Welcome Back Fireworks Season

Welcome back summer, welcome back to back yard barbecues, northwest Oregon style "warm" days, camping trips, and of course fireworks season.  Independence Day is just around the corner and already the sounds of celebration can be heard in our neighborhoods.  We are in a tough spot here in the Portland Metro Area, less than an hour from the State of Washington it's easy for our neighbors to make a run to Vancouver or Longview and pick up the usual roman candles, mortar shells, firecrackers, and bottle rockets that light up our evening sky this time of year.  Before you make that trip across the Columbia River we wanted to take a second to urge you about not only the dangers of illegal fireworks but caution you also the risk you take to your pocket book if you get caught using fireworks that aren't legal in Oregon.  

Getting caught in the City of Forest Grove with illegal fireworks is not just a violation of State Laws but it also violates our own locally adopted City Codes and Ordinances and can bring with it a $1,000 citation and invitation to plead your case in our Municipal Court.  If a Firefighter or Police Officer catches you with illegal fireworks in your possession you will lose your fireworks and it is up to the Officer if a citation will be issued.  This may seem silly to those that use illegal fireworks, but every year we get dozens of phone calls reporting illegal fireworks and generally speaking people are just not comfortable with them booming in their neighborhoods or shrieking into the sky above their homes.  Though illegal fireworks may be more enjoyable to some, they not only create a potential for fires and injuries, but are also responsible for anxiety to persons and pets.  Forest Grove Fire & Rescue is teaming up with our partners at the Forest Grove Police Department to hit the streets and patrol for illegal fireworks.  On both July 3rd and July 4th special task forces of police officers and firefighters will be out in our neighborhoods on the lookout for people violating these simple to follow Oregon laws and local ordinances.  The basic rule is that Oregon law bans possession, use, or sale of fireworks that fly, explode, or travel more than six feet on the ground or 12 inches into the air. Fireworks commonly called bottle rockets, Roman Candles, and firecrackers are ILLEGAL in Oregon.  

It's not just the illegal fireworks that firefighters are concerned with however.  Every year common fireworks that you can purchase at any stand here in Forest Grove are the ignition source for fires in both brush and structures.  This doesn't have to happen, if you use the fireworks in a safe place like a concrete, rocked, or paved area where there is no chance that sparks or hot fireworks can find their way into brush or against fences or buildings you should be just fine.  Sadly, many of these fires are actually started by children.  Our fireworks retailers do a pretty good job of keeping sales to adults only but kids will be kids and they often find the fireworks at home or from a friend and that leads to disaster.  Parents need to understand that fireworks are not toys and that they can be held financially and legally responsible for their children's actions and not only the damages caused, but the cost of fighting a fire caused by fireworks as well

Once you are done using fireworks the risk of fire isn't over just yet.  Give your fireworks a few minutes to cool down and then soak them with a garden hose and place them in a container full of water.  Locate this container away from the house, shed, brush, or fences and wait until they are well soaked before you throw them away.  Every year homes in the metro area receive damage from fires started by improperly disposed of fireworks that were not allowed enough time to cool off or placed inside plastic garbage cans next to the home.  

Have a safe Independence Day Holiday and why don't you leave the fireworks to the professionals.  Stop by the City of Forest Grove Old Time Fireworks Show and Independence Day Celebration on July 4th at Tom McCall Elementary School.  This family friendly event will start with live music from local singer songwriter Josh Smith at 8:30 pm and a fireworks show by Forest Grove's own pyrotechnician Chris Sutton.  No personal fireworks, alcohol, or tobacco will be allowed on school grounds, but feel free to bring a blanket and lay out on the fields and enjoy the show.   

Forest Grove's Firefighters Sponsor Fireworks Show

It's been quite a few years, but the feeling of patriotism is back in Forest Grove for 2012 as the Forest Grove Firefighter's Association is a proud sponsor of the return of an Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Show.  This family friendly event will be held on Wednesday July 4th on the fields at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School (1341 Pacific Avenue), and admission is free.

Live music from Forest Grove resident Josh Smith will kick off the celebration at 8:30 pm.  Josh is a former firefighter from Gaston who joined the United States Army in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  He served in combat during the war in Iraq and was honorably discharged from the Army in 2009.  Recently Josh took first place in the Portland Singer/Songwriter Showcase, his debut album titled "Honey Badger" is available on iTunes.

