community
VRFPD Uses Homes for Practice
The Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
(VRFPD) recently received a couple of fantastic
donations that were put to great use during the past
year.
In early summer, VRFPD used a house
on Scappoose-Vernonia Highway, donated by Jim
Morrison, to practice and hone their firefighting skills.
The structure was used extensively in practice scenarios
before Vernonia, Scappoose and Mist -Birkenfeld fire
personnel practiced extinguishing techniques while the
structure was burned.
VRFPD received another training opportunity
when Tim and Tara Bamburg recently built a new house
on their property on the south end of town and donated
the old home structure to the local fire district. VRFPD
has been using the house to hold training sessions
over the last six months that have included search-
and-rescue operations, ventilation techniques, wall
breaches, salvage operations and rapid intervention
rescue training. The use of the structure culminated
on December 4th with a practice burn that, in addition
to Vernonia volunteer firefighters, included firefighters
from the Scappoose, Columbia River Fire and Rescue,
Clatskanie, Mist-Birkenfeld, and Elsie Vine-Maple
Districts.
“We did a little bit of everything,” said
Vernonia Deputy Chief Dean Smith, about the last year
of training. “We had a chance to show our recruits and
our firefighters what we want to see and the right way
to do things.”
Smith says the Bamburg house worked well,
because the house was similar
to many old mill homes in town
that have been added onto over
the years. “Some of the walls
in the home were newer than
others,” explained Smith. “We
would get to an interior wall,
which you would expect to be
sheet rock and that interior wall
used to be an exterior wall. So
we got to show everybody not
to quit and how to go through a
stronger wall.”
The day of the
Bamburg burn provided more
opportunities for extended
training. Smith estimates
over fifty actual firefighters
participated in the day’s
activities. Smith was able to set up Logistics Crews for
Rehab for firefighters. Mandatory Rehab is something
new the state is requiring that helps provide safety
and health checks for firefighters who wear about 200
pounds of equipment. Rehab requires regular breaks
for water, food, rest and cooling down. Smith said
this burn gave his logistic crews a chance to practice
running a real rehab operation.
Smith and his team also set up different training
stations with instructors. Smith was able to put some
of his officers-in-training with those instructors, so his
personnel received additional information and had a
Sentry Market and Customers Donate
to Holiday Grocery Box Project
Tina Brewington (left), Vernonia Cares Food Bank secretary accepts a donation check from Sentry Market.
Vernonia Cares Food
Bank was doubly blessed this
month. The check stand giving
project allowed Sentry customers
to donate money for the holiday
food boxes. The total donated
this year was $1,575.
The owners (Randy and
Sharon Parrow, Chuck Hendricks,
and Gordon Smith) and staff
of Sentry Market also donated
$1,000 towards the project, as
well. On December 21, 2010,
the food bank gave away 172
Christmas meal grocery boxes.
These boxes contained groceries
for a Christmas meal, along with
a turkey. Sentry Market stored the
frozen turkeys for the food bank
until the day they were given to
their recipients.
“We are so glad to
brighten the holidays for these
544 people,” stated Sandy Welch,
Vernonia Food Bank Director.
“We could only do so as generous
people and businesses donated to
this project. Thank you, donors!”
january11
2011
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chance to instruct as well.
Firefighters worked in teams of two and rotated
through the various training stations. They learned
how to operate a firehose in actual burn conditions as
part of both an attack crew and a back-up crew, trained
as rapid intervention crews that would instigate rescues
during a fire, and worked on ventilation crews that open
up the structure to allow smoke and heat to get out.
Smith said they were able to work their way
through the house, burning one room at a time to allow
firefighters lots of opportunities to practice. Teams
rotated through the whole fire scenario numerous times.
“We literally wore them out,” said Smith. “When we
finally went ahead and let the house burn, we still had
one room left for practice, but the firefighters were
done. As an instructor, you can’t ask for anything more
than that.”
Smith noted the level of training is really
beneficial for firefighters from a safety standpoint.
“This level of tiring really gives a firefighter an idea of
their limits and really helps them be one with their gear.
You get to learn the difference between being a little
tired and ‘I shouldn’t go in here--it’s not safe for me in
my condition.’ They can tell their officer they need a
break before going inside, instead of going in and then
realizing they are in distress.”
Smith thanked the Bamburg family for their
donation of the structure, allowing for this opportunity
to provide expanded training. He also thanked all the
agencies that participated in the training-- in particular,
Scappoose Fire Chief Chris Lake for his help in setting
up the training.
Smith also discussed the house that VRFRD
owns at 633 State Street. According to Smith, the
house is also being used for training purposes similar
to the Bamburg house. It will eventually be part of a
fire investigation training class with staged burns inside
that will allow firefighters to learn about preserving
evidence and what to look for while fighting a fire.
These two homes are providing Vernonia
firefighters with unique and vital, hands-on training. It
will only make them better at what they do-- providing
protection for our community.
Free Child Safety Seat Check
Up Event
Columbia County Safe Kids, in
partnership with Alliance for Community
Traffic Safety (ACTS Oregon) and
several community partners, will be
holding a child safety seat check up event
on Thursday, January 13, 2011, from 4:00
PM to 6:00 PM. The free clinic will be
held in Scappoose at the Scappoose Fire
Station, 52751 Columbia River Highway,
Scappoose, Oregon. The clinic provides
an opportunity to have a child safety seat
checked by a certified technician, who
can correct misuse, help with installation
and teach you how to correctly install
the seat. Technicians can also check for
seat recalls. There is no cost to have a
technician check your child safety seats.
Please plan to spend 30-60 minutes at the
event.
Additionally, through a grant
funded by the Oregon Department of
Transportation, Columbia County Safe
Kids is also able to provide low-cost child
safety seats to families in need. Families
who receive Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families (TANF) should contact
their worker about payment for a seat.
For more information about the clinic or
the Columbia County child safety seat
program, please contact the Commission
on Children and Families at 503-397-
7211.
Vernonia & Forest Grove • 503-429-0196
