Station 22 – St. Johns
At the East end of the St. Johns Bridge you will find Station 22. They are a part of a long tradition dating back to the 1890s when the St. Johns Fire Department was formed to protect the mills, docks, and growing community of the North Portland peninsula. The city of St. Johns was platted in 1965, recognized by the Oregon legislature in 1898, and incorporated in 1903. The controversial annexation by the City of Portland in 1915 folded the St. Johns Fire Department into Portland Fire & Rescue. Beginning in 1913, Engine Company 32 was stationed in the historic St. Johns City Hall until the current station was built in 1954. In 1960 a truck company was added, and the station was renumbered as Station 22. After completion of the landmark St. Johns Bridge in 1931, service began to Linnton, Burlington, and Forest Park.
The St. Johns community and their fire station have always shared a strong bond that continues today. When one-year-old Shirley Ann Howell choked to death on a grape in 1955 the local business community and residents formed the Shirley Ann Fund in her memory, to purchase cutting-edge, lifesaving medical equipment for Station 22, that was not routinely available to fire departments of the time. Over the past sixty-three years the community-supported Shirley Ann Fund Has provided rescue vehicles, ATV's, EMS gear, water rescue equipment, specialized training, and many other tools that help provide better service to the residents of North Portland. Station 22 apparatus have led the annual St. Johns parade since 1962 and the fire station is a frequent stop for families walking the neighborhood.
Station 22 covers the most geographically diverse fire management area in Portland. Working at station 22 requires creativity and flexibility since many of the calls are not typical for an urban fire department. In addition to the usual residential and commercial medical and fire incidents, Station 22 must be ready to respond to injured hikers, miles from a road, water rescues, livestock emergencies, heavy industry, rail emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, petroleum storage facilities, and wildland fires.
To meet the needs of this unique corner of Portland, Station 22 is ready with six pieces of equipment Engine 22, Truck 22, Brush Unit 22, Utility 22 - AKA the “Shirley Anne”, and two ATV's. The eighteen firefighters and six officers of Station 22 continued to serve the neighborhood and citizens with pride following the example set by the original Saint Johns fire Department over a century ago.
To schedule a visit to the station or a visit from one our fire rigs to a community event, please fill out the online form below.