforcement in Washington County. Utilizing Facebook, Twitter and a blog, information on public education and safety programs can now be sent to the community quickly and efficiently. During a recent water rescue incident, Twitter followers were instantly informed of what the emergency vehicles were responding to and public information messages were posted, reminding people of the importance of wearing life jackets. Captain Nemeyer has also been instrumental in setting up the Western Washington County Fire Investigation Team to serve the community of Forest Grove and surrounding communities, resulting in increased investigatory depth, expertise and capability. He has provided public education programs to over 2,000 children in the Forest Grove School District. He has also coordinated the annual Christmas Toy Drive and is an active leader in the Washington County Safe Kids Coalition, becoming one of the recognized leaders in fire safety, public education and information in Oregon. Captain Nemeyer is the primary instructor and coordinator for the joint school district and fire department Fire Cadet program. He has also been a vital part of setting up a unique local committee of assisted living care facilities and nursing homes to improve partnership with the high-risk population that we serve."

Fire Investigator Training Comes to Forest Grove

On Saturday May 15th, firefighters from all over NW Oregon came to Forest Grove to attend the hands on portion of a basic fire investigation class. The students had previously received instruction on topics that ranged from legal aspects to burn pattern interpretation to photography and documentation, and was intended to prepare them to help their agency determine what causes the fires that they respond to. Mostly senior firefighters, the participants came from as far away as Warrenton on the Oregon Coast and Columbia River Fire & Rescue in St. Helens, and were instructed by Fire Investigators from FGF&R and the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal.

FGF&R Fire Inspector Matt Johnston works with a team from Cornelius and Warrenton to identify the cause of a living room fire

For the last few months we collected furniture and items typical of a modern home to set up the house at the corner of 18th Avenue and C Street with as real of a presentation as possible. Last Monday our firefighters created various "sets" inside the home to simulate different causes of fire. We created an arson situation using flammable liquids to start the fire, a youth set fire involving fireworks and matches, a kitchen fire started by unattended cooking, a living room fire that began by a person who smoked while using medical oxygen, and an electrical fire started by using too many extension cords in a bedroom. We extinguished the fires just as we would on a real fire and left the rooms intact for the fire investigators.

Our "set" involving what could happen if a person smokes while using oxygen begins to burn the couch in our living room scenario

When the students processed the scene they were expected to work as a team to determine each of the five fire causes. Starting from the outside of the home they made observations and worked their way towards the areas where the fire had created the most damage. Once there they carefully layered through the debris to find what they believed had caused the fire to start. Even in the vast blackness and destruction of the fire the new investigators were able to find and identify small items like cigarette filters, match sticks, and the remains of the flammable liquid bottle. Once done they were all expected to share their findings with one of the instructors and create documents to prove their theories.

Police Officers from the Forest Grove Police Department stopped by to chat with the new fire investigators about the role that police officers have on a fire investigation scene.

All together, almost 20 students attended the Saturday class. Many of which came from the western part of Washington County. FGF&R participates in a fire investigation team concept that uses trained fire investigators from our neighbors at Cornelius, Gaston, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, and Washington County Fire District 2 to work together on a fire scene. This training will allow us for a more experienced training pool to pull from when needed anywhere in the western part of Washington County.

Forest Grove Firefighters to add confined space rescue to their menu

One of the most overlooked dangers in our community is that which involves what we call a confined space. Basically a confined space is something that is large enough for a worker to get inside of and work, but is not designed to be constantly occupied and has limited options for the worker to be able to leave this area. We have these all around Forest Grove, they are the underground vaults that the utility workers use to supply us with sewer, power, and water; they are the silos that the farmer uses to store grain or seed in; confined spaces are the tanks that our industrial centers use in their processes. These confined spaces can be very dangerous for workers and for emergency crews. Often times they have dangerous gasses that build up inside of them because of the natural decomposition of plants, confined spaces can also lack oxygen sufficient enough for us to breathe, and they sometimes can have hazardous materials in them that can harm us if we work with them wrong.

Through a grant we were able to train our crews over the last month on how to respond to an emergency in a confined space. We worked with our neighbors at the Hillsboro Fire Department to provide this training for us, which took place over two full eight hour days for each of our three shifts of career firefighters. The first part of each day was spent in the classroom learning the materials that we would need to perform the hands on afternoon training safely. Firefighters practiced at the City of Forest Grove Water Treatment Plant. Using the almost 20 feet vault there to simulate a number of scenarios. Firefighters from FGF&R as well as the Cornelius and Hillsboro Fire Departments set up specialized equipment that we use to lower rescuers into a confined space, this include a tripod device that uses a pulley and rigging system to safely lower and raise a rescuer into the vault or tank. We also used ventilation equipment that can either provide clean fresh air into a confined space, as well as remove dangerous and toxic gasses so we can work. In addition firefighters trained with not only our traditional self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), but a new to us device called a supplied air respirator. This respirator is lighter weight and uses a hose from a bank of air cylinders that is kept a distance away so we can go in and work for longer periods of time then our SCBA will typically allow.

