Thanks for 100 Years of Service!

Typically, when you think of 100 years of service, you think of an institution. But, in this case, I’m talking about three Hillsboro Firefighters who are retiring at about the same time. Perhaps, you could call them an institution, come to think of it. Together, they represent 100 years in the fire service. Wednesday evening, August 18th, colleagues gathered to honor Lieutenants Larry Yakymi and Brad Kastner along with Engineer Brad Lepley for their combined century of serving the citizens of Hillsboro.

From Yak Kastner Lepley retirement

The soiree occurred at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse and featured endless stories from coworkers, chiefs, and union brothers and sisters. They bestowed gifts and plaques, including a gift that fellow firefighters sealed inside of a granite boulder for Larry Yakymi. The former Urban Search & Rescue/Technical Rescue team member took a few swings with a sledge hammer, but was unable to crack the granite. We’ll check back some day in the future to see if he ever got his gift out.

Besides the colleagues, families and staff who gathered to wish the trio a happy retirement, 21 previous retirees showed up to share in the festivities and stay connected with their former organization. All 24 retirees posed for a photo and we estimate the talent in this photo below represents more than 700 years of firefighting experience! Happy retirement Brad, Brad and Larry!

From Yak Kastner Lepley retirement

Fill the Boot 2010

From Fill the Boot 2010

Help Hillsboro Firefighters help Jerry’s Kids! HFD members of the International Association of Firefighters Local 2210 took to the streets on Friday 8/12 and Friday 8/13 to raise funds for research for a cure to Muscular Dystrophy. The reference to Jerry’s Kids comes from long time comedian and Muscular Dystrophy Association supporter Jerry Lewis.

The firefighters collected donations on 10th between Oak and Baseline and also at the Shute on-ramps to Oregon Highway 26 from 4 – 7 pm on Thursday. On Friday they are at the intersection of SE Brookwood and East Main and at the 185th on-ramp to Hwy 26 from 4-7 pm.

All donations collected during the Fill-The-Boot will help fund local MDA programs and services, including support groups and equipment such as wheel chairs and leg braces. The proceeds also support clinics at Oregon Health and Science University and Shriners Hospital for Children and help send Oregon children with muscle wasting diseases to MDA summer camp each year.

From Fill the Boot 2010

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. The majority of contributions to MDA come from individual donors.

Elsewhere across the Metro area will also be out in force this week to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
*Clackamas: Friday at SE 82nd Ave/ Causey; Saturday at Mollala Ave/ Gaffney Ln, Oregon City
*Gresham: Division and Eastman Pkwy; Friday/ Saturday 9-5
*Portland: SE 122nd Ave/ Stark; W Burnside/ 23rd Ave, Thursday/ Friday, 3-6:30
*Vancouver: Fourth Plain/ Andresen; 162 Ave./ NE 18th St.; Thursday/ Friday, noon-4

Thanks for Your Help, Global!

From Global Aviation presentation

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue said “Thanks for your help!” today to a senior executive at Global Aviation. Brian Lockhart, Global’’s Vice President of Maintenance has personally and graciously conducted numerous educational tours for firefighters from Hillsboro Fire Department and the Port of Portland Fire Department over the last several years. Mr. Lockhart allowed our firefighters to look throughout their aircraft to learn more about them. The tours focused on rescue access and structural features of their various aircraft models as well as hazard areas such as battery and oxygen tank locations.

Fire Chief Gary Seidel said, “I certainly hope our firefighters will never need to draw upon the lessons they have learned from these training sessions. However, I know if an emergency arises, they have learned from the best in the business.”

Chief Seidel presented a plaque of appreciation to Brian during a Global Aviation executive staff meeting on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. We appreciate great community partners like Global Aviation and Brian Lockhart.

Helping Hands at Lunch

Hillsboro Fire Department has been attending the Hillsboro Parks and Recreation Summer Outpost program each day this week. Firefighters have been chatting with children and parents about fire safety and letting them take a look at the fire engine or ladder truck in attendance. As described in a post earlier this week, there are arts and crafts programs and activities for the kids each day through the summer.

