Turn Around - Don't Drown

For those of you waiting for spring to get here we know it's a bit depressing, but northwest Oregon is still a few months away from sunny and warm weather, so for now we are all dealing with the heavy gray clouds and rainy weather. Around Forest Grove this liquid sunshine is creating havoc with our roadways and some of our most traveled routes are flooded and closed. Even though barricades are up in places and signs say "HIGH WATER" or "ROAD CLOSED" people still try and drive through these flooded areas and more often then not this causes a very dangerous situation to occur.

SW Fernhill Road is one of the most commonly flooded roads in Forest Grove

Most of us do not realize that as little as six inches of water can cause your car to actually float away. In places like where the Tualatin River floods SW Fernhill Road the river's current can actually be strong enough to not only float your car but push it downstream rather quickly. The same can be said for B Street where Gales Creek often floods over the popular route into Forest Grove from the south. For some types of cars, it takes even less water to flood your engine and cause it to stall. These are common situations that we deal with each year when people try and drive around these barricades and go through the flooded streets.

Firefighters practice using our rescue boat at Hagg Lake earlier today

Firefighters are out today training for these situations. At Hagg Lake we are working right now on training firefighters on safe boat operation, and later today we will be out in the flooded Fernhill Wetlands practicing in the dangerous current of the Tualatin River that has flooded over its' banks. Please help us so that we never have to put this training to use. If you come across a place where water is over the road carefully turn around and find another route. It may look shallow enough but it can be deceiving as the water can hide hazards like potholes and places where it has actually damaged the roadway making it hazardous to drive. In some places the roadway may actually not be visible and we have found people that crashed into the ditch when they lost track of where the road because of the water flowing over it. Please remember to turn around and don't drown when it comes to flooded roads in Washington County.

Are your numbers up?

We are in the middle of the winter season. Nights are longer now then they are all year and couple that with increased darkness from rain, fog, and other wintry weather and it can be quite difficult for us to see your address numbers. This inability to see your address quickly can delay our service to you and in an emergency where seconds really do count this could make a big difference in the outcome of the call. This is especially true in the rural areas where homes are sometimes located on longer driveways and are not always visible from the road.



So what can you do? It may sound cliche, but help us help you. Make sure that your address numbers are posted so that they are clearly visible from both directions of travel on the roadway to your home. Each number should be four inches tall and the colors need to contrast their background so that they stand out and can be easily seen. To some this can seem straight forward, but to others this task of where to put the numbers and get them up correctly can be quite daunting so we're here to help you. You can call 503.992.3240 and order a free address sign from us and our crews will even put it up for you and make sure that it is in the right spot. The signs come with white reflective numbers attached to a green reflective sign. All signs are 12 inches by 6 inches and are made out of aluminum so that they won't rust. For the rural residents that share driveways with other neighbors or agricultural or forestry roads we will even evaluate your sign needs to make sure that enough signs are in place to point us to your house.






These signs not only benefit emergency responders but they can help delivery drivers bringing everything from pizza to parcels, out of town guests, and others find your home more effectively. Again, these signs can be ordered for free by calling our Administration Office at 503.992.3240. Turnaround time from order to install is usually around three to four weeks.

Toy Drive helps over 1,000 local kids

Christmas was almost two weeks ago but firefighters are wrapping up their work and closing the book on Toy Drive 2010. Demand was high again as starting in October and as late as Christmas Day families came in record numbers to request assistance through out program. When it was all said and done approximately 170 families in Forest Grove, and 100 in Cornelius asked for assistance this year. All together over 1,000 children in the Forest Grove and Cornelius community were able to wake up on Christmas morning and receive a gift that they otherwise would not have been able to.

We did not accomplish this on our own however as local schools, businesses, civic groups, churches, and countless individuals helped our efforts. We would like to especially thank the following groups for their support of this year's project.

City Club of Forest Grove
Forest Grove United Church of Christ
Forest Grove Movie Theatre and Cornelius Cinemas
Stephanie Lommen Attorney at Law
John L. Scott Market Center
Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce
Forest Grove High School Staff and Students
Mrs. Schramm's Kindergarten Class at Gales Creek Elementary School
Mrs. Bond's Kindergarten Classes at Harvey Clarke Elementary School
Mrs. Vandehey's Kindergarten Classes at Harvey Clarke Elementary School
Forest Grove School District Administration Office Staff
Joseph Gale Elementary School Staff and Students
Summit Pointe Neighborhood Association
Cornelius Walmart
KGW News Channel 8
Stimson Lumber Employees
Forest Vila Apartment Residents
Forest Grove Les Schwab
City of Forest Grove employees
Cornelius Dutch Bros. Coffee

The "Toy Room" at Station 4 just before Christmas Week

All of these business and local groups put bins up and brought in donated items for us to get to the right families. The week before Christmas our firefighters started to sort through the massive pile of toys that had amassed in our Station 4 Conference Room organizing all of it and finally taking one afternoon to go through and find the perfect gift for an 8 year old boy or a 3 year old girl. With Christmas music playing in the background it took volunteers just over one hour to fill orders for 157 families, and the line began to form outside Station 4 as people came in to pick up their gift baskets. On December 26th Firefighters loaded up the small amount of items that were left over and put them in storage for families that need help throughout the year or to help at Christmas 2011.

Thank you Forest Grove and Cornelius for donating items and showing your generosity once again in 2010. We look forward to a day when this project is not needed in our community but we are so thankful that you are here to make it happen!

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!