Once the sky turns dark at 10:00 pm the fireworks show will begin.  Local business owner, and licensed pyrotechnician, Chris Sutton will awe the crowd with a fireworks display worthy of the birthday of the greatest nation on Planet Earth.  We encourage those living close by to walk to the show, but parking is available at the Tom McCall campus parking lots which are located at 1255 and 1341 Pacific Avenue.  There will be excellent viewing from the fields north of Tom McCall East and Tom McCall West so bring a blanket to lay out on the grass and enjoy the show.  

This event is sponsored by the Forest Grove Firefighter's Association, Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce, and the Forest Grove Foundation.  Because of this sponsorship, there is no fee for admission to this year's event; however a $10.00 suggested donation will help sponsors pay for not only this, but future fireworks shows.  Your support helps keep this great tradition going.

This is a family friendly event that is being held on the grounds of the Forest Grove Public School District - no alcohol, tobacco, or personal fireworks are permitted on Forest Grove School District property.           

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Volunteer Fire Captain Bob Haney retires after 41 years of service to our community.

The year was 1971, the average cost of a new home was $25,000, a gallon of leaded gasoline cost .40 cents, Richard Nixon was still the President, and Led Zeppelin had just released their fourth album a vinyl record called IV.  In the midst of all of that a young man named Bob Haney, fresh from the US Navy and a tour off the coast of Vietnam on board the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga, had returned to his hometown.  Looking for a way to help out, Bob applied to be a volunteer firefighter here in Forest Grove.  Times were different then, the hundreds of hours of training needed to become a volunteer hadn't existed yet and Bob was handed a set of firefighting gear and learned as he went.  Bob worked up through the ranks at the Forest Grove Fire Department, eventually becoming a Captain and a Department Safety Officer, he was also honored as our Officer of the Year in 1989.  If you have been around the small town of Forest Grove you may already know Bob, he delivered mail for the US Postal Service for a number of years until his retirement from there just a few years ago, he made Forest Grove his hometown for life where along with his wife Debbie, they raised their children Victor and Jeni in the family home.  Almost as soon as he was old enough, his son Victor followed in Bob's footsteps and also became a volunteer firefighter in our community.

On June 4, 2012 after 41 years of service to the community Captain Bob Haney retired from service with the Forest Grove Fire Department.  Joined by family, friends, and fellow firefighters from the past and present, Bob celebrated his four decades of service with a retirement party at our Forest Grove Fire Station.  Kind words were said, funny stories were told, and honors were presented on the evening of June 4, and finally right at 6:30 p.m. our dispatch center issued a final call out for Captain Bob Haney, letting him know that all was under control and thanking him for his service to our community.  With that final ringing of the historic fire station bell Bob no longer needs to crawl out of bed in the odd hours of the night, or leave family events, or even a movie on television on a rainy afternoon and his volunteer firefighter service came to a close. 

Flanked by his wife Debbie and daughter Jeni, Bob takes one last photo in uniform along with his son Victor and his wife Megan and Bob's grandchildren in front of our Engine 421.

Victor Haney presented his father Bob with a polished brass firefighter's axe as a retirement gift to recognize the four decades of being a volunteer firefighter and serving the Forest Grove Firefighter's Association.

 

On behalf of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and a grateful community we want to thank Bob and Debbie Haney for over four decades of exceptional, dedicated, and heartfelt commitment to serving the citizens of the City of Forest Grove and the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District. 

Local Life Saver Recieves FGF&R Citizen's Service Award

It's National Emergency Medical Services Week!  During this week in May every year the Forest Grove City Council  recognizes the work that first responders do in the community to provide critical life saving care to those in need.  This year EMS Week has a special meaning for our firefighters however, in the last year a man's life was saved in part because of the work of our Paramedics, but mostly because of the quick actions of a local woman to save the life of one of her employees.  At the May 14, 2012 Forest Grove City Council meeting, Fire Chief Michael Kinkade was honored to present Phoebe Reinecker with the Forest Grove Citizen's Service Award to recognize her inspiring story of how effective CPR can make a difference and save a life.

