Monthly Report - Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue
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Monthly Report To: Commissioners From: Chief John Nohr Date: 6/9/2021 Re: May Report CCFR CONDUCTS PUSH-IN CEREMONY FOR NEW ENGINE 29 Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue is thrilled to put a new fire engine into service at Station 29 in Woodland. The fire engine is the first of four new fire engines that CCFR will receive over the next 15 months. Three were purchased by the fire district, and one was purchased for CCFR by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). On May 25th CCFR performed a traditional “push-in” ceremony at Station 29 by manually pushing the new fire engine into the apparatus bay. Thirteen personnel, including Woodland City Administrator Pete Boyce, took part in pushing the apparatus into the station. The push-in ceremony is a fire service tradition that dates back to the late 1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment. Upon returning to the station after a fire call, the horses could not easily back the equipment into the station, so they were disconnected from the fire equipment and firefighters would push the equipment back into the bay themselves. It took a committee of 5 officers and firefighters over a year to write the specifications and design the engine. It was built over 10 months by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin. The new engine has many of the same safety features as a new car, including front and side airbags in the cab, ABS (anti-lock) brakes, traction control, roll stability control to prevent a roll-over, independent front suspension, and an air ride rear suspension. It has a 730-gallon water tank, pumps 1,500 gallons of water per minute, has 20 gallons of foam for flammable liquid fires, three different size ladders, and over 2500 feet of fire hose. In addition, the new engine carries Advanced Life Support (ALS) medical equipment to treat patients experiencing a medical emergency. Common ALS equipment includes a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, advanced airway devices to maintain a patient’s ability to breath, and related drugs and supplies. The new engine also carries powerful hydraulic tools for cutting apart vehicles involved in serious crashes. The services that the fire department provides have changed significantly over the last 20 years. The engine has become a multi-purpose vehicle capable of mitigating a variety of emergencies besides fires. Fire engines are staffed with EMTs and Paramedics and
June 9, 2021
their needed medical equipment, rescue tools, water rescue gear, power saws, and
large fans to exhaust smoke and toxic gases.
Each fire engine has a front-line service life of 20 years. The new fire engine is
replacing a Pierce fire engine that was built in 2000. The “old” fire engine will now be
placed in “reserve status” and will be put back into service when one of the District’s
other front-line engines are out of service for maintenance or repair. CCFR will now sell
the District’s most worn-out reserve fire engine. With new fire engines going in service
or in the production pipeline, CCFR will now focus on writing specifications for a new
ladder truck. The District’s current front-line ladder truck is 17 years old, and the reserve
ladder truck is 26 years old. Chief Nohr wants CCFR to have a new ladder truck in
service by April 2023, when the new 14-story hotel tower opens at the ilani Resort.
CCFR AND TLC TOWING RESCUE COW TRAPPED IN MUD
On May 20th a family milking cow slid down a 20-foot embankment and got stuck in
mud up to its belly. The cow’s owners worked for several hours to cut back blackberry
bushes and dig the cow out, but the cow just sank deeper into the mud. After
exhausting their options, the family called CCFR to ask for assistance. Battalion Chief
Brett Graham drove to the site at 3717 NE 259th Street, east of Ridgefield, and
determined that firefighters could likely lift the cow out of the mud with the assistance of
a crane. Two CCFR units responded to the scene and began preparing the cow to be
lifted while BC Graham called TLC Towing in Ridgefield to assist.
TLC Towing responded with a “Rotator Wrecker”, which is a large, heavy-duty wrecker
used for towing large vehicles. The “Rotator” is equipped with a crane that can swing
from side-to-side and lift heavy loads. TLC often uses the Rotator Wreckers to recover
large trucks and trailers that have rolled over.
Chief’s Monthly Report –May 2021 2
June 9, 2021
Once TLC arrived and set up the crane, firefighters place lifting straps around the cow
and resumed digging around the legs. The TLC crane then began slow and steady
lifting pressure on the cow. When people or animals get stuck in wet mud, the mud
creates a “suction” around the legs. The more the legs are pulled on, the more the
suction tries to hold the legs in place. For this reason, the crane operator and the
firefighters digging out the legs must work in unison to ensure the animal (or, in some
cases, a person) is not injured by pulling too hard before the legs are freed.
After about an hour of hard work, the cow’s legs were freed and the crane lifted the cow
back onto solid ground. Firefighters ensured the cow could stand on its own and wasn’t
injured before removing the lifting straps. The cow was able to bear its own weight, and
quickly walked off once the straps were removed.
The family was grateful to have
their pet back safely. TLC Towing
did not charge the family for their
services during this rescue. TLC
Towing has been a great partner to
CCFR and other emergency
response agencies in our region.
They are consistently ready to help
us, whether it’s helping untangle a
serious vehicle crash or just helping
get an animal unstuck.
CCFR units remained in service
during the rescue and were ready
to respond to emergency incidents
if any had occurred during the
rescue.
CCFR CONDUCTS TRAINING BURN ON NE 10th STREET
Firefighters from CCFR, Clark County Fire District 6 (Hazel Dell/Salmon Creek/Felida)
and Cowlitz County Fire District 1 (rural Woodland) conducted a training burn on May
22nd at a house located at 18701 NE 10th Avenue. Career and volunteer firefighters
were assisted at the training burn by members of the CCFR Cadet program.
The structure was donated to CCFR for training purposes by local developer Killian
Pacific. Developers and local citizens frequently donate structures for live-fire and
related training. They also pay CCFR a $5000 fee to help offset the cost of having
personnel at the burn, as well as wear & tear on equipment. It’s a “win/win” for the
property owners and for the fire district. They get rid of a structure, and we get a great
training opportunity.
Chief’s Monthly Report –May 2021 3June 9, 2021
For over a month before the training burn, CCFR and FD6 utilized the structure to
conduct Firefighter Safety & Survival training. In these scenarios, firefighters practice
how to stay out of situations that can lead to entrapment or injury. They also practice
how to disentangle themselves if they do become entrapped. During an actual structure
fire, there is very limited visibility due to smoke and products of combustion. In the past,
it was common for firefighters to become disoriented in the smoke and entangled in
furniture, appliances and wiring. Since the introduction of formal firefighter safety and
survival training across the
country, fewer firefighters are
being injured or killed by
becoming disoriented or
entrapped at fires.
Killian Pacific will focus on
building new residential and
commercial structures on the
parcel of land where the
house was located. With the
repeal of the building
moratorium in the area,
coupled with improvements
at the NE 179th interchange,
CCFR is poised to see
significant construction and
growth along our southern
boundary.
Chief’s Monthly Report –May 2021 4You can also read
