TVF&R Pipes and Drums. The origin story.
A local group preserving an Irish American tradition is marking its 25th anniversary this month.
Founded in 2000, the Tualatin Valley Firefighters Pipes & Drums continues a tradition of Irish-themed police and fire bands that began on the East Coast. In 1960, the NYPD Emerald Society, a fraternal organization of Irish and Irish American police officers, launched a pipe band. While people consider the pipes to be a Scottish thing, the names on the original roster and the tunes in the band's repertoire mark it as distinctly Irish. Not to be outdone by the cops, the FDNY's Emerald Society similarly started its own band in 1962, and the tradition moved on from there.
IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial, Colorado Springs
In 1995, Tim Birr, a firefighter and long-time piper joined Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. As he had while previously working 21 years at Eugene Fire, Tim would occasionally don a fire district uniform shirt with a kilt and play for various fire district events. At some point in the late 1990s, firefighter Norvin Collins asked Tim to teach him to play, and the pair began making the rounds of fire service functions and ceremonies.
Tim Birr consults with Tim Hennessy. Portland Hibernian Society Banquet - Kells - 2024
In 2000, Norvin noted that there were several TVF&R members wanting to learn the pipes, and Tim agreed to teach lessons. On an August evening in 2000, the group met in the fire district's computer lab for the first time. As word got out, the group of students were approached by members of other local fire agencies, asking if they could join in. They were welcomed and, over the course of its 25 years, the band has at various times included pipers and drummers representing 17 different public safety agencies, including fire, police, and corrections.
Would-be pipers typically spend a year on the practice chanter, a recorder-like instrument that replicates the finger holes on a set of bagpipes. By the late summer of 2001, members of the fledgling band were purchasing bagpipes and recruiting drummers to play with the group. Tragically, the band's first public appearance was planned for the City of Tigard's 40th birthday...on September 11, 2001. That event was postponed, but band members hit the ground running as they played a series of 9-11 vigils, memorials, and ceremonies in the various communities served by TVF&R.
At the time of its formation, the band was the only fire service band in the Pacific Northwest, playing several events in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In 2004, they were regionally joined by the Seattle Firefighters band. Today, there are roughly a dozen fire service bands in the region.
Guadalajara, Mexico. 2005
Most of the band's performances have been within the public safety community: awards ceremonies, academy graduations, active duty and retiree funerals. In addition, band members have played numerous events for both the All-Ireland Cultural Society and the Portland Hibernian Society.
Annual appearance at the AICS St. Patrick’s Day bash.
The band receives no public money and is supported by the Tualatin Valley Firefighters Union and largely by its own members, who buy their own uniforms and, in the case of pipers, their own instruments.
The band has played at some major events over the years; sometimes the whole band, other times with smaller groups of members who can personally afford to make the trips. These have included the annual IAFF Fallen Firefighter memorial in Colorado Springs, Saint Patrick's Day Parades in both Chicago and Boston, two visits to Guadalajara, Mexico as part of sister city delegations, a visit to Sitka Alaska in support of the Seattle Firefighters band, and a visit to Dublin, Ireland in 2012 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Dublin Fire Brigade. The band has opened shows by the Boston-based Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys in both Portland and Boston. Locally, a highlight came in December 2008, when the band joined with the Kells Irish and Portland Police bands in the dedication of the Famine Memorial at Mt. Calvary. That event was attended by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.
Guadalajara, 2007
Over the years the band has gone from strength to strength, most recently facing challenges during the Covid pandemic. But through it all the band has now spent a quarter-century fulfilling its primary mission; serving as a ceremonial asset for local fire service agencies.
A special event will take place at Clancy's Pub in Sherwood on the evening of September 17, combining a Halfway to St. Patrick's Day event with recognition of the band's 25th anniversary. Between 7 and 9 pm, the band will play a series of sets at the pub.
Jimmy’s. Portland OR. March 17 2025
