FF's Carry Patient

This afternoon at approximately 3pm Portland Fire crews were called to the area of NE 14^th and Multnomah to assist two people who had slipped down an embankment. Firefighters determined that the individuals weren’t injured, but were unable to get back up the steep hill without assistance. Firefighters from PF&R’s technical rescue team determined that the call warranted a low angle rope rescue. A low angle rope rescue means that crews need to use ropes due to slippery and steep terrain, but most of their weight is supported by the ground. A high angle rope rescue on the other hand is a rescue where crews need to have most or all of their weight supported by a rope system (you might see this when crews practice rescuing people from Portland’s aerial tram).

Crews were able to lower a ladder and one person was able to climb up to safety, but they needed to carry the other person up the slope on a rescue litter. The ladder climber was fine and left on their own while the other person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening medical issues that were unrelated to the fall. Firefighters train and practice extensively for incidents like this and that work paid off today with a positive outcome. PF&R asks the public to remember that as the weather gets nicer, trails and slopes can still be slippery so use caution and make sure you’re prepared for emergencies.

What: Meet Arson K9 Kiki and her handler Lt. Jason Andersen

When: May 12, 2022, at 10:00 AM

Where: 55 SW Ash St. (Station 1)

State Farm provides a new arson dog for Portland Fire & Rescue

There is a secret weapon in the fight against arson crime and she has four legs and a super nose. This new four-legged member of Portland Fire & Rescue has a nose up on arsonists and uses those skills to sniff out the causes of fires. This special investigator is K9 Kiki, an accelerant detection canine who partnered with Lt. Jason Andersen during a four-week canine-training school. The duo will complete a demonstration of their skills and be available for interviews and photos.  

The program is funded by State Farm and is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States. Since its beginning in 1993, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has placed more than 435 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia. All arson dog teams are trained by Maine Specialty Dogs and certified by the Maine State Police. 

Accelerant detection canines, commonly called arson dogs, are trained law enforcement dogs that are used to sniff out evidence at fire scenes. These canine heroes work alongside their human handlers, identifying the cause of home or business fires, assisting in cold crime cases, and uncovering potential evidence in homicides.

"We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly -- and sometimes deadly -- crime," said Amy Harris, spokesperson for State Farm. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies – it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all.  Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.”

This is Lt. Andersen’s first K9 trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. K9 Kiki is a 3-year-old female yellow Labrador Retriever raised by Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, FL.

For more information about the Arson Dog Program visit www.arsondog.org.

Assets

Flickr: Jason and K9 Kiki

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/704742324

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At 1:08 AM this morning a call came in from a care facility at 12045 SE Pardee St. in Portland. A caller at the facility told dispatchers that there was a fire in the roof of this facility. Crews were dispatched at 1:09 and the first apparatus on scene found heavy fire from the roofline (see video) and went all-in for search. While Engine 7 began to pull hose lines to fight the fire, Truck 7 went interior where they found a couple of employees of the facility pulling residents out to safety. Truck 7 began to pull other victims from their rooms as the fire blew down the vents and light fixtures above their heads. Truck 7 requested more crews to help with evacuation so Engine 29 and Engine 25 assisted in evacuation as every room had people inside that couldn’t evacuate themselves. A total of 16 people were evacuated out of the front of the structure. At approximately 1:15 Command called for a second alarm, at this point a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was called for due to the possibility of multiple victims. This brought additional fire units as well as AMR transport units.

Truck 7 continued the search of the rear of the building where they found an attached two-story building that had additional residents. They were able to safely evacuate an additional 8 victims and get them to safety. At this point, the priorities of command shifted to extinguishment and the additional crews focused more on the fire that was now consuming a large portion of the attic space of this U-shaped building. Crews did begin to pull the ceiling and attack the fire from below but the attic was so heavily involved that crews were ordered to withdraw and attack the fire from the exterior until it was safe to continue interior operations. 

During the firefighting operations, crews including Fire, AMR, and PPB helped move victims to a safe place to allow operations to continue. At about 1:44 part of the roof structure collapsed but did not fall onto any firefighters as they were ordered out in anticipation of such collapse. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control and it was recalled at 2:25. It is without a doubt that having the appropriate resources made a difference in the outcome of this incident.

When asked about this, Fire Chief Sara Boone said “First and foremost, I want to commend the heroism of the two on-site employees who risked their lives starting the initial evacuation of the residents under heavy fire conditions. When firefighters arrived their number priority was the immediate rescue of every resident within the facility under worsening fire conditions.  Because of their tactical decisions and valiant efforts so many lives were saved and turned near tragedy into an incredible success story.  I’d like to recognize and thank AMR, our mutual aid partners Clackamas County Fire and Gresham Fire, BOEC, Portland Police, TRI-Met, Red Cross, PGE, and NW Natural Gas for their critical contributions on this complex incident.  Portland should be proud.”