Station 14 has a new piece of furniture that is truly stunning. One morning after Roll Call Travis Chipman asked for someone to help him carry something into the station. When he walked through the kitchen door, we got the first look at the beautiful tabletop he built. It is quite the work of art. No one had a clue he had been building it for months.

It is made of solid Hickory that has been laminated together. The lettering and the Station emblem were routed into the wood, and then hand painted by Travis. The table was then covered with two coats of clear resin. Something you don't see is that he also put the names of all three-shift members on the bottom of the edge of the table.

Not only did he spend his own money on the project, six of the nearly nine months it took him to build it, he was not even working at Station 14. He had been moved out to make a spot for an FTO. That's dedication!

The caliber of Portland Fire Bureau employees has always been next to none. No one at Station 14 ever complains about extra work or says we’re too busy to take care of the rig or the station. Anyone who comes to the Station or sees our Engine can see that none is maintained better. l think Travis has set the bar up a notch, and we’re all proud to be working with him.

Steve Nyquist