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Stepan Polyak and Aleksandr Kurich Translate a Request for Help into Great Service
Port of Portland police officer Rema Gossman was called to check on a passenger, but realized she needed assistance speaking with him as his primary language was Russian. Fortunately, on her way to help, she ran into Stepan Polyak (he/him) and Aleksandr Kurich (he/him) with SP+ Corporation.
Over their years working together at PDX, Stepan and Rema had conversed a few times, so she knew Stepan spoke Russian. As luck would have it, Aleksandr was fluent as well. Rema asked Stepan and Aleksandr if they would help translate and they agreed without hesitation.
Rema had this to say about the experience: "The passenger was delighted to be able to speak to someone in his native language – he was grinning from ear to ear! He told Aleksandr and Stepan that this was his first trip to the United States. They gave the elderly passenger some information to make sure he was able to board his flight and solved the problem. I sincerely thank them for stopping to help me when I made the request. They said if I needed any help like that in the future to reach out and I really appreciate that!"
Stepan and Aleksandr were honored at the PDX People Customer Service Awards, where we recognize airport employees who truly stand out as extraordinary. Missed the virtual awards ceremony? View the event recording or read about past winners. You can also nominate an employee who embodies the PDX People values and serves as a shining example of great customer service for next quarter – submit a nomination now. Nominations for the April Customer Service Awards are due Thursday, March 31.
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What's New with PDX Next: March Forum, Demo of the Demo and Bag Road Update
March Forum: Want the inside scoop on construction at PDX? Jen Reynolds with the Port of Portland along with Pat Bifone and Caitlin Powell of Hoffman-Skanska will share the latest construction updates and answer your questions about PDX Next in just 30 minutes. The next update is set for Tuesday, March 29, at 10:30 a.m.
Demo of the Demo: You may remember from our last issue that the "demo of the demo" (or demonstration of the demolition) will take place this week. If you want to get an idea of how noise from the structural demolition in the former Clocktower Plaza might impact your workspace, listen up around 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 31. If you work in or around the ticket lobby, you'll likely be able to hear the demonstration. This preview is designed to help airport operations, airlines, properties and other partners experience the upcoming impacts and create awareness around what's to come.
Bag Road: In a slight change from what was shared last week, starting mid-week, the north side of the main bag road will again narrow to one lane. Flaggers will be present and this change will be in place for the next month to facilitate work on a mega column. Along with the lane change, baggage carousel 10 will close once again.
Looking for more PDX Next information? We're keeping you in the know on what's new on the PDX People website. Have questions or suggestions about construction? Email hello@pdxnext.com or call the construction hotline at 503.460.4339.
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MAX Red Line Switches to Shuttle Bus Service April 2-9
Work is underway this spring to support TriMet's A Better Red project goal of improving MAX reliability. The project will move a large piece of special trackwork called a switch that splits a single track into two, and will give TriMet the room needed to build a bridge for a new track later. As a result, MAX Red Line trains will not be in operation while work is happening from Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, April 9, and shuttle buses will be running between Gateway Transit Center and PDX. Leave a little extra time for any trips: Buses will run every 15 minutes or more often most hours on both weekdays and weekends.
As the project continues, it could impact your route to work as well as passengers' routes to and from PDX. While we'll share key airport impacts here, you're encouraged to sign up for A Better Red alerts to stay informed of all project news. The PDX piece of A Better Red is scheduled to be complete in February 2024.
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PDX Honored with 2022 Age-Friendly Business Award
In recognition of our airport's welcoming environment and your efforts to provide great service to people of all ages and abilities – particularly older adults – PDX will be recognized with the Age-Friendly Business Award at AGE+’s Ageless Awards event on Thursday, April 21. PDX is seen as an innovator in how we serve this population, so much so that AGE+ believes we may be the first Age-Friendly Airport in the United States. If you’re not familiar, AGE+ champions a new vision for successful and equitable aging for all Oregonians by empowering communities, linking generations and stimulating innovation to make longer life an opportunity, not a burden, especially for isolated and underserved older adults in rural areas.
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Yoonhee Choi Explores Human Perception with Cultivated Visual Metaphors
Educated as a city planner, architect and artist, Yoonhee Choi creates powerful work that explores the potential of unexpected materials to express both multiple scales of spatial experience and intimate, personal associations. Choi’s projects use everyday materials in an improvisational manner, ranging from tiny collages and drawings on paper to large-scale immersive installations. “FD 21.07 | April” is Choi’s new site-specific temporary installation, created for the PDX rental car lobby. The installation is a diptych composed of two banners containing an enlargement of the original folded drawing, "FD 21.07." The elegant and reflective installation was conceived as an Asian scroll painting, sized for the scale and activity of this bustling airport hub.
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Be Knowledgeable: Performing CPR
As you likely know, Portland Airport Fire and Rescue offers CPR and AED courses. While classes are on hold until visitors are allowed back in the fire station, you can still brush up on your familiarity with CPR. Did you know 70% of bystander CPR is performed on someone you know? Or that "Stayin' Alive" isn't the only song that works to keep you on beat during CPR? That's right – "MMMBop," "Heart and Soul" and "Dancing Queen" are just a few options if you want to start a CPR playlist to keep up 100 to 120 beats per minute. Listen to this short podcast on bystander CPR and check out the American Heart Association video of a CPR demonstration to stay knowledgeable.
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International Transgender Day of Visibility
Thursday, March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a time to celebrate transgender people around the world and their many contributions to society, while acknowledging the bravery it takes for this community to live authentically.
International Transgender Day of Visibility also raises awareness around discrimination and violence faced by transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. We hope you’ll take a moment to build your awareness on the Human Rights Campaign website and put your learnings into practice by providing inclusive service to all PDX travelers.
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PDX in Pictures
Did you know that Portland Airport Fire and Rescue conducts live fuel fire training every March?
This training is particularly important because it allows firefighters to test “real world” scenarios with hazardous and volatile liquid fuels. In this photo, they are making a rescue pathway for passengers to safely evacuate, limiting the spread of the fire around the aircraft and controlling the fuels. Completion of live fuel fire training