Page 8 * St. Johns Review * #10 May 15, 2015
Email: reviewnewspaper@gmail.com * Mail: PO Box 83068, Port. OR 97283 * Web: www.stjohnsreview.com * Phone: 503-283-5086
60 year old Shirlee Ann Fund still important for community
Captain Eric Pedersen
Station 22
Fire stations are an important part of
any community but Station 22 and the
community we serve have a special
relationship not usually seen outside
of rural areas or small towns. A large
part of this history stems from the
efforts created out of a tragedy that
occurred 60 years ago. Some of you
have been a part of this effort at some
point or remember hearing the name
Shirlee Ann. Many of you, though,
are new to our growing and chang-
ing neighborhood and don’t yet know
what happened when a determined
group decided to come together and
start a legacy that continues to save
lives.
In the 1950’s, fi re departments were
just starting to look at providing more
than fi re suppression. Equipment
and training for medical emergencies
was hard to come by even in a larger
city like Portland. Police, fi re, and
ambulances responded to many seri-
ous medical events and did as much
as they could but had few options
to provide assistance. Portland Fire
& Rescue had one oxygen powered
respirator located downtown at Fire
Station #1, too far away to help many
who needed it.
On January 2, 1955, at 8547 N. Ty-
ler Avenue, 11 month-old Shirlee Ann
Howell began choking on a grape.
Her parents took her to the St. Johns
police station for help. The police
called for the fi refi ghters at Station
22 for assistance but, without proper
medical equipment, the fi refi ghters
and police could only try to rush her
to Emanuel hospital in a police car.
Shirlee Ann died before they could get
her to the emergency room. The fi re-
fi ghters were convinced that a respira-
tor device could have saved her life.
Mr. & Mrs. Howell and Mrs. Victor
VanAlstine along with other St. Johns
residents started an effort to raise the
$800 to purchase a respirator for Fire
Station 22 so that Shirlee Ann’s death
would not be in vain and that oth-
er lives might be saved. Fire Chief
Boatright, Portland Commissioner
Stanley Earl, and many others vowed
support for the new Shirlee Ann Fund.
A January 20, 1955 article in the St.
Johns Review detailed the need for
medical equipment and announced the
fundraising effort. The community re-
sponse over the next six months was
tremendous. Donations were received
from individuals, businesses, social
clubs, PTA’s, trade unions, and many
other organizations. A benefi t talent
show was held at James John School
with singers and dancers performing.
The Peninsula St. Johns Merchants
Committee donated a percentage of
their profi ts on May 6 to the Shirlee
Ann Fund.
Early vehicles of
the Shirlee Ann
Fund courtesy the
Portland Fire
Bureau.
Photo: Manuel Entrambasaguas
By the summer of 1955, the account
had soared to $3791.00. Due to the
overwhelming support from the com-
munity, the Fund was able to purchase
not only the respirator but a fully out-
fi tted fi rst aid response vehicle for Sta-
tion 22. On January 28, 1956 a ded-
ication ceremony was held at Station
22 and at 6:30 pm the new rescue car,
christened the “Shirlee Ann”, paraded
up Germantown Road to the Skyline
Legion Hall with lights and sirens
blaring. For the next 47 years, a fi rst
aid response vehicle was staffed and
stationed at Station 22 to respond to
any medical emergency.
Since that initial beginning, the St.
Johns area has continued to support
Station 22 through the Shirlee Ann
Fund with equipment and training
not available through the city bud-
get. When Rescue 22 was able to be
staffed with Paramedic level fi refi ght-
ers, the Shirlee Ann Fund donated
training material, advanced medical
equipment, and a state of the art por-
table defi brillator to ensure the highest
level of care was available. In 2002,
staffi ng changes and budget concerns
forced the retirement of a dedicated
fi rst aid response vehicle at Station 22.
By this time, Engine 22 and Truck 22
were both staffed with Paramedic fi re-
fi ghters with advanced equipment and
were able to deliver needed interven-
tions when needed.