Phoebe Reinecker receives the FGF&R Citizen's Service Award from Fire Chief Michael Kinkade

On the afternoon October 24, 2011, Phoebe Reinecker, a longtime resident of our community and owner of Reinecker Nursery, was in her home office, the work day almost done, when she heard one of her employees call for help.  An otherwise healthy man in his early fifties, and longtime employee of her small horticulture business near Forest Grove, had suddenly gone into cardiac arrest and had collapsed near one of the greenhouses.  Reacting quickly Phoebe made the one hundred yard dash to the man who was unconscious and not breathing.  Knowing exactly what to do, Phoebe began to apply very effective CPR to the man she had worked with for so long. 

The American Heart Association created the term “Chain of Survival” to describe how timing is everything when it comes to a successful resuscitation of a cardiac arrest victim, and this case shows exactly how essential this timing really is.  With her swift actions, Mrs. Reinecker effectively connected the first two links (early access to 9-1-1, and early CPR) of the chain of survival.  When Paramedic/Firefighters from the Forest Grove Fire Station arrived within five minutes they were able to provide the other two links of the chain that include cardiac defibrillation for the unconscious man as well as advanced life support care.  These steps combined with Mrs. Reinecker’s earlier response restarted the man’s heart; by the time that he had arrived at Tuality Hospital in nearby Hillsboro, the man had even started to wake up and begin to speak.  Within a matter of weeks, after a successful heart surgery, he had returned to work and is still there to this day helping the family owned company grow beautiful flowers and horticulture products. 

 Local life saver Phoebe Reinecker with her husband Mike, and the FGF&R crew that took over for her effective CPR that saved a life of one of her employees last October

Sadly, most sudden cardiac arrest calls do not end this way, in fact less than 8% of victims of sudden cardiac arrest survive the event and the damage it causes to the human body.  What's amazing in this family's story is that even though this is Mrs. Reinecker's first time doing CPR on a live person, this is not the first time that a life has been saved on her property.  Around 1987 a 19 month old boy crawled into a covered swimming pool and was rescued by Phoebe's husband Mike and the boy's father.  Effective CPR was given in that incident too, and just  a few years ago that boy graduated from the Air Force Academy as a young man.   In almost every incident where a victim of sudden cardiac arrest survives it is because someone helped them with early and effective CPR, which can cause survival rates to double or triple in some instances.  There is no doubt that in this incident the man is able to be among us today because of the calm yet quick actions that Mrs. Reinecker took to save his life.  If you have a few hours, take a friends and family CPR course, you never know when the things you learn will help you save a life.    

Fire Destroys Home in Rural Washington County

Firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue (FGF&R) were alerted to a house fire at 3:22AM on Friday May 11, 2012 located at 58166 NW Wilson River Highway near the community of Glenwood. Firefighters arrived approximately 20 minutes after being dispatched to find a double wide manufactured home that had burned to the ground with large amounts of fire still showing. Fire crews used multiple hose lines to extinguish most of the fire and contain it to the house; they also had to work around a dangerous power line that was burned to the ground.

The two residents arrived home to find their home on fire. While the husband tried moving vehicles near the burning house, the wife had to travel over two miles to call 9-1-1 from a cell phone. Limited information was given to dispatchers due to the call being dropped after a couple minutes with poor cell phone service in the area. The wife was then able to flag down a passing motorist to assist her by going to a nearby neighbor to call 9-1-1 on a standard phone.

Due to the location being in a rural area, it was an extended response time for the emergency crews to arrive on scene. Also with no fire hydrant near the house, water tenders were used to shuttle water into the scene to fight the flames. Crews had to travel six miles to get additional water from a fire hydrant in the community of Gales Creek.

