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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2021)
VRFPD October 21 2021 5 Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District Pump Operator Class to maintenance of the engine and equip- ment on the engines. There is much more that goes into operating our engines than just driving them to a fire and flipping a few levers to make water come out of the hose lines. Our engineers are required to understand the properties of water and how those properties effect its journey out of our hose lines. If they were to just pump water out of the engine without calculating the pressure loss from the hose lines themselves, we would not have effective hose streams to fight fire efficiently. In this training the volunteers learn what effects their hose lines have on the pressure of the water coming out of their pumps and in turn can adjust for that accordingly. They also learn what their apparatus can do. How much water can it effectively pump before we need to add another pumper? What effects do By Chief Will Steinweg Recently the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District hosted a Pump Operator class within the District. This class is designed to teach firefighters not only how to make water come out of the engines and tenders we use, but also to teach them how to optimize the water in their tanks to provide effective fire streams through their hose lines. As many of you know, our vol- unteers are required to hold the same certifications as their paid counterparts. We had multiple volunteers from both Vernonia Fire as well as Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District attend this training. The full Pump Operator class is a 32-hour class that encompasses ev- erything from making water come out of our engines, to the math calculations used to make sure the operator is pump- ing the hose lines at the right pressure, hydrants have on our hose lines while pumping? When we are fighting fire in an area that doesn’t have any hydrants, how do we get water? How many gal- lons of water can we pull from that water source? All these questions are answered during this class, and it gives the student the tools to figure that out on their own. As a trainer, I could teach any- one to make water come out of a hose line or an engine. Flip a few buttons and levers and you have water at the nozzle. To make someone understand how all those buttons and levers work, and to teach them why I need the appropriate pressure at the nozzle takes a 32-hour class. For the high school students that think they will never use algebra or ge- ometry after they graduate, I can tell you that the firefighters that drive and pump these big trucks use it every time they are on a fire. For some it comes naturally, and for others it is a bit of a challenge, but if you’re ever interested in coming down to see what it’s like to drive and pump a fire engine give us a call at the Fire Station. Up For Sealed Bid Auction VRFPD Donates Ambulance to Baja Bridges in Mexico An ambulance the Verno- nia Rural Fire Protection District received from the Scappoose Fire District has been handed down af- ter being utilized for the last few years as a logistics support vehicle. “The donation to Baja Bridges will allow the rig to be a better service to a place with a higher need,” said Vernonia Fire Chief Dean Smith. to provide a small community with equipment they do not currently posses or have the financial means to acquire. The members of our organization donate their time and money to not only deliver this need, but also to conduct pre-survey of communities to develop needs as- sessment. This allows us to provide these areas with the equipment they 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4.0l inline 6 cylinder engine Automatic transmission 147,567 miles Starts, runs, drives, stops. Has a drivability issue. Send bids to: VRFPD 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia OR, 97064 Bids will be accepted until November 8, End of day. VOLUNTEERS WANTED Baja Bridges and the com- munities of Baja California Sur, Mexico, sent a letter of thanks for the donation of the 1998 Ford Am- bulance. “This equipment is in ex- treme need throughout the Baja peninsula,” said the letter. “Your generous donation will enable us VERNONIA RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT need and also help them with train- ing their members to use the equip- ment.” Chief Smith said the VR- FPD plans to downsize their current logistics plans, which supports fire- fighters and EMS when responding to emergencies, until they can boost their response personnel. 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 Here’s What We Do! • Willing to attend the Fire Academy • Live or work (employer willing to let you respond to calls) within VRFPD’s District Calls responded to September 1-30 Fire Emergency Medical Service Hazardous Condition Service Call Good Intent False Alarm Total 4 45 2 6 4 1 62 VRFPD 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 503-429-8252 • Applications can be picked up at the Fire Station Rob Davis Operations Division Chief 503-429-8252
