The VPD Participates in the 1st Annual CEPA Emergency Services Fair

The first-ever countywide Emergency Services Fair (ESF), sponsored by Columbia Emergency Planning Association (CEPA), was held on Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. Many of CEPA's 280 members participated in the event. The ESF included a tank rescue by the Specialized Multi-Agency Rescue Team, car extrication using the jaws of life by emergency responders from Scappoose Fire & Columbia River Fire & Rescue, demonstration by Oregon State Police with the Bomb Squad Robot, tactical entry by St. Helens Police, a K-9 drug-sniffing take- down by Vernonia and St. Helens Police dogs and a mock meth lab cleanup by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Spectators got to view fire suppression demonstrations by the Oregon Department of Forestry and by Columbia River Fire & Rescue crews. The Clatskanie Police Department participated in a taser exhibition while CRF&R and Sanderson Safety teamed up to educate ESF fair visitors on how to operate a fire extinguisher. Several amateur radio operators who are members of ARES ( Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)) brought their new communications van donated by Portland General Electric to the fair site. They demonstrated how operators can create communication links anywhere in the world. They even offered free calls to servicemen in Iraq or anywhere in the world! Other partners in this first-ever ESF included safety outage information by Columbia River People's Utility District and 9-1-1 call demonstrations by the Columbia Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District dispatchers. Members of the Columbia County Sheriff's Marine Operations showed off their emergency vehicles while Grumpy's Towing generously agreed to tow in some seriously damaged cars that were involved in a drinking/driving crash. Oregon State Police showed off the new cars they are using in their Aggressive Driver Education Program (ADEP) and the American Red Cross let visitors see several Disaster Response Vehicles including a disaster response kitchen. Sanderson Safety and the Red Cross sold household safety equipment, personal protective gear and preparedness kits. Special thanks to event sponsors who include Boise Cascade, Columbia River People's Utility District, the cities of St. Helens, Scappoose and Columbia City, Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT), Opus Interactive, Sanderson Safety, Motorola, Inc., Grumpy's Towing, Evosus Solutions, Fire-Med, Auto Additions, Insurance Services Northwest, Graymont Western, City of Columbia City, Dyno Nobel, Northwest Uniforms, Portland General Electric and Sunbelt Corporation.

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