Portland's Longest Serving Firefighter

[Guest]

A Portland Firefighter, Ethan Averitt Reed, retired last week, on Sept. 19, 2015.


"That's nice" you may say, but many U.S. firefighters retired last week.

"Yes", I say, but how many were active firefighters driving a busy, downtown engine company

for 50 years, 1 month and 11 days?

That must be a mis-print. Don't you mean 30 years?

No, 50 years - FIFTY  YEARS.


Here are some photos of him at some recent fires.

 

At 05:30, 5-1/2 hours into his 50th year as a Portland firefighter, Ethan Reed

drove Engine 1 to a 3-alarm fire at the old Osborne Hotel at 205 SE Grand Ave.



Ethan pulling hose in January, 2014.



Running the pump on Engine 1 at a 2-alarm fire, 7-7-2009



Picking up hose at a 2-alarm fire, 9-10-2008



"Selfie" at his retirement party 9-19-2015

[Guest]

Dick can you elaborate more on his 50 years of service? That being said I wish him a long and happy retirement.

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[nozzleman]

Dick I would love to hear more about this amazing firefighter. And like fdny1075 I wish him many years of retirement and a long happy retirement.

[Guest]

Dick can you elaborate more on his 50 years of service? That being said I wish him a long and happy retirement. Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

 

I looked in the oldest yearbook I have (2000) and he was on the same shift at the same station then - Sta. 1, C Shift.

What further info. are you looking for.? A list of all the fires he's worked at.?

[Guest]

No was just impressed with that long of a career. Thanks.

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[Dickey]

Can we get a summary of his career? When he started, what age, what changes he saw in the dept....etc

[Guest]

Can we get a summary of his career? When he started, what age, what changes he saw in the dept....etc

I hope to have all that in a couple of days.

[SOlsonBFDL14]

I'm guessing that Portland doesn't have mandatory retirement? We're mandated to retire no later than the last day of the month in which we turn 65. Thus a career like Ethan's will never be possible in the BFD anymore. I believe the longest serving member we ever had was Captain David F Watkins, appointed October 22, 1920; promoted to Lieutenant on July 16, 1937; promoted to Captain on April 27, 1955 & retired as the Captain of Engine 39 on August 11, 1976 after nearly 56 years at the ripe old age of 82!

[hank]

Dick:  Is the "selfie" your replacement?

 

tHANKs

[Guest]

Follow up on Ethan Reed.

He was born on May 16, 1941.

Appointed to the Portland Fire Bureau on Aug. 7, 1965.

He was at 3 different stations until Jan. 19, 1967 when he was assigned to Sta. 1.

He was on Engine 1 for the past 45 years, mostly as the Driver.