Heavy-Lifter Lends a Hand in Hoodland Fire District

It’s official. Orlando Cryer has joined the ranks of the Hoodland Fire District as a volunteer firefighter. He and his fellow classmates were sworn in and received their badges from the recruit academy at a special graduation ceremony on March 10 at the fire station..

Training started in the fall with a field of more than 20 prospects, 11 of whom earned their badges after completing a challenging course of studies and physical exercises. 

“I really liked the training.” Cryer said. “It was really tough. We learned a little bit about a whole lot of stuff.”

Stuff like hooking up hoses and fire hydrants, throwing ladders, and riding in rigs. Physical training is nothing new to Cryer, who likes to spend his spare time sweating in the gym doing high-intensity workouts.

“I’m looking to compete in Hyrox or CrossFit,” Cryer said. “I do a lot of CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting in my off time. I do a lot of clean and jerks and snatches. If I’m not at work or training, or thinking about school, I’m in the gym.”

CrossFit is high-intensity interval training, also known as ‘hit’ workouts. It involves a lot of full body workouts. “It’s a really niche and small community,” he said. “Not a lot of people do Olympic weight lifting. To me it’s really fun. It’s one of the most efficient workouts you can do.”

Having the ability to help people in emergencies is Cryer’s main inspiration for wanting to become a firefighter and EMT. He especially likes the spirit of camaraderie the firefighting community fosters. The physical aspect of the job appeals to him as well, making it a natural fit.

Cryer aims to balance his full time job driving an ambulance at Clackamas County AMR with his volunteering duties at Hoodland Fire District, flip flopping between firefighting and transporting. Sometimes he drives, sometimes he rides in the back, attending to the patients.

“I’m an EMT right now, working on basic life support, one step lower than a paramedic,” he said. 

He got his start in the medical field working at an outpatient cardiology clinic at OHSU in 2024. His eyes are set on becoming a career firefighter paramedic.

 “Whether that’s still at AMR and volunteering my time, or with a career department – working with Clackamas County is my dream,” he said.

Being a firefighter is an inherently dangerous job. Protecting himself was one of the most important things he learned in training. Cryer was surprised to learn how many cancers are associated with firefighting.

“There are many carcinogens in the everyday life of a firefighter,” he said. “We get a lot of medical calls, lots of contamination happens. You’ve got to be careful and make sure personal protective equipment (PPE) is on correctly.” 

“Probably the biggest thing you learn at firefighting academy is to protect yourself at all times. Making sure you have a good seal so you don’t breathe in any carcinogens.”

When he’s not at work or in the gym pumping iron, you might find Cryer hiking on the mountain. He’s planning some backpacking trips for this summer.

Cryer, 27, currently lives between Portland and Gresham, but he and his three cats are looking to move to Sandy to be closer to his new volunteer job Hoodland Fire Station “Do you know what’s better than two cats?” he said. “It’s three cats.”

About 30 volunteers are on staff at Hoodland Fire District. Working side by side with 12 full time career firefighters, they are the backbone of the Hoodland Fire District.  For more information about becoming a volunteer, see hoodlandfire.gov or phone (503) 622-3256.