Fire Departments have typically had a One Year Probation which includes a two to three month Fire Academy. The academy includes several classroom assignments within IFSTA (International Fire Service Training Association) manuals, physical training and several drills or evolutions with hose, tools, vehicles and what we're all there for...fires baby!
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| The Original Rescue Boat 86 |
Even before my probationary year had concluded I was able to begin training within the Rescue Boat program. Rescue-Boat 86 (now RB80) had yet to be placed into service at this time as the first members were continuing their own training. PDX had decided to add this program to the Fire Department as a result of Air Florida Flight 90, which had crashed 4 years earlier into the Potomac. Our primary mission is essentially to provide a quick response in order to deploy floatation equipment for potential survivors of an aircraft crash. Though this is our primary response, we also respond to jumpers (suicide attempts off the bridges), river medical calls and boat in distress emergencies. More recently, with the addition of new RB80 that has a small Fire Pump, they respond to fires, providing primarily a protection of exposures.
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| RB86 Original Members...Ken, Vern, Duane, myself, Wally, Bruce and Byron |
Though I've been part of several interesting calls over the years on the Rescue Boat, the most in-famous would have to be early in my training along with Byron Gregory. Byron was showing me some of the islands to the east of Government Island with the plan to stop at Washougal, Washington. We'll...we never made it. One of the most difficult radio transmissions that I've ever made was on that day. You see...as we were heading east, up the river and to the south side...thankfully with Byron at the helm...though I'm sure he wasn't to thankful at the time...Byron said that not one, but both of the depth finders appear to be having problems. One of the depth finders had been very inconsistent for quite some time, but to have both of them not operate correctly...this seemed odd. So I thought, "it's pretty easy to confirm this"...I walked to the stern of the boat and took a look for myself. "Hey Byron, huh...we are in one foot of water!". It had only been a few seconds of time that had elapsed, but I think if Byron would have kept the boat at the same speed we may have been able to get to deeper water. Unfortunately Byron thought that he better give it a bit more throttle. Now in his defense, I likely would have done the same. But, did I say that I wasn't at the helm? Oh, and did I say that I am very thankful for that? Anyway, Byron did hit the throttle and the boat did sink 'big time' into the sand of the Sandy River. Sand...Sandy River...huh??? Real bummer as I called dispatch and requested that they send the Multnomah River Patrol to our location. And no, I did not state what our need happen to be. Well, we did get off that sand bar that day and I had fun walking on the water around to the bow of the boat to connect the line from the County boat onto our hitch. Of course this is one story that has weather the years around the Fire House. And I enjoy retelling it every time. Of course I probably never mention the FACT that I was not at the helm.
See you next shift...
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