Firefighters remained on scene for almost four hours extinguishing hot spots. The house and its contents are considered a complete loss. Also near to the house was a boat, travel trailer and multiple other small vehicles, they were all destroyed. At this time a total damage estimate is not available and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Firefighters control roof fire in one hunred year old barn

Just before 1:30 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012 firefighters from Forest Grove, Banks, North Plains, and Cornelius were called to a barn fire in the 8000 block of NW Spreadborough Lane in the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District.  When firefighters arrived they found a large, two story barn, that had been on the small family farm property for over 100 years that had light smoke coming from the roof.  Firefighters went to work, using ladders to climb inside the cavernous barn structure to spray water on the fire that was burning slowly in the roof of the old wooden barn.  Once they felt like the fire was under control, they called for the thirty five foot tall ladder from Forest Grove's ladder truck to scale the west wall of the barn and cut away the burned roofing and eave structure so that they were sure the fire was out.  Fire Investigators confirmed the property owner's statements that earlier this afternoon he had been burning yard debris on a nearby burn pile when   Fortunately, the barn was empty this time of year and the fire did not spread beyond the roof area.  There were no injuries as a result of this fire, which caused an estimated $5,000 in damage to the roof..  Please be cautious when burning, never burn near structures, brush, or fences and always attend your burn pile with a garden hose and firefighting tools at all times.

   

It's Wildfire Awareness Week!

We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of Oregon. Forest Grove is surrounded by agriculture to the north and south and to the west the Oregon Coast Range beckons us with it's ability to recharge our batteries with a bounty of recreational adventures. Almost all of us have taken in what the Tillamook State Forest and surrounding timber lands have to offer; some of us are lucky enough to live right in the foothills with the forest as our backyard, a lot of us have hiked or taken an ATV on one of the trails that meander through the shaded trees, while some enjoy the bone chilling waters of the Wilson River on a hot August day, and almost everyone has taken a drive to the beach and gazed upon the stunning views from the north coast highways. Imagine stepping back in time and instead of a green forest shaded your drive, all that you see are blackened trees, their bark charred from the raging fires that burned across the land; instead of sitting in your yard and watching a pink sky sunset on a summer evening the sun is obscured by billowing smoke clouds as the forest burns below. This hasn't happened in northwest Oregon since 1951, but it can and likely will happen again and it's our responsibility to be ready for it. That's why Governors from Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California have declared this week to be "Wildfire Awareness Week" and even though we are hopefully a few weeks away from the traditional time when the first significant brush fires usually occur in our area now is the perfect time to get your home and property ready for fire season.

A US Agriculture Department photo of the 1933 Tillamook Burn Fire that destroyed 311,000 acres west of Forest Grove

Here's the deal for northwest Oregon residents, if we want to prevent a wildfire tragedy in our area the first step is that we choose to live responsibly. We just don't get the lightning storms that other parts of our state get, so when we have wildfires we have only ourselves to blame. A vast majority of our wildfires are caused by carelessness or poor decision making and it's up to us to make sure that we prevent this from happening during this summers fire season. In 2010 a campfire was left burning on David Hill Road and spread to nearly 14 acres of private timber land and came within a few hundred yards of nearby homes before firefighters could get a handle on it, during the highest fire danger point of the summer of 2011 a man using a cutting torch near Gaston caught a few acres of grass on fire and luckily firefighters stopped the fire within feet of a nearby home. Situations like these repeat themselves year after year in our area. We can do better, make sure our spring burn piles are out and never burn or use open flames outside once fire season starts. Pay attention to what we are doing and have tools handy to control a fire if you do have to work on your car or machinery with dry grass or brush nearby. 

We are a few weeks away from the traditional start of our fire season, but now is the perfect time to get your property ready for the summer months. Start by taking a look at your roof, if you live with the woods nearby we encourage you to consider fire resistive roof construction but if you can't afford a new roof right now you can still help by cleaning your roof, eaves, and gutters, and removing the build up of moss, leaves, and tree needles. Next take a look around the house and make sure that within 30 feet of your home you have an adequate fire break to protect your home from a wildfire. Remove all dead vegetation within this area, as well as any brush, trees, grasses, or even fire wood that come in direct contact with your home. Beyond this initial 30 feet take a close look at your "secondary fire break" and clear any dead vegetation, tall grass, and dense trees or brush, within 8 feet of the ground for 100 feet around your home. Finally make sure your driveway is accessible and clear enough (at least 12 feet wide and 14 feet of overhead clearance from limbs) for fire engines to get to your home and that you have a nicely marked address sign so that we can find your home quickly.