FIRE
STATION 43
My ride-alongs with Fire Station 43 were some days quiet other shifts action-packed, a good cross section of the residency as a whole. One memorable call was a residential call that turned out to be a tragic meth fire; a grandson caused the fire with his meth lab in the attic. The crew had to turn in their "turn-out" fire gear and get new uniforms because of the toxic nature of the fire; another way the meth epidemic affects us all.
On this shift were two women fire fighters, a somewhat different dynamic, but I found that the women fire fighters want to be treated like any other fire fighter, not gender specific. Strength training is a regular part of their work out just as it is with the men. I found physical strength to be a hot topic.
The fire stations are open to the public for health checks like blood pressure so citizen/clients occasionally ring the doorbell and drop by, sometimes for conversation. I found this to be particularly moving, people coming by for a short visit, for coffee and companionship. Others drop by with cookies, cake and treats as a thank you for a rescue of some sort.
The diversity of the community served by the east Portland fire stations truly amazed me. From the multitude of elder care facilities to the diverse ethnicity of clients, the 911 calls are like windows into the rich culture of our city.
The fire fighters at station 43 let me know that their neighborhood association rallied fiercely to keep the station open when it was threatened with closure and asked that I include the signage naming the neighborhood associations located in front of their station as a small tribute.
My ride-alongs with Fire Station 43 were some days quiet other shifts action-packed, a good cross section of the residency as a whole. One memorable call was a residential call that turned out to be a tragic meth fire; a grandson caused the fire with his meth lab in the attic. The crew had to turn in their "turn-out" fire gear and get new uniforms because of the toxic nature of the fire; another way the meth epidemic affects us all.
On this shift were two women fire fighters, a somewhat different dynamic, but I found that the women fire fighters want to be treated like any other fire fighter, not gender specific. Strength training is a regular part of their work out just as it is with the men. I found physical strength to be a hot topic.
The fire stations are open to the public for health checks like blood pressure so citizen/clients occasionally ring the doorbell and drop by, sometimes for conversation. I found this to be particularly moving, people coming by for a short visit, for coffee and companionship. Others drop by with cookies, cake and treats as a thank you for a rescue of some sort.
The diversity of the community served by the east Portland fire stations truly amazed me. From the multitude of elder care facilities to the diverse ethnicity of clients, the 911 calls are like windows into the rich culture of our city.
The fire fighters at station 43 let me know that their neighborhood association rallied fiercely to keep the station open when it was threatened with closure and asked that I include the signage naming the neighborhood associations located in front of their station as a small tribute.
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