Portland Fire & Rescue

The floating home fire presents many challenges that are prepared to face yet don't experience often. Narrow stairs and gangplanks leading to slippery wet dock walkways riddled with trip hazards with very little light. Here is a series of pictures to show the walkways, FDC water supply system with one port uncovered to see the water free flowing into the river.

The requirement to wear the floatation devices is always a bit cumbersome when we work and the reality that the homes could simply break free and float away if the fire itself burns through the rope that has the home tied up to the dock.

The last few images are of the remnants of the homes destroyed by the fire along with the home under construction that was first saved from the impinging flames early on and then used as a platform to flow water across the inlet on the homes that were experiencing significant fire.

responded to an incident with 2 floating homes on fire on the end of a dock in a riverside community in North Portland yesterday morning.

This is the view the first arriving crew experienced as they arrived. There were 2 rescues made in an adjacent floating home and all occupants were evaluated safely to shore as Portland Fire with some support from Airport and Vancouver Fire extinguished the fire and saved all but the 2 homes that were ablaze upon our arrival. (More pics to come throughout the day).

The traditions of the Coffee and Cake sendoff run deep in Portland Fire & Rescue and even when you the party is scheduled in the morning of Memorial Day, folks make time to come and visit to send off into retirement correctly.

Lt Andy Clarke had his coffee and cake ceremony on Monday morning with many off duty members making time to find a way to Station 12 out on the east side to wish him well. AC was a long-time member of the Technical Rescue Team along with a vital member of our SERT callout team. His dependability and constant even disposition set a standard that will always be something for others to strive to meet. We are fortunate that his son has joined the ranks keeping AC well informed of upcoming events, so we are certain to see him often.

Ever wondered what the ladder on the outside of fire escapes is used for? That is what we call the fire fighter ladder and it is what ascend to the incident floor to address your emergency leaving the internal ladders for you to descend to safety without us in your way.

The training curriculum continues for the newest class of recruits at the training center and today they performed their first climb of the exterior fire fighter ladder. Notice the harness is used early on with a modified helmet. This is to ensure their safety as they perform this task for the first few efforts. In time the trainees will don their traditional fire helmet and learn to ascend the ladder with tools draped over their shoulders. This is a well-planned series of steps taken so all members are capable of safely ascending the fire fighter ladder early on in their time in the academy.

And just like that, the Class of 26-03 finishes the swearing in ceremony and moves out to the training yard to climb the aerial ladder as an important part of the focused training curriculum all of complete before responding on any emergency calls. This is the beginning of their decades of service to the City of Portland and all those within our 145 square mile city.

(You know you are alive when the tip of the ladder sways in the wind...)