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This Division is charged with maintaining an emergency response
system that can protect the life and property of the citizens
of Lake Oswego from fire and other disasters. Fire
suppression personnel respond to all emergency and non-emergency
requests for help and render the proper assistance to those in
need. The Operations activities are performed through the
following sections:
FIRE SUPPRESSION
These activities focus on the actual fire problems found in
Lake Oswego and the three contract districts: residential structural,
commercial structural, high-rise structural, wildland, wildland/urban
interface, and non-structural firefighting such as vehicles,
refuse/garbage and brush fires. Twelve on-duty firefighters
and one battalion chief perform these functions out of the four
fire stations with the following apparatus:
• Three front line and two reserve
1250gpm Fire Engine Pumpers
• 105’ Aerial Ladder Truck/pumper
• 4x4 Wildland Brush Vehicle
• Water & Dive Rescue Boat
equipped with portable firefighting pumps
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
All Lake Oswego firefighters maintain State certification as
emergency medical technicians. Currently, 21 maintain certification
as paramedics and provide the highest levels of pre-hospital
emergency advanced life support. The remaining personnel
maintain certification as EMT-Basics or EMT-Intermediates to
complete our EMS service delivery system. All four fire
stations are capable of delivering paramedic level EMS utilizing
the same front line response vehicles as for fire suppression. In
addition, Lake Oswego Fire is a State licensed ambulance provider
and we maintain a medic/rescue unit that is a State licensed
ambulance.
Lake
Oswego Fire Department respects the privacy and confidentiality
of your protected health information (PHI). We are sincere
in our pledge to ensure the confidentiality of your information
in a responsible and professional manner. Please take the
time to review our
Notice
of Privacy Practices (PDF)
The following forms
are available in compliance with our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Authorization to Release Medical Records (PDF)
Request for Amendment (PDF)
Request
for Restriction (PDF)
If you have any
questions regarding the attached information and forms, please direct them to:
Records Custodian
Lake Oswego Fire Department
PO Box 369
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034
(503) 635-0275
WATER AND DIVE RESCUE
Started in the late 1970’s, we now have twelve of
our personnel who are certified as surface and dive (SCUBA) water
rescue specialists. We are in the process of expanding our capabilities
by training several more members as surface rescue swimmers over
the coming year.
We continue facilitating the operation of a
regional water rescue response system that has us operating in
concert with other area fire departments who maintain water rescue
teams. We also operate in conjunction with the Clackamas
County Sheriff’s dive rescue team. This is a significant
accomplishment, as this project required the cooperation of over
one dozen fire departments, three 9-1-1- dispatch centers and
two police agencies.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE
All personnel meet Oregon and federal regulations as Haz-Mat
first responder certification requirements. Each member
of the command staff has also been certified to state and federal
standards as hazardous materials incident commanders.
PROPERTY CONSERVATION
As a modern full-service fire department deeply committed to
excellent customer service, one important aspect of our emergency
response service delivery is the protection of property against
not only the ravages of fire but of other natural and man-made
catastrophes. Our fire suppression efforts include a comprehensive
property conservation component that commits a sizable effort
of personnel and equipment to minimize the effects of fire and
its aftermath, including smoke and water damage. We routinely
remove smoke from fire-involved buildings and cover belongings
with salvage covers to reduce the damage of smoke and water.
We perform emergency temporary repairs to roofs that have been
cut or burned to prevent further damage from weather after we
have finished firefighting operations and prior to leaving the
scene. We routinely assign personnel to assisting the owner/occupants
with contacting insurance agents and providing other information
thorough a comprehensive “After the Fire” booklet
that explains many procedures such as removing smoke stains,
odors, etc. We also will make arrangements with the Red
Cross if emergency shelter and/or clothing are required, and
can provide the fire department chaplain at the scene on a 24-hour
basis if necessary.
In 1995, the department expanded its property conservation
services by adding a “salvage trailer” that carries
a number of portable gasoline and electrical powered water pumps,
a generator and related salvage equipment and sandbags. This
trailer can be quickly deployed during periods of heavy rain
and flooding to homes and businesses to help minimize the effects
of rain and flooding damage to property.
The results of our Loss Prevention and property conservation
efforts are substantial, although they do not appear as a tangible
figure anywhere in a year-end summary or report. Our results
are ascertained by the level of citizen-customer satisfaction
as depicted by the citizen surveys and the citizen satisfaction
cards we mail out to the recipients of our services.
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