Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services

Message from Chaplain Tanner

JW Roberts — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:37:30 +0000

Cell phones…almost all of us have them and if you’re reading this on facebook, you probably have a smartphone. I love my smartphone. I can not only send and receive calls but text and send and receive emails and work on my power points for my next presentation. I don’t think I could live without my smartphone. But I have found myself using my smartphone while I am driving. A lot! I have noticed myself drifting into the other lane or over the white line while doing this. And let’s not talk about the law of not using my phone while driving (who listens to laws anyway?…..I should!) I am in the process of teaching my 15 year old daughter how to drive and do you know what I was doing yesterday as she was watching me drive…texting! Not only is it unsafe but I am teaching my daughter that it is ok to disregard the law and do things that are unsafe. I tell her no cell phone behind the wheel and if she does she will not drive, but then I do the exact thing I tell her not to do. Well maybe this month’s safety topic is more of a moral topic. Yes, using your smartphone or cell phone behind the wheel is dangerous and against the law without hands free equipment. But you know what I found out? My phone’s “airplane mode” also works while I am driving. Maybe we should turn off our phones or activate this mode inside our cars.

Stay Safe!

Jim Tanner

Vehicle fire

Dale Ternes — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:52:41 +0000

Early morning car fire. This vehicle was stolen and thief drove it along the canal by Hermiston Butte before running into this large concrete water line that comes from the water storage tank above the Butte.

Crosswalk Safety Message

JW Roberts — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:11:24 +0000

Now that winter break is over and our children are going back to school, we need to think again about teaching our children about crosswalk safety. Yes, drivers in Oregon are supposed to stop for pedestrians in our crosswalks, but those of us who drive know we don’t always see everyone trying to cross…especially the little one heading to school early in the morning with the sun just coming up. We need to teach our children to look left right and left again before entering the crosswalk. Teach them to make sure the cars are slowing down and coming to a stop before they head into the street. Lastly, remind our children not to take their time in the crosswalks. Children need not run but should walk quickly across the street.
As parents, we need to be talking about safety to our children. We at Hermiston Fire care about the safety of your family and each month we will be posting a safety thought for you to read over and hopefully share with your family. If you have a question about any safety related subject please contact our public safety educator, Jim Tanner, at
jtanner@hermiston.or.us or contact us here.

Have a safe day!

Busiest Year Ever – 2011

JW Roberts — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:51:09 +0000

Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services responded to 3,501 incidents in 2011 making it our busiest year ever. EMS calls were up over 14% from 2010 and accounts for the majority of the increase. Another record set was August of 2011 as our busiest month ever.

We currently respond to a variety of incidents including:

All types of fires and rescues
All types of medical problems
Hazardous materials spills or situations
Inter-facility ambulance transfers
Public assistance
Other agency assistance

Volunteers Needed

JW Roberts — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:50:33 +0000

We depend heavily on volunteers. Please contact us for information regarding volunteer/part-time firefighters, EMTs, Resident Interns, or Fire Corp. No experience is necessary & we will assist you in getting all required training! This is a great way to help out in your community!

Home Safety Reminder

JW Roberts — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:41:35 +0000

HF&ES reminds everyone to keep home electrical panels clear of obstacles. As well as keep all combustible materials away from ignition sources. Contact the Hermiston Fire Marshall(Tom Bohm) for a home inspection check list or if you have any questions.

Accident

JW Roberts — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:46:42 +0000

A single vehicle accident on I84 recently sent multiple patient's to the hospital.

Hermiston Fire & Emergency reminds everyone to drive safe this winter. A steep increase in weather related incidents usually occurs during the winter months putting a strain on emergency resources in our area.

Team Work

JW Roberts — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:12:28 +0000

A shop fire off of North Loop Road kept crews from Hermiston, Stanfield, and Umatilla busy for most of the morning! Hermiston Fire & Emergency has seen an increase in fire responses with the colder weather. This shop was a total loss. Firefighting was difficult due to numerous vehicles, fuel storage, and explosions within the building. There were no injuries reported.

Rescue

JW Roberts — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:25:53 +0000

Click on photo for full size

The Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services Rescue Company works at a recent traffic accident. Firefighters freed one person, and transported them to Good Shepard Medical Center. Fire District personnel frequently work with other agencies including law enforcement during emergency incidents.

Firefighters help with Special Olympics Bowling

JW Roberts — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:15:30 +0000

: FFs Mike Bozeman & Cody Winters presenting awards.

Recently, fire district employees helped out at the Special Olympics District Bowling Tournement held at Desert Lanes in Hermiston. Our volunteers were on site for EMS and first-aid standby, as well as to present awards to the athletes.

Thankyou to all of our members who volunteered their valuable time!