Firefighters honored at annual awards banquet

Each spring the Forest Grove and Cornelius Firefighter Associations sponsor an event to showcase and honor the work of some of our people over the course of the year.  Alongside our loved ones, we gathered last Friday at the Sonrise Church in Forest Grove to recognize some of the special individual and team efforts that made a difference in Forest Grove and Cornelius in 2012.

Awards and Honors Presented at the Event:

Years of Service Recognition

5 years of service 2007-2012

• Firefighter Chad Toomey, Volunteer's Derek Cardelli, Robert Conrath, and Chaplain Dexter Danielson, Career Lieutenant Phil Duncan

 10 years of service 2002 -2012

•  Captain Steve Black

 15 years of service 1997-2012

• Volunteer Lieutenant Stephan Prichard, Administrative Assistant Sharon Cox

 20 years of service 1992-2012

• Volunteer Battalion Chief Rob Hutchens, Fire Inspector Chris Woodford

 25 years of service 1987-2012

• Lieutenant Tad Buckingham

35 years of service 1977-2012

• Volunteer Division Chief Rick Schneider

Unit Citation Awards:

Unit Citation Awards are given on a case by case basis to teams of firefighters that work together during an emergency response where a significant positive outcome occurred.  

Captain Dwight Lanter, Fire Inspector Chris Woodford, Firefighters Matt Rawls, Ted Penge, Volunteer Lieutenant Brooke Brown, and Intern Emmett Middaugh for their actions on 29, April 2012 that led to the successful rescue of an unconscious trapped apartment fire victim.
Volunteer Interns Colin Scott and Andrew Jensen for their actions on September 18, 2012 that led to the successful resuscitation of a cardiac arrest victim in the 600 block of South 5th Avenue in Cornelius.  

C Shift Captain Marc Reckmann, Volunteer Lieutenants Ty Augustine and John Phelan, and Volunteer Firefighters Andrea Pumarejo, Andrew Jensen, Steven Morelan, Derek Cardelli, and Steven Grieson for their actions that led to the successful resuscitation of a cardiac arrest victim on 30 July 2012. 

Award of Excellence:

The Award of Excellence Commendation was presented for the first time ever at this year's banquet, going to Support Volunteer Andrew Lanter.  Andrew is part of our non combat volunteer program and in 2012 he led efforts to update and improve the joint fire and police command and special operations trailer.  Over the course of the year Drew also coordinated two very successful fundraisers for the non profit firefighter's association, as well as organized our department's participation in Forest Grove's annual Founder's Day Corn Roast where we are tasked with keeping the fires burning that roast the corn. 

 Fire Chief's Commendations:

Each year the Fire Chief personally selects one person from each department to recongize with the Fire Chief's Commendation.  This is an award that goes to those people that Chief Kinkade feels best exemplify the values, mission, and goals of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and the Cornelius Fire Department.  

For his outstanding work in the field of emergency medicine that in 2012 included taking part in a number of protocol studies, and countless hours of work to ensure that our firefighters and EMT's are always ready to respond with nothing but the highest training and care possible, Fire Chief Michael Kinkade presented his annual Forest Grove Fire Chief's Commendation to Firefighter/Paramedic Will Murphy. 

Chief Kinkade presented the Cornelius Fire Chief's Commendation to Fire Prevention Matt Johnston.  He recognized Matt for his dedication to improving the departments communication systems in 2012 that included updated radio and satellite phone systems.  Matt also received this award for his work to revamp the fire inspection program and create a regular routine fire safety inspection system for businesses in the city of Cornelius.   

Rookies of the Year:

Intern Jordan Ruiz (FGF&R), and Volunteer Firefighter Garth Culbertson (CFD) earned the Rookie of the Year award for 2012 because of their dedication and service to the department and community.  Both were recognized for things that go above and beyond their charisma, and engaging personality.  Jordan for some of the work that he has done to not only learn as an intern, but to provide training in the field of emergency medicine where he is currently a Paramedic, and Garth for his outstanding dedication and involvement with station duties and community programs. 

