Professional Firefighters of Clackamas County
International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) - Local 1159
The Professional Firefighters Association of Clackamas County is an International Association of Fire Fighters AFL-CIO affiliate Local. Local 1159 represents over 335 firefighters and paramedics from Canby Fire District #62, Clackamas Fire District #1, Estacada Fire District #69, Gladstone Fire Department, Lake Oswego Fire Department, Molalla Fire District #73 and Sandy Fire District #72. Our mission is to ensure that all members are treated fairly and equally focusing on wages, hours, working conditions, retirement securities and safety. It is our goal to improve the standard of living for our members, families and communities we serve.
On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at approximately 10:20am, Clackamas Fire’s Technical Rescue Team responded to a mutual aid request from Hoodland Fire to assist with the rescue of an injured climber. Squad 319, Heavy Rescue 305, Truck 316, and Battalion Chief 301 responded to Timberline Lodge and proceeded on foot and via snow cat to the patient’s side where they found the climber pinned under a boulder estimated to weigh 16,000 lbs. The boulder had fallen on the patient during a minor rockslide, and despite immediate attempts at rescue by a large crowd of bystanders, the boulder could not be moved. Clackamas Fire leaders immediately established unified command of the scene with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Hoodland Fire. Â
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The climber was conscious and able to communicate, but the nature of the accident and potential severity of the person’s injuries called for a sophisticated response. As a group of Clackamas Fire’s highly trained rescuers worked to construct a system to lift the boulder from the patient, others contacted LifeFlight and OHSU to activate a specialized field surgical team. LifeFlight dispatched an aircraft to the scene and sent a second helicopter to the landing pad at OHSU. While rescuers labored in challenging conditions to remove the boulder, physicians and surgeons at OHSU quickly assembled medical equipment and loaded it onboard a LifeFlight helicopter in a remarkable display of collaboration.Â
At approximately 12:30pm, just as the second helicopter was circling the scene to land, the Technical Rescue Team freed the patient from the boulder and moved the injured person to the first helicopter for immediate transport to an area hospital.Â
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The climber is being treated at an area hospital and is expected to recover. The swift action and strong collaboration between Clackamas Fire, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hoodland Fire, Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, Life Flight Network, OHSU, Portland Mountain Rescue, PNW Search and Rescue, American Medical Response, and the Hood River Crag Rats made this complex rescue successful.
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This Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who gave everything in service to this country. Their sacrifice is the reason we’re able to live, work, raise families, and serve our own communities in freedom. As firefighters, we understand the meaning of service and the weight that sacrifice carries. Today, IAFF Local 1159 honors those who never made it home and keeps their families in our thoughts.
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Today is Election Day. Please remember to vote and support Measure 3-635 for the replacement of the South Shore Fire Station in Lake Oswego.
The current station was built in 1971 and has been identified as having major deficiencies, including seismic concerns, outdated systems, inadequate apparatus space, and firefighter decontamination limitations. The proposed replacement station would help maintain emergency response times, improve firefighter safety, meet modern seismic standards, and better support water rescue and wildfire response operations.
Lake Oswego firefighters respond to more than 5,000 calls annually, and maintaining four stations allows crews to reach 90% of high-priority emergencies within 8 minutes. A community task force reviewed alternatives, including renovation and closure, and ultimately recommended rebuilding the station as the most effective long-term solution for public and firefighter safety.
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We’d like to take a moment and welcome Parker English as @iaff1159 newest Union member. Last week, Parker was hired by @molallafiredistrict as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
Parker is no stranger to @iaff1159 as his father is a Union member with the local and we have watched Parker grow into the man he is today and couldn’t be prouder! We know you’ll do great things in your career Parker, congratulations!
#IAFF1159
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On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at approximately 10:20am, Clackamas Fire’s Technical Rescue Team responded to a mutual aid request from Hoodland Fire to assist with the rescue of an injured climber. Squad 319, Heavy Rescue 305, Truck 316, and Battalion Chief 301 responded to Timberline Lodge and proceeded on foot and via snow cat to the patient’s side where they found the climber pinned under a boulder estimated to weigh 16,000 lbs. The boulder had fallen on the patient during a minor rockslide, and despite immediate attempts at rescue by a large crowd of bystanders, the boulder could not be moved. Clackamas Fire leaders immediately established unified command of the scene with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Hoodland Fire. Â
Â
The climber was conscious and able to communicate, but the nature of the accident and potential severity of the person’s injuries called for a sophisticated response. As a group of Clackamas Fire’s highly trained rescuers worked to construct a system to lift the boulder from the patient, others contacted LifeFlight and OHSU to activate a specialized field surgical team. LifeFlight dispatched an aircraft to the scene and sent a second helicopter to the landing pad at OHSU. While rescuers labored in challenging conditions to remove the boulder, physicians and surgeons at OHSU quickly assembled medical equipment and loaded it onboard a LifeFlight helicopter in a remarkable display of collaboration.Â
At approximately 12:30pm, just as the second helicopter was circling the scene to land, the Technical Rescue Team freed the patient from the boulder and moved the injured person to the first helicopter for immediate transport to an area hospital.Â
Â
The climber is being treated at an area hospital and is expected to recover. The swift action and strong collaboration between Clackamas Fire, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hoodland Fire, Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, Life Flight Network, OHSU, Portland Mountain Rescue, PNW Search and Rescue, American Medical Response, and the Hood River Crag Rats made this complex rescue successful.
