PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland fire crews say the recent rescue of a man from a fire at his Northwest apartment building serves as a clear example of a technique firefighters are now using to save lives.

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews pulled the man from his burning apartment at Northwest 23rd and Overton on Aug. 17 after entering the building from the man's bedroom window.

Fire officials say the victim was unconscious at the time of the rescue and is still alive.

They say the rescue technique firefighters used that morning is called "window-based search," or VEIS, which stands for "venting a burning building by breaking a window, entering it, isolating the fire by closing doors and searching for victims."

In the case of the Northwest 23rd fire, a witness said firefighters were up the

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