Portland Fire & Rescue consists of the Chief Engineer (generally referred to as the Fire Chief) and such other positions as the Council may provide. The mission of Portland Fire & Rescue is to safely protect life, property, and the environment by providing excellence in emergency services, training and prevention. Portland Fire & Rescue is responsible for:

1. A. The saving of life and property from fire or other disaster, emergency medical services, hazardous materials incidents, conducting a fire loss control program, training and other miscellaneous public services;
2. B. Fire prevention inspections and Code enforcement (Title 31), fire and life safety plans review, fire and arson investigation, enforcement of harbor regulations (Title 19), and conducting an educational fire prevention program;
3. C. Portland Fire & Rescue budget and finance, long range capital planning and program development, special projects, manual and automated management information systems, planning and administrative support services, and supplying logistical support, which includes facility and vehicle maintenance, operational supplies and services;
4. D. Initial training of all newly hired firefighters, ongoing training to maintain and improve the skills of all personnel, safety and risk management programs, accident and injury investigation and analysis, researching and developing new technologies and practices, and promoting training and educational opportunities for career development of all Bureau personnel.

Portland Fire & Rescue members will be appointed as provided by the Charter, subject to the Civil Service rules of the Charter, and thereafter, subject to the restrictions contained in the Charter.

All the powers of the City connected with and incident to the appointment, discipline, and administration of its Portland Fire & Rescue are vested in the City Administrator. The City Administrator has the power and duty to administer Portland Fire & Rescue for effective service within the City, and to that end may authorize the appointment of a Chief of the Bureau and other officers and employees. The City Administrator has the power to make, or power to delegate authority to the Chief of the Bureau to make, all necessary or convenient rules and regulations for the organization and conduct of the Bureau, for receiving and hearing complaints against any members, and for the removal or suspension of any member of the Bureau. The Civil Service rules prescribed in the Charter apply to every officer and member of the Bureau and govern the actions of the City Administrator in its organization and administration of the Bureau.

The City Administrator has the custody and management of all the public property, including the fire alarm telegraph, pertaining to Portland Fire & Rescue. The Mayor has power and authority, subject to the limitations and appropriations made and expenditures authorized by the Council, to enter into agreements for purchase and acquire all necessary apparatus, including fireboats, engines, hose, hose carriages, and all other personal property which the exigencies of an efficient Portland Fire & Rescue may require. The City Administrator may sell and dispose at public sale under the provisions of the Charter relating to sales of public property of any portion of said personal property whenever the same is not required, or when it may be considered by the City Administrator unfit for service in the Bureau. The proceeds of any such sale must be paid by the purchaser to the Treasurer of the City, who will issue a proper receipt therefor, and all such monies will be credited to the General Fund of the City.

The Chief of the Bureau will diligently observe the condition of the apparatus and property and workings of the Bureau and make an annual report in writing to the City Administrator. The Fire Chief may also make recommendations from time to time with regard to the needs of the Bureau.

The Fire Chief, or, in the Fire Chief’s absence, any Assistant Chief, may during a conflagration, cause to be cut down, or otherwise removed, any buildings or structures for the purpose of checking the progress of such conflagration.

The City Administrator, in case of any general conflagration or great emergency, may appoint such temporary employees as it may deem necessary and to whom Civil Service rules will not apply.

Members and officers of a higher grade who have done faithful service and have been disabled so as to unfit them for serving in the position occupied when so disabled may be assigned to other duties suitable to their physical abilities and will always have preference in such assignments.

The rules and regulations of Portland Fire & Rescue will be promulgated by the Fire Chief, subject to approval by the City Administrator, and the Fire Chief has authority to issue general and special orders that are administrative in nature and are in addition to or supplemental to the rules and regulations as promulgated by the Chief Engineer and approved by the City Administrator. The rules and regulations and the general or special orders will govern the conduct of the members of Portland Fire & Rescue and will be designed for the efficient and effective functioning of the Bureau.

The following rules apply to uniforms for employees appointed to Portland Fire & Rescue who are members of the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement System:

1. A. The Chief of the Bureau will, subject to the approval of the City Administrator, prescribe specifications for fire uniforms and establish rules, regulations and conditions of wearing thereof.
2. B. Consistent with the budget, the City Administrator will designate which items of the uniform specified by the Chief of the Bureau under Subsection A. above will be furnished by the City to those employees required to wear the prescribed uniform in performance of their normal and usual fire duties. Each new employee will be furnished a complete set of designated items of uniform. All other employees will be furnished designated items of uniform on the basis of replacement when needed as determined by the Chief of the Bureau. Items furnished by the City will remain property of the City. The Chief of the Bureau will establish the rules, regulations and conditions for issuance and control thereof.
3. C. The Chief of the Bureau, subject to approval of the City Administrator, has the authority to designate duty assignments which require dress other than the prescribed uniform. For such designated duty, no items of uniform will be furnished, and those employees affected will receive an annual cash clothing allowance in lieu of the items of uniform furnished by the City. Clothing allowances will be paid as determined by administrative rule.