This training will help us better serve and respond to this potentially dangerous and life threatening type of emergency. Within the next few months firefighters will begin outfitting emergency vehicles and wrapping up training for all of our personnel to prepare us to respond if needed to a confined space emergency.

2009 Forest Grove Fire & Rescue Awards

It may seem funny that here we are a quarter of the way through 2010 and we at FGF&R are still thinking about 2009, but that's exactly what we did last Saturday at our Awards and Recognition Banquet. This event is held each spring to look back on the previous year to not only reward our staff and volunteers for a job well done, but recognize the sacrifices that our families make when we do our jobs.

C Shift Firefighter Brad Shinpaugh was selected by the staff and volunteers as the 2009 Rookie of the Year. Brad is highly regarded because of his easy going attitude and friendly personality. Brad coordinates our Community Emergency Response Team, which is a program that trains community neighbors on how to handle a major emergency or natural disaster. In 2009 Brad also worked to set up the "Fill the Boot" fundraiser that the International Association of Firefighters does every year with the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Volunteer Firefighter Ben Langbehn was recognized as the Volunteer Firefighter of the Year because as Fire Chief Michael Kinkade put it "When you consider what this young man did in 2009, attending paramedic school, completing his required clinical rotations and ambulance hours, working multiple part time jobs, and still making over 100 calls with us; he basically worked the equivalent of three full time jobs." Ben was one of our first high school Cadet Firefighters in 2001, worked his way through the Fire Science Program at PCC, and wrapped up the Paramedic Program at Chemekta Community College last fall, all the while he has remained dedicated to his hometown fire department. In 2009 he was one of our top volunteer responders, attended almost all public education events, and extra activities, and helped with our Christmas Toy Drive. Last month all of the years of hard work paid off for Ben as he was hired by the West Valley Fire District near Willamina, Oregon. Ben remains committed to Forest Grove and will still reside here and volunteer with FGF&R however, where he will be one of three volunteer paramedics.

Matt Rawls, Ben Langbehn, and Brad Shinpaugh with their awards after the banquet

Matt Rawls was not only the Master of Ceremonies for our banquet but he also received the Career Firefighter of the Year award. Our Career awards are voted on by the volunteers in our agency, and Matt was selected because of the support that he offers our volunteers. Matt works closely with our intern firefighters, providing them with support and guidance as they work through their fire and paramedic programs at the community colleges. He is regarded as one of the most enjoyable people to be around, and very rarely has a bad day. Matt and Ben have quite a few things in common, both were in our first Cadet class in 2001, each of them received their Paramedic training at Chemeketa Community College, and they both have worked for the West Valley Fire District. We hired Matt in 2008 and he is currently assigned to our C Shift as one of our Firefighter Paramedics.

It's a bit odd to write this next paragraph, as I was lucky enough to be honored as the Career Fire Officer of the Year, so bear with me as I speak in the third person. Fire Inspector David Nemeyer was presented with the Career Officer of the Year award because of his service to the extra projects that make FGF&R successful. David leads the High School Cadet Program, manages the day to day operations of our Fire Prevention Division, started our social media campaign, and in 2009 coordinated the Christmas Toy Drive Program that we do with the firefighters from Cornelius Fire & Rescue which provided over 1,000 local children with a new toy last holiday season.

Dexter Danielson may not put on the turnouts and fight the fires that we do, but he provides an often times overlooked but always appreciated service to our community. Dexter is our Chaplain, and with a rash of very serious calls in our area in 2009 Dexter was an invaluable part of our organization. While we work to solve the emergency at hand, Dexter works with the families and those affected. He offers our neighbors guidance and support, and when the emergency is over he supports the firefighters who deal with things that are often unimaginable. What's more he does it all out of his own kindness and desire to help others. The former Washington County Sheriff Deputy is highly regarded by our staff and was selected as our 2009 Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year.

Fire Chief Michael Kinkade (Left) presents Chaplain Dexter Danielson with the Volunteer Fire Officer of the Year Award

Finally the prestigious Fire Chief's award was presented to A Shift Firefighter Geoff McFarland. Geoff is one of the most outgoing and ambitious members of our entire department. In 2009 Geoff made a significant impact in the safety of our community when he coordinated our first ever car seat safety clinics. Geoff works closely with the Oregon Safe Kids to provide this invaluable service once a month in our city. As important and daunting this task may be, Geoff doesn't stop there. In 2009 Geoff and his wife Nicole organized our summer co-ed softball league, and with the help of their family also set up our annual awards banquet.

Congratulations to all of the award winners and our heartfelt appreciation to the families and loved ones that we all too often leave at home when we respond on emergencies.