Firefighters have also been lending a hand this week distributing the summer lunches provided by the Hillsboro School District through a grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. On Wednesday for example, there were approximately 460 kids who received lunches through this program.

Thanks to Hillsboro Parks and Recreation for inviting us to the Outpost. It’s always great to talk to the citizens we serve!

Always a Firefighter Award

From McDaniel Award

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue’s Training Chief Yvain McDaniel was honored this past week by Molalla Rural Fire Protection District #73 for his help with a residential fire. Chief McDaniel lives a few miles outside of Molalla and single-handedly extinguished a residential fire in a neighbor’s home. Last Thursday, Molalla recognized Yvain for his actions and presented him with a plaque in front of the Volunteer Association meeting at the main fire station. In making the presentation, Battalion Chief Lonnie Loyer, who was the incident commander on-scene, stated the following:

“On the evening of June 1st at 5:45 pm, we were toned for a residential fire on the southern end of our district. Upon the arrival of myself as the duty officer, I observed a single story home fully charged with smoke. As I gave my size-up to dispatch and was getting out of the vehicle, I was approached by an individual who stated that the fire was extinguished. This individual introduced himself as Yvain McDaniel. He explained there was still a lot of heat and smoke in the home, but that he had opened a door and window and had started positive pressure to extract the smoke and heat with a common household fan. He then took me to the seat of the fire on the exterior of the home. What I observed was unique and not usually seen when being the first arriving representative from the local fire department."

"Yvain had quickly determined the seat of the fire and removed the siding from the home with just his hands and, maybe, feet, and gained access without any special tools or gear. He then used the garden hose through the wall and fully extinguished the fire. When my first responding engine arrived and we began overhauling and gathering information from the homeowner, I looked around for Yvain to thank him again for his efforts and complete success at single-handedly saving this family’s home from destruction. But, Yvain had quietly slipped off and went back to his home to be with his own family."

"Because of his willingness to investigate, his knowledge to access, his ability to perform, his heart to help someone in need and his humbleness to just quietly slip away, all of us at Mollalla Fire District would like to honor Yvain McDaniel for going above and beyond the call of duty and for acquiring the utmost respect and gratitude from all of us here at the fire station and, certainly, from our community.”

We’re pretty proud of him, too!

From the Outpost

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue is participating again this year in Hillsboro Parks and Recreation Department’s Summer Outpost program at Shute Park. This is the 5th year of this great lunch and activity program which runs from June 21 through August 20 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

On Monday, Truck 3 kicked off Americana Week with a visit to the park to let kids and parents climb on and investigate. Hillsboro Firefighters will be there each day this week. On Wednesday, we’ll be serving lunch to the kids, so come on down and see what’s happening.

Children ages one to 18 are invited to drop in for arts, sports, reading and science lab (sponsored by Genentech Science Lab) activities. Hillsboro School District’s Nutrition Services prepares the lunch with funds from the USDA Summer Food Program. The Outpost program serves an average of 350 meals a day and as many as 500 per day to area youth.

Injury Prevention

Hillsboro Firefighters are learning a new way to work out this week. They’re using Kettle Bells. If you haven’t heard of this new trend in free weight workouts, you’re not alone. Kettle Bells are essentially a canon ball-shaped weight with a loop handle on top and rubber base. They come in 26, 35, 44 and 96 pound weights.

The workout process is based on a series of short, but intense, series of exercises of swinging and lifting these weights. The experience is designed to help workout nearly all muscle groups in the body. Correct posture and technique ensure maximum benefit while minimizing undue stress on joints.

HFD has purchased a set of Kettle Bells and enlisted local trainers to provide basic technique education for all firefighters. The Kettle Bells will be placed at each station in the workout rooms provided under HFD’s Health and Wellness program. Firefighters are often injured on the job when lifting equipment or dealing with rescues at odd angles and postures. This addition to the firefighter’s exercise regimen will hopefully reduce those on-the-job injuries.

For more information on Kettle Bells, visit Wikipedia.