The Mayor is authorized to enter into contracts under the provisions of the State Rural Fire Protection District Act. Contracts authorized by this Section are subject to the following conditions:

1. A. The City will provide both fire prevention and fire suppression services and will not provide fire suppression services only.
2. B. Payment for services by individuals and private organizations, having no tax levying authority under State law, must be in advance, excepting those contracts in excess of $25,000, which may be paid on a quarterly basis in advance. The Mayor will execute such contracts only upon receipt of such payment;
3. C. Contracts with political subdivisions of the State will be entered into only upon certification by the governing body of such political subdivision that there will be assessed upon the taxpayers of such political subdivision an amount not less than:
   1. 1. The contract price.
   2. 2. Unpaid balances, if any, owing the City on previous fire prevention and suppression contracts.
   3. 3. An estimated amount sufficient to compensate for the delinquencies, based upon previous experience.
   4. The Mayor will execute such contracts only upon receipt of such certification, unless specially authorized by ordinance. Payment upon such contracts will be due in equal semiannual installments on or before January 1 and June 1 of the year in which the contract is in effect;
4. D. As used in this Section:
   1. 1. Effective year means the fiscal year in which the contract is operative,
   2. 2. Previous year means the fiscal year first preceding the effective year.
   3. 3. Property owner’s assessed value means the assessed value in the previous year of land, improvements and personal property of the individual, organization or political subdivision contracting for City fire prevention and suppression, provided, however, that for political subdivisions, the Mayor will decrease such assessed value to adjust for changes in boundaries which become effective during the previous year as the result of annexations to the City. If property or a portion thereof, which is included in the determination of property owner’s assessed valuation, be outside Multnomah County, the assessed value will be adjusted so as to bear the same ratio to true cash value as the ratio of assessed value to true cash value in Multnomah County, as determined by the State Tax Commission.
   4. 4. Assessed value of City property means the assessed value, in the previous year, of land, improvements and personal property in the City. The assessed value of those portions of the City lying outside Multnomah County will be adjusted so as to bear the same ratio to true cash value as the ratio of assessed value to true cash value in Multnomah County, as determined by the State Tax Commission.
   5. 5. Cost to City taxpayers means the sum, to the nearest dollar, of:
   6. a. Portland Fire & Rescue General Fund budget of the previous year,
   7. b. A portion of the budget for Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund based upon the ratio of the number of firefighters to the number of police officers employed on January 1 of the previous year, and;
   8. c. 10 percent of the total of Subsections a. and b. above to allow for payroll taxes and other expenditures outside the Portland Fire & Rescue General Fund budget;
5. E. The charge for City fire suppression and fire prevention services by contract authorized under this Section will be computed by the following formula:
6. (Cost To City taxpayers)
7. Multiplied by
8. (Property owner’s assessed value)
9. Divided by
10. (Assessed value of City property)
11. F. Each application for a fire suppression and/or fire prevention contract under this Section, and for renewal of a previous contract under this Section, will be forwarded to the Chief of the Bureau. The Chief will attach to the application the Chief’s report upon the accessibility, water supply, distance from the City fire equipment, and other conditions pertaining to the area to be protected. The Chief will then submit the application to the City Administrator for approval or disapproval before a contract is entered into.

On or near February 15 of each year the City Administrator will mail to each individual, organization and political subdivision then under contract with the City for fire suppression and/or fire prevention, letter stating the dollar amount the City will charge for renewal of the contract in the next succeeding fiscal year. This amount will be computed by the formula in Section 3.22.110. The letter, if directed to a political subdivision contracting under Subsection 3.22.110 B., will also state the amount owed the City and then in arrears, if any, under preceding contracts or the contract then in effect. Such letter will not operate as a waiver or estoppel of the right of the City to refuse renewal of any contract under Subsection 3.22.110 B. because of delinquencies or other good cause.

All contracts executed in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter must be approved as to form by the City Attorney.

The Mayor and the City Administrator may enter in agreements with agencies of the federal government and with political subdivisions of a state in which each party agrees to provide mutual assistance, in the form of personnel and equipment, in combating large fires within the boundaries of the other party or parties to such agreements.