20 CommentsComment on Facebook
This Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who gave everything in service to this country. Their sacrifice is the reason we’re able to live, work, raise families, and serve our own communities in freedom. As firefighters, we understand the meaning of service and the weight that sacrifice carries. Today, IAFF Local 1159 honors those who never made it home and keeps their families in our thoughts.
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Today is Election Day. Please remember to vote and support Measure 3-635 for the replacement of the South Shore Fire Station in Lake Oswego.
The current station was built in 1971 and has been identified as having major deficiencies, including seismic concerns, outdated systems, inadequate apparatus space, and firefighter decontamination limitations. The proposed replacement station would help maintain emergency response times, improve firefighter safety, meet modern seismic standards, and better support water rescue and wildfire response operations.
Lake Oswego firefighters respond to more than 5,000 calls annually, and maintaining four stations allows crews to reach 90% of high-priority emergencies within 8 minutes. A community task force reviewed alternatives, including renovation and closure, and ultimately recommended rebuilding the station as the most effective long-term solution for public and firefighter safety.
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
We’d like to take a moment and welcome Parker English as @iaff1159 newest Union member. Last week, Parker was hired by @molallafiredistrict as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
Parker is no stranger to @iaff1159 as his father is a Union member with the local and we have watched Parker grow into the man he is today and couldn’t be prouder! We know you’ll do great things in your career Parker, congratulations!
#IAFF1159
13 CommentsComment on Facebook
On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at approximately 10:20am, Clackamas Fire’s Technical Rescue Team responded to a mutual aid request from Hoodland Fire to assist with the rescue of an injured climber. Squad 319, Heavy Rescue 305, Truck 316, and Battalion Chief 301 responded to Timberline Lodge and proceeded on foot and via snow cat to the patient’s side where they found the climber pinned under a boulder estimated to weigh 16,000 lbs. The boulder had fallen on the patient during a minor rockslide, and despite immediate attempts at rescue by a large crowd of bystanders, the boulder could not be moved. Clackamas Fire leaders immediately established unified command of the scene with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Hoodland Fire. Â
Â
The climber was conscious and able to communicate, but the nature of the accident and potential severity of the person’s injuries called for a sophisticated response. As a group of Clackamas Fire’s highly trained rescuers worked to construct a system to lift the boulder from the patient, others contacted LifeFlight and OHSU to activate a specialized field surgical team. LifeFlight dispatched an aircraft to the scene and sent a second helicopter to the landing pad at OHSU. While rescuers labored in challenging conditions to remove the boulder, physicians and surgeons at OHSU quickly assembled medical equipment and loaded it onboard a LifeFlight helicopter in a remarkable display of collaboration.Â
At approximately 12:30pm, just as the second helicopter was circling the scene to land, the Technical Rescue Team freed the patient from the boulder and moved the injured person to the first helicopter for immediate transport to an area hospital.Â
Â
The climber is being treated at an area hospital and is expected to recover. The swift action and strong collaboration between Clackamas Fire, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hoodland Fire, Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, Life Flight Network, OHSU, Portland Mountain Rescue, PNW Search and Rescue, American Medical Response, and the Hood River Crag Rats made this complex rescue successful.
20 CommentsComment on Facebook
This Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who gave everything in service to this country. Their sacrifice is the reason we’re able to live, work, raise families, and serve our own communities in freedom. As firefighters, we understand the meaning of service and the weight that sacrifice carries. Today, IAFF Local 1159 honors those who never made it home and keeps their families in our thoughts.
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Today is Election Day. Please remember to vote and support Measure 3-635 for the replacement of the South Shore Fire Station in Lake Oswego.
The current station was built in 1971 and has been identified as having major deficiencies, including seismic concerns, outdated systems, inadequate apparatus space, and firefighter decontamination limitations. The proposed replacement station would help maintain emergency response times, improve firefighter safety, meet modern seismic standards, and better support water rescue and wildfire response operations.
Lake Oswego firefighters respond to more than 5,000 calls annually, and maintaining four stations allows crews to reach 90% of high-priority emergencies within 8 minutes. A community task force reviewed alternatives, including renovation and closure, and ultimately recommended rebuilding the station as the most effective long-term solution for public and firefighter safety.
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
We’d like to take a moment and welcome Parker English as @iaff1159 newest Union member. Last week, Parker was hired by @molallafiredistrict as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
Parker is no stranger to @iaff1159 as his father is a Union member with the local and we have watched Parker grow into the man he is today and couldn’t be prouder! We know you’ll do great things in your career Parker, congratulations!
#IAFF1159
13 CommentsComment on Facebook
