South Shore Fire Station Task Force – January 2026
Submitted by Chris Durkee, Task Force Chair –
South Shore Fire Station – Update
January 2026
Decontamination
When our firefighter/paramedics risk their lives daily to protect us, our families and our property, we owe it to them to provide a safe and healthy environment back at the fire station where they live. When returning from a fire, our firefighter/paramedics are covered with any number of contaminants, some of which are carcinogenic. These contaminants vary depending on the type of fire:
House fires: soot, smoke, ash and residue from burning plastic, electronics, asbestos, and lead. These include fine dust that can eventually cause heart disease and cancer.
Car fires: in addition to those in house fires – petroleum-derived VOC’s from fuel and rubber.
Electric Vehicle fires: “thermal runaway” of lithium-ion batteries creates unique toxins in addition to non-EV fires. These include hydrogen fluoride (highly toxic and corrosive gas) and heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, and manganese vaporized or in
particulates.
While fighting the fire, our firefighter/paramedics are well protected by their turnouts, masks, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and other personal protective equipment.
Initial decontamination occurs on site – with a good hosing down and scrubbing with a special soap (see photo). But complete decontamination can only occur with special equipment that is planned for the new fire station. This new equipment is specially
designed to thoroughly clean their turnouts, boots, gloves, etc. Other special equipment cleans the various parts of the SCBA’s (complete decontamination is currently performed by an outside subcontractor).
The fire station must be designed with this equipment in mind, and include a special air handling system that will create a small negative pressure in the decontamination spaces to prevent airborne contaminates from migrating into living quarters. The new South Shore Fire Station will have proper decontamination spaces, equipment, and pressure-differential air handling systems to provide a healthy environment for these dedicated folks who serve us so heroically.
Lake Oswego Fire Station Rebuild PAC: A citizen-led, citizen-funded committee has been formed to raise awareness of this vital public project and encourage a “YES” vote in May. The committee directors are Chris Durkee, Jeff Gudman and Carrie Love, and include residents from all over Lake Oswego. For more information, please email me: durkeechrisatyahoo.com. (Our committee’s website will be up later this month).
Website: www.lakeoswego.city/SSFSproject