Firefighters of the Year:

Volunteer Jeff Bade & Career Firefighter Tony Carter (FGF&R), and Volunteer Kevin Ritcheson (CFD).  These men were recognized for their involvement in a variety of projects that they organized and carried through to fruition.  Jeff Bade has revised the department's pre-fire planning programs and is working diligently to improve these documents by having them available on the computers that are installed in the apparatus.  Tony Carter received high marks for his interaction with the volunteer firefighters, and a selfless compassion to remain a positive mentor to those around him.  Kevin Ritcheson has worked in the last year to improve the community of Cornelius through safety and prevention.  He has led the department's public education efforts, and recently brought a child safety seat inspection program to Cornelius for the first time.    

Officers of the Year:

Volunteer Battalion Chief Rob Hutchens & Fire Inspector Chris Woodford (FGF&R), and Volunteer Lieutenant Jason Lawson (CFD).  Officer of the Year awards go beyond the typical leadership role that is expected of every officer in our agencies.  Rob Hutchens was honored with this award because of his exceptional dedication to training new firefighters and helping others progress in their careers.  Rob, a Captain with the Portland Fire Bureau, coordinates an educational seminar that prepares firefighters for the stressful situations that come with entry level and promotional examinations and interview processes, in 2012 he assisted dozens of Cornelius and Forest Grove Firefighters with hiring processes here and elsewhere.  Chris Woodford has led our water rescue program since inception, he was nominated for this award because of the amount of time and efforts he has put into firefighter training in not just our water rescue program, but for some of the unique and new training props and aids he has built for firefighters to work with at our stations.  Jason Lawson, a volunteer at both Cornelius and Forest Grove, remains one of our consistently dedicated volunteers.  He regularly fills the voids in the much smaller, and lighter staffed, Cornelius Fire Station; taking time away from his family to help create a safer situation in Cornelius.  In 2012 Jason led fire prevention efforts at the Pacific University Campus where he is employed, and he also coordinated firefighter training on campus to help make our crews more familiar with the campus and their buildings.

     

 

From College Intern to full time Firefighter Cassie Knierim is ready to work

After recent federal grant funding allowed for a series of promotions across the shifts of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, we didn't have to go far to fill the final void at the Firefighter rank.  Starting April 8th, our very own college intern Cassandra "Cassie" Knierim will make the switch and join our full time Firefighter ranks. 

With the anticipation of grant moneys impacting the department's ranks, FGF&R began a competitive hiring process last fall that brought around 100 candidates from all across the Pacific Northwest into Forest Grove for testing.  After achieving one of the highest scores on what candidates described as a "grueling" written test, Cassie was invited back for the physical evaluation and oral interview board where she continued to excel, wowing the interview panel to earn a final one on one interview with Fire Chief Michael Kinkade.

Upon completing interviews with the final five candidates, Chief Kinkade first went to Chad Toomey to fill the initial firefighter opening, but when another position opened he knew immediately that Cassie was the right fit for Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and the community of Forest Grove.  For starters the twenty four year old avid outdoors enthusiast brings a tremendous amount of ability and education to Forest Grove.  Part of what set Cassie apart is her tremendous knowledge and education, she earned a degree in physics from Montana State University, and completed an internship focused on firefighter safety tools with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  During her interviews Cassie referenced how her educational background and science knowledge was something she that she believed separated her from other candidates, and that she had future goals of using these experiences to bring a more scientific look at how firefighters do things.  As the fire service has evolved and continues to change, we expect that Cassie's science background will be able to improve not only firefighter safety but our way of responding to emergencies in Forest Grove.  Cassie will be initially assigned to a training regiment to help transition her from intern to paid firefighter, but once she completes that process she will join one of our three shifts where she will be the second full time female firefighter in the 119 year history of our agency.

Welcome aboard Cassie, we are excited to work with you!   

