Please join Portland Fire & Rescue as they receive a specialized golf cart in memory of former Training Chief Ron Bender on Saturday October 28th at 10 AM. The ceremony will occur at the PF&R Training Facility located at 4800 NE 122nd Avenue.Â
Ron Bender became a Portland Firefighter on November 18, 1965. He would serve just under 28 years by the time he retired on June 3, 1993. During his service, Ron would work at various assignments across the city but found this to be his true passion was the education and training of firefighters and he would eventually become the Division Chief of Training for Portland Fire & Rescue.Â
One of Ron’s dreams was a new training center that would allow for a full range of training programs, from recruit training to driver training, and serve all other types in between. This was recognized when the Portland Fire Training Center was built at 4800 NE 122nd Avenue. It is no coincidence that this is where his customized golf cart is slated to serve. Throughout his years of service, Ron was known for his generosity, kindness, and forward-thinking ways. Among other things, he created an educational program for working firefighters (serving on rotating 24-hour shifts) to participate in a bachelor’s degree program, allowing accredited learning to take place while not having to miss work. Ron never rested in his pursuit of a better trained firefighter.
One of Ron’s passions in retirement was golf. Between rounds, he managed to customize his golf cart to resemble a fire engine, complete with ladders, axes, a siren, a bell, and a few other unique elements that only a true firefighter could envision. Ron would live almost as many years in retirement as he did during his career. On August 4, 2019, over 26 years after he left the fire service, he would succumb to cancer. For the past four years, his wife and kids have labored over what to do with his customized golf cart. It is too special to sell, and too special to sit, dust-covered in a corner. The decision was made to offer it to Portland Fire & Rescue as a vehicle to assist Portland Fire & Rescue training staff. The training center covers many acres and staff who oversee firefighter recruit training and the other training activities at the site must cover a lot of ground. Now, they can do so in greater style and better efficiency.Â