Upon the approval of the Chief of the Bureau and of the City Administrator, the fire boats of Portland Fire & Rescue may be used for the purpose of pumping out water from boats and barges which ply the Willamette or Columbia rivers.

The fees for the emergency pumping services permitted by Section 3.22.150 are $200 per hour. The owner, owner’s agent, or master of the vessel requesting the nonfire emergency pumping service must be advised that the pumping fee is $200 per hour before a fire boat is dispatched to the emergency location. The fire boat officer, on arrival, must obtain written agreement from the owner, owner’s agent or master of the vessel in peril to pay the City $200 per hour for salvage pumping before beginning operations. When the service of the fire boat is completed, the Chief of

Portland Fire & Rescue will certify to the City Administrator the exact time employed by the fire boat, and the City Administrator will then make a final charge for such service and require payment of such charge by the applicant. In the event salvage efforts fail, and if so recommended by the Chief of the Bureau, the City Administrator may reduce or omit the pumping fee.

All awards earned by members of Portland Fire & Rescue participating in Rose Festival activities will go to the personnel and improvements of the fire engine quarters where such companies are housed.

1. A. General provisions.
   1. 1. Title. This plan is known as the Forested and Wildland Interface Areas Protection Plan of the City.
   2. 2. Scope. This plan is primarily designed for the detection and suppression of forest and brush fires in forested, rural and urban areas of the City, and in all areas with which the City has contracted to furnish fire protection. Additionally, the fire suppression provisions of this plan may be activated when a fire outside the City becomes a threat to areas within.
   3. 3. Purpose. The purpose of this plan is to establish operational responsibilities of departments and bureaus of the Portland municipal government and supporting agencies within the scope of this plan.
   4. 4. Participation required. Participation is required of relevant bureaus including but not limited to: Portland Parks & Recreation; Portland Fire & Rescue; Portland Police Bureau: Portland Water Bureau;  Bureau of Fleet & Facilities; and Portland Bureau of Transportation.
   5. 5. Participation voluntary. Voluntary participation by nongovernmental agencies having emergency capabilities in areas of disaster relief is authorized and encouraged; provided, however, that each voluntary agency must submit an operational program to this plan as provided in Subsection B. below.
2. B. Plan coordination.
   1. 1. Coordinator. The Chief of the Bureau is known as the coordinator of this plan. They will see that the operational programs of departments, bureaus and supporting agencies are submitted and made a part of this plan and kept current from year to year.
   2. 2. Operational programs. The head of each participating bureau, office and/or agency will submit an operation program to the Coordinator and keep the Coordinator informed of changes at all times. Such operational programs will be a part of this plan. They will include the names and telephone numbers of key alerting personnel, a listing of other personnel by number and job classification, and a listing of all mobile and special equipment. Additionally, operational programs of Portland Fire & Rescue and Portland Parks & Recreation will contain descriptive details of routine maintenance and regulatory responsibilities. The operational programs are respectively identified as follows:
      
      PROGRAM I: Portland Parks & Recreation
      
      PROGRAM II: Portland Fire & Rescue
      
      PROGRAM III: Bureau of Police
      
      PROGRAM IV: Portland Water Bureau
      
      PROGRAM V: General Services
      
      PROGRAM VIII: Maintenance Operations
      
      PROGRAM IX: Reserved for Nongovernmental
      
      PROGRAM X: Reserved for Nongovernmental
3. C. Command responsibility for firefighting.
   1. 1. In all forested and rural areas lying within the City, and in all areas for which the City has a contract to furnish fire protection, overall command of firefighting operations will be the responsibility of the Chief of the Bureau.
   2. 2. Operating units will in all cases be under the direct control of their own commanders or foremen, superintendents, etc. However, such units will function in conformity with the tactical firefighting plan established by the sector commander to whom they are assigned.
4. D. Activation and response.
   1. 1. All participants and resources listed in the plan will be activated in accordance with the plan at the request of the Incident Commander.
   2. 2. All participants in the plan will send liaison personnel to the field headquarters, support command headquarters, and the Emergency Operations Center as requested by the Incident Commander.
5. E. Personnel alerting.
   1. 1. The Bureau of Emergency Communications will initiate the alerting of participating services as outlined in the plan. The person contacted is then to complete the calls required by their bureau, office or agency.
   2. 2. For the purpose of alerting as required in Subsection 1. above, the head of each participating service will establish and maintain master‑call lists or a key‑alerting system.