Extrication academy prepares new firefighters to respond to motor vehicle accidents

From March 23 to 24th a group of Forest Grove and Cornelius Firefighters spent the first weekend of "spring break" learning the essential skill of what we call "vehicle extrication" during our annual Extrication Academy.  For our volunteers the training doesn't stop once you finish your initial firefighter classes.  We provide opportunities throughout the year for them to increase their awareness of things like emergency medicine and more advanced rescue techniques, and last weekend they focused on the art of cutting cars.

With Oregon Highways 6, 8, and 47 bisecting our response area we naturally respond on a considerable amount of motor vehicle crashes, so it's essential that our responders are up to speed on the modern art of safely removing injured people who are trapped inside the crunched confines of their car.  Over the weekend we worked with a number of donated cars from local towing companies and wrecking yards at the City of Cornelius Public Works yard.  We crunched the cars, flipped them over, made them impact each other, and created other real life situations that our crews have experienced or expect to respond to on our rural highways or city streets.  Lead instructor, C Shift Paramedic, Ted Penge brings decades of vehicle extraction training and experience into what he calls "The Extrication Academy" where he puts some of our newest members through the paces of reviewing how vehicles are constructed, and a variety of methods that they can use to work safely to quickly remove an injured passenger or driver from their car.  Ted worked with about a dozen students from the two fire departments preparing them to not only work as individual crews, but work together to accomplish their objectives, and to get them ready for those unfortunate motor vehicle accidents that happen in our area. 

Familar Faces in New Roles at Forest Grove Fire & Rescue

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue is proud to announce that after receiving the second grant in six months from the FEMA SAFER program, staffing changes are underway at the Forest Grove Fire Station.  SAFER stands for Staffing For Adequate Fire & Emergency Response and is a grant program with the goal of enhancing the fire departments’ abilities to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards established by national guidelines.  This $263,360 federal grant that was awarded in December 2012, will allow the fire department to replace one Captain position that was lost in the City hiring freeze of 2009.

After a competitive process Fire Chief Michael Kinkade has promoted Chris Woodford to the rank of Captain to fill the requirements of this grant.  In 1992 Chris joined FGF&R as a volunteer, and in 1996 he became one of the first full time Paramedics for the agency.  Chris has been a shift Lieutenant with the organization since 2007, and his new position as Captain will move him into a daytime schedule role where he will be assigned to the Fire Prevention Division.  Having Chris on duty during the normal work day will not only allow for greater emergency response abilities during the daytime hours when our volunteer responses have become increasingly more difficult to maintain, but it will also enable Chris to work as the department’s only full time Fire Inspector (a position that was vacated in 2009) where he will be visiting businesses in an effort to prevent fires from occurring in the first place.  Chief Kinkade said this about the Fire Inspector promotion: “Chris has an extensive background as a business owner, carpenter, and contractor that make him a perfect fit for our Fire Inspector position, the fact that we will now also have an additional Paramedic on duty during the daytime hours that can fill any role needed on an fire engine is huge for our ability to respond to calls during the day.”

New Fire Inspector, Captain Chris Woodford

The trickle down of promoting Chris to Captain, opened up a shift Lieutenant position that will be immediately filled by Firefighter Tony Carter.  This promotion is a long time coming for Tony who began as a college student “sleeper” with our fire department after he graduated from Forest Grove High School in 1996.  Tony went to work for our department full time in 2005 according to Chief Kinkade “Tony is so well respected by our staff and volunteers, and he is the natural servant leader type that the modern fire service needs.  His mentoring ability and experience in fighting wildfires for the Oregon Department of Forestry are some of the countless things that Tony brings to the table to improve the leadership team at FGF&R.”

New C Shift Lieutenant Tony Carter

This $263,360 grant will fund one hundred percent of the wages and benefits for the Captain’s position for the next two years and will allow FGF&R to return to full staffing for the first time since 2009.  Combined with the four year volunteer recruitment position that was grant funded in the fall of 2012 there will be a total of one additional full time employee on staff compared to previous years, bringing the total line firefighter staffing of the department to 15 sworn firefighters divided between three 24 hour shifts, in addition to the two grant funded daytime positions.

FIREFIGHTERS CLIMB FOR A CURE

After months of strenuous workout routines, watching their diets, and many trips into Portland to practice on the stairs at the US Bank Corp Tower, the hard of our firefighters work paid off last weekend in Seattle.  On Sunday, March 10,  the efforts of teams of firefighters from Forest Grove and Cornelius culminated with the annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb up the sixty-nine floors of stairs of downtown Seattle's Columbia Center and in the end all of the hard work was for a good cause.  In total over $20,000 was raised by the teams from Forest Grove and Cornelius that will go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which is the benefactor of this annual event billed as the largest firefighter competition in the world. 

The intimidating Columbia Center loomed over I-5 as the team entered Seattle

Team Results for the Forest Grove Team

Keith Baas  17 minutes 52 seconds finished 318th overall

Jay Edwards 20 minutes 8 seconds finished 607th overall

Robert Webb 21 minutes 17 seconds finished 748th overall

Ivan Bratchuk 21 minutes 18 seconds finished 750th overall

Will Murphy 27 minutes 4 seconds finished 1141st overall

Tony Carter 29 minutes 11 seconds finished 1218th overall

Emmett Middaugh 29 minutes 59 seconds finished 1243rd overall

Cassie Knierim 33 minutes 57 seconds finished 1325th overall

Nick Chan 34 minutes 35 seconds finished 1336th overall

The Stair Climb Teams from Forest Grove and Cornelius get ready to go to work

Team results for the Cornelius Team

Phil Duncan 15 minutes 46 seconds finished 115th overall

James Callahan 17 minutes 36 seconds finished 286th overall

Colin Scott 18 minutes 33 seconds finished 403rd overall 

Robert Conrath 19 minutes 25 seconds finished 511th overall

Michael Davis 19 minutes 52 seconds finished 570th overall

Mark Patterson 20 minutes 13 seconds finished 625th overall

Thomas Schilling 21 minutes 55 seconds finished 819th overall

Garth Culbertson 22 minutes 28 seconds finished 874th overall

Andrew Jensen 22 minutes 33 seconds finished 884th overall

Trevor Storms 25 minutes 5 seconds finished 1041st overall

Derek Cardelli 28 minutes 5 seconds finished 1180th overall

Jason Lawson 28 minutes 47 seconds finished 1202nd overall

Byron Steinke 33 minutes 37 seconds finished 1315th overall

Steve Black 34 minutes 48 seconds finished 1341st overall

Kevin Ritcheson 42 minutes 34 seconds finished 1416th overall

Cornelius Captain Steve Black's helmet with the photos to motivate him to climb

FGF&R Volunteer Jay Edwards was the first to start his climb up Columbia Center, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River and much taller than anything in Forest Grove or Cornelius

Six year old girl becomes honorary firefighter

The fire department family at Forest Grove Fire & Rescue grew by one additional member Thursday afternoon as Fire Chief Michael Kinkade presented the badge of Honorary Firefighter to six year Faith Canfield in recognition of the her heroic fight against cancer. 

For the last few months as the firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and the Cornelius Fire Department have been practicing for the upcoming Seattle Stair Climb competition they have been motivated to climb by a very special little girl. Six year old Faith Canfield found out just over a year ago that she had Leukemia, one of her friends is the daughter of longtime Forest Grove Volunteer Firefighter Nick Chan and he thought that little Faith would be the perfect motivator for the team of firefighters that have been raising money as part of the Scott Stairclimb, which takes place every March in Seattle and is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  On a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon in the fire truck bay of Fire Station 4 and surrounded by her family, friends, and firefighters from Forest Grove and Cornelius, Fire Chief Michael Kinkade talked to Faith about what it means to be a firefighter.  Speaking of the heroic fight she is putting up to rid her body of cancer for good, and how her name Faith alone is an inspiration and a motivator to those around her, including the firefighters that will be making the arduous climb on Sunday with her on their minds.  As the ceremony closed, Chief Kinkade presented young Faith with the silver firefighters badge and gently pinned it to her shirt.  

 
This coming Sunday, March 10, 2013, a group of twenty six Forest Grove and Cornelius firefighters will be putting on full firefighter combat gear and hooking up to their self contained breathing apparatus as they begin the climb up the 69 floors of the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle, Washington. Even though there isn’t a building in our two cities that is over four stories tall, we participate in this event, the largest firefighter competition in the world, to raise money and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. This year the team of firefighters raised over $11,900 that will go straight to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fund research into finding a cure for these terrible diseases.  As they climb the stairs with burning legs and sweat pouring from their pores, when they think about quitting they will think about Faith and how her fight is much more difficult than anything they'll attempt and they will keep pushing to get to the top, to help beautiful little Faith keep up her fight.

You can help us raise money to fight this terrible disease.  Donations can be made here on our team page for the Seattle Stair Climb
 
 

 

Change Your Clocks Check Your Smoke Alarms

Daylight saving's time starts this Sunday at 2:00 am.  Over the years the fire service has done a great job of getting the message out that when you change your clocks you should also change the batteries in the smoke alarms that protect your home.  Oregon's a unique state though, where you may not necessarily need to change your batteries this weekend, and where even doing so could make your home less safe!

In 1998 the Oregon legislature passed a law that required all ionization type smoke alarms that receive their power from a battery to have a battery capable of lasting 10 years.  This meant that our old friend the 9 volt alkaline battery was being replaced by it's stronger cousin the lithium ion battery.  On the outside these batteries look the same, they are still that classic rectangle shape with the two round connections on one end, it's the inside of the battery where the chemicals that store the energy are located that there's a difference.  Science has shown that the lithium ion battery is capable of outlasting the alkaline powered batteries of yesterday.  

So what does all of this mean, and what exactly are you supposed to do when you go and change your clocks this weekend?  What we suggest is that when you change your clocks you check your smoke alarms.  You're probably asking, but check them for what?

• If the smoke alarm is ten years old, regardless of how it is powered, replace it!  Smoke alarms have about a ten year life span and after that you can expect more false alarms and less sensitivity to real smoke in the home.
  
•  If you have an ionization smoke alarm that is battery operated simply test it.  How do you tell if it is an ionization type?  There are two common types of smoke alarms in most all of our homes and the difference lies in how they detect the presence of smoke.  For years the ionization types were the most common ones found in stores but within the last ten years or so a new type called photoelectric smoke alarms have become readily available.  Both should be labeled either on the surface of the alarm or on a decal on the underside of the alarm. 
  
• If your smoke alarm is hardwired to the electrical circuits of your home simply replace the back up battery, a standard 9 volt alkaline battery meets the requirements of Oregon state law for back up power of hardwired smoke alarms. 
  
• If your smoke alarm battery says something like "long life lithium" or "ten year battery power" leave it in the alarm and do not replace it with an alkaline battery.  This will actually not only void the warranty of the smoke alarm, but it can give a false impression that the battery contained within is capable of lasting for ten years and may lead to not changing the battery in a timely manner in the future.  

When you test your smoke alarm it's also a good idea to get the entire family involved and practice a fire drill.  Now is the perfect time to sit down with the kids and prepare a home fire escape map.  Have the kids draw up a map of the floor plan and show two ways out of your bedrooms that lead to a meeting place.  Everyone should know that once you get to the meeting place you never go back into the home until it's safe to do so  Once you are done preparing your plan it's not good enough to just stick it to the refrigerator with a magnet, now you must practice your plan so everyone knows what to do.  We suggest that right before the kids would normally wake up that the parents test the smoke alarms so that the children can experience the sound of waking up to the smoke alarms and go through the motions of escaping a house when it's dark.  

As with all things, if you need help testing your smoke alarms or practicing a family fire escape drill we would gladly help you.  You can call our fire station anytime during normal business hours at 503-992-3240 and one of our firefighters can assist you in making your home as safe as it can be.