Ray Pitz

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (Images of America) Ray Pitz

In the early days of fighting fires in Beaverton, Oregon, a bugle called firefighters to the scene. The Beaverton Enterprise newspaper reported that, "with no water system, firefighters had to rely upon water buckets and (the) enthusiasm of volunteers who came running to the call." In 1935, Beaverton officially formed its first fire department, and down the road in the city of Tualatin, a group of volunteers began assembling what would become the Tualatin Rural Fire Protection District. In 1989, a merger of the latter department with Washington County Fire District No. 1 resulted in the creation of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Beaverton would officially annex into the new district in 1996, and today, TVF&R is the second-largest fire department in Oregon, covering 210 square miles with 21 stations. Since the beginning, the departments that comprise the district were known for their resourcefulness and innovation, both of which continue to this day.