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How We Serve
Emergency Response
The moment you call 911, our job begins. Whether it’s a fire, medical incident, hazardous material incident, rescue situation, or natural disaster; we are trained and ready to respond. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has more than 442 career firefighters and 52 volunteers, who respond to more than 50,000 incidents each year.
Because medical incidents constitute the highest percentage of our emergency calls, each of our firefighters is certified as a paramedic or emergency medical technician (EMT). Over half of our firefighters are certified as paramedics, which is the largest contingent in Oregon. There is at least one firefighter paramedic on every unit. This ensures that our community receives the highest level of emergency medical care.
Special Situations
TVF&R also handles incidents requiring specialized skills and equipment including hazardous materials incidents and specialty rescue:
- Hazardous Materials Team is one of 14 teams throughout Oregon that responds to incidents involving dangerous chemicals or toxic materials.
- Water Rescue Team responds to water emergencies, including boaters in distress and trapped swimmers.
- Technical Rescue Unit specializes in trench and confined space rescues, vehicle entrapment, rope rescue, and building collapse.
Training
Constant drills and training are fundamental to effective emergency response. Our demanding and comprehensive training program prepares our personnel to make critical decisions based on finely honed skills and judgment. Modern technology enhances our ability to handle emergencies.
Prevention
TVF&R’s mission is to protect our communities from the hazards that threaten individuals and families. This means not only responding to emergencies when they occur, but also preventing or reducing the effects of their occurrence in the first place. For decades, our personnel have been committed to creating safer communities through public education and prevention via community events, code inspections, building plans review, mass media campaigns, school visits, Landlord Training Workshops, and many other programs. Our Fire and Life Safety staff work closely with builders and developers during new construction and conduct inspections on existing buildings to make sure safety features are in place and ready to activate in an emergency. We also work with businesses that manufacture, store, and use hazardous materials to ensure state and federal regulations are being met. Additionally, each of our 28 career fire stations are involved in a Community Risk Reduction initiative in which firefighters create strategies to mitigate hazards in their primary response area.