vernonia rural fire protection district
march21
2019
7
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District
Your Home Address Signage
For those of you who live with-
in VRFPD’s district, please make sure
that your address sign that is placed out
in front of your home is facing towards
Vernonia. First responders need to be able
to see those addresses as they are driving
down the road. It is not helpful to have
the address sign facing perpendicular to
the roadway, because first responders will
have to slow significantly while checking
for your address.
Please keep grass, trees, and
shrubs cleared away from the signs so that
they can be easily seen. In addition, please
keep trees and shrubs cleared on both
sides of your driveway, no matter how
long your driveway is. The ambulance and
fire trucks need to be able to pull up your
driveway without incurring damage
to the rigs from brush along the sides
or low overhanging limbs. Remember
that especially in the winter time, low
hanging limbs will be even closer to the
ground if they are burdened with snow.
Thank you in advance for your
continued cooperation and understand-
ing.
What is The Emergency Conflagration Act?
The Office of State Fire Mar-
shal assists and supports the Oregon
fire service during major emergency
operations through the Conflagration
Act (ORS 476.510). The Conflagration
Act was developed in 1940 as a civil de-
fense measure and can be invoked only
by the governor. The act allows the State
Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and
equipment from around the state. The
Conflagration Act is only used for fires
that involve or threaten life and struc-
tures.
When there is a wildland fire,
the Oregon Department of Forestry,
along with local fire departments in the
immediate area, respond to fight the
wildland fire.
The State is divided into Fire
Defense Districts. The Local Chief of
that Fire Defense District works with
Deputy State Fire Marshal and Fire De-
fense Board Chief to request assistance
from the State Fire Marshal. At that
point, the State Fire Marshall requests
that the Governor implements the Con-
flagration Act, which enables the Office
of State Fire Marshal to request equip-
ment and firefighters from around the
State of Oregon.
The Oregon Office of State Fire
Marshal’s three Incident Management
Teams (IMTs) provide comprehensive
incident command to manage ongoing
emergency operations. IMTs provide
incident management expertise in logis-
tics, finance, planning, public informa-
tion, operations, safety, and community
issues.
The teams respond with resourc-
es mobilized by the Governor for a con-
flagration or other emergency that has
overwhelmed the control and resources
of local emergency responders (ORS
476.510). IMTs enhance effective co-
ordination among responding agencies
during fires, floods, earthquakes, struc-
tural collapse, tsunamis, the spilling of
hazardous materials, and other natural or
human-caused incidents.
The IMT will develop a plan of
action to aggressively and safely miti-
gate the incident to which it has been as-
signed, either through Unified Command
or a single incident command structure.
Resources assigned to the inci-
dent will operate with the guidance of
an Incident Action Plan (IAP) within an
organized chain of command and for-
mal safety plan. The IAP will address
the objectives, strategies, and tactics as
dictated by the risks and opportunities
associated with the incident.
The IMT intends to commit
resources to the incident only after re-
sources have been briefed on the devel-
oping strategy and tactics, resource-spe-
cific objectives, weather, fuel types, and
safety considerations. Within the second
operational period, the IMT intends to
develop a formal IAP for delivery via an
Operational Period Briefing. The IMT
expects that all personnel shall receive
a briefing by their immediate supervisor
prior to being deployed within the hazard
area. This briefing shall detail resource
assignments, assigned objectives, chain
of command, and safety considerations.
The IMT may place firefighters
at a greater level of risk to save lives,
save property, or reduce environmental
impact. The IMT will not place fire-
fighters at risk if the incident does not
have implications related to life safety,
protection of property, or environmental
impacts.
To meet the IMT intentions, a
formal series of planning meetings and
briefings will occur. The IMT expects all
members critical to the development of
the IAP to promptly attend those meet-
ings to provide mission critical informa-
tion.
From 1996 to 2016, there have
been 70 Conflagrations in the State of
Oregon.
Short Summary:
• Conflagrations declared: 70
• Most in one year: 11 in 2002
• Most in one week: 5 in 1996 and 5
in 2002
• Most in one day: 3 in 1996
One example from 2015 would
be the “Grizzly Bear Complex” fire.
• Conflagration date: 8.20.2015
• Communities threatened: Flora
(Wallowa County)
• Umatilla National Forest at WA
border
• Structures threatened: (405)
residences and (98) other structures
• Structures saved: (400) residences
and (78) other structures
• Structures lost: (25)
• OSFM-mobilized Task Forces:
Marion, Yamhill, Clatsop, Columbia,
and Union counties
• Conflagration mobilization cost:
$736,540.44
• FMAG reimbursement: pending
• Cause: Lighting
You’ll notice that in the Grizzly
Bear Complex fire example, the OSFM
(Oregon State Fire Marshal) mobilized a
Task Force that was made up from fire
departments in Marion, Yamhill, Clat-
sop, Columbia, and Union counties, each
department bringing the equipment (fire
truck) and personnel to staff the equip-
ment.
Recently there was a Conflagra-
tion fighting the Eagle Creek and Indian
Creek fires. VRFPD sent one firefighter
and a Tender along with another fire-
fighter from Washington County to help
fight these fires.
All of the fire departments that
join the Conflagration are reimbursed for
all of the expenses that are incurred. The
fire departments that send equipment
and personnel must have Workman’s
Comp Insurance on all of the personnel
involved.
You can go to http://www.or-
egon.gov/osp/SFM/docs/Conflagra-
tionHistory.pdf to view each of the 70
Conflagrations since 1996 in the State of
Oregon.
Information for this article was obtained
from: http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/
pages/eru_imteams.aspx.
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
VERNONIA RURAL FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT
VRFPD is currently accepting applications
for Volunteer Fire Fighters
• You must have a High School Diploma or
G.E.D., a valid Oregon Driver’s License, and
be at least 18 years of age
• Currently, you must be able to attend
weekly training on Monday nights
Calls responded to February 1-28
Here’s What We Do!
Fire
Emergency Medical Service
Hazardous Condition
Service Call
Good Intent
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster
Special Incident
No Emergency Found
False Alarm
Total
0
39
1
6
6
0
0
0
1
53
• Willing to attend the Fire Academy
• Live or work (employer willing to let you
respond to calls) within VRFPD’s District
VRFPD
555 E. Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-429-8252
• Applications can be picked up at the Fire
Station
VRFPD FIRE CHIEF
Earl Dean Smith
dc4502@yahoo.com
503-709-8821 (cell)
503-429-8252 (office)