The transition in the fi re service to
a higher level of emergency medical
care in the 1980’s and 1990’s allowed
the focus of the Shirlee Ann Fund to
shift to other emergency response
P hoto
of the
W eek
Left: This photo
by Manuel
Entrambasaguas,
was selected be-
cause it shows the
magnifi cence of
the bridge spires
with the loom-
ing, foggy hills
behind. Spectac-
ular. If you have
a picture you’d
like to send to
the Review to be
entered into the
St. Johns Bridge
Photo Contest,
send them ASAP
via email to:
reviewnewspa-
per@gmail.com.
A winner will be
selected in No-
vember 2015 and
the prize is $100
cash.
Send in high
resolution, jpeg
format. See more
contest info on
Page 2 of this
issue.
needs of this unique part of Port- to have this tremendous local support
land. The city’s fi rst “Jaws of Life” and are proud to serve St. Johns and
hydraulic tool for extricating victims the surrounding neighborhoods. The
of car crashes was purchased by the success and impact of the Shirlee Ann
Fund. In 1993, the Fund donated a Fund that began in tragedy many years
full complement of rope rescue equip- ago is a testament to the spirit and
ment for high-angle rope rescues. In tenacity of the residents of this area.
1995, the fi rst hand-held Thermal Im- Over the last 60 years, a large number
aging Camera (TIC) used in Portland of people have spent countless hours
was donated to Station 22. The TIC with little or no recognition to preserve
allows fi refi ghters to see through the Shirlee Ann Howells’ legacy. Many
thickest smoke to locate fi re victims more of you didn’t know this unique
or pinpoint the fi re location in zero organization was such a special part of
visibility. In 2002, a Zodiac rescue our community and that it is still ac-
boat was purchased to provide water tively helping to save lives today.
rescue capability on the rivers and in- The Shirlee Ann Fund is overseen by
land waterways. In 2004, in conjunc- a committee of six local residents and
tion with Oregon Steel Mills, 2 ATV’s business owners. Any requests for
were purchased for wildland fi re re- funding from Station 22 are evaluat-
sponse in Forest Park and other areas. ed and authorized by this committee
The ATV’s are also used extensively with the primary mission of providing
for rapid medical response during pa- enhanced emergency response to the
rades, Bridge Pedal, marathons, and citizens of St. Johns. For more infor-
other large scale events. Multiple mation about how you can support the
lives have been saved with the ATV’s Shirlee Ann Fund, correspondence can
during these events because of their be sent to: Shirlee Ann Fund, PO Box
speed, mobility, and ability to carry 83826, Portland OR 97283
all of the necessary advanced medical
Pictures Below are Port. Fire &
equipment. The Fund also purchased
Rescue training pictures
a small trailer in 2013 that allows us to
transport patients and larger loads with
the ATV’s.
In 2012, in order to better respond
to vehicle and industrial accidents, the
Shirlee Ann Fund paid for specialized
training for Station 22. All 26 mem-
bers of Station 22 were provided an 8
hour class in vehicle extrication. The
techniques learned vastly improved
our effi ciency and speed in extricating
a victim from a damaged car. Based
on what we learned in this class, the
Fund also purchased some new tools
that have been instrumental in freeing
several people critically injured in a
crash. On February 11 and 12 of this
year, the Shirlee Ann Fund provided
tuition for 16 members of Station 22 to
attend an intensive two-day course on
heavy vehicle and machinery extrica-
tion. The skills and experience of this
class will directly provide enhanced
capability in responding to our com-
munity with its volume of truck traffi c
and concentration of heavy industry.
Station 22 is grateful to have this gen-
erous resource that allows us to spe-
cifi cally address the emergency needs
of this community. The Fund’s goal
is helping local residents by improving
emergency response here in St. Johns
and, frequently, the innovative tech-
niques or equipment that we are able
to use have proven so valuable that
they are eventually adopted Citywide.
All photos in this article are courtesy
All of us at Station 22 are honored
of the Portland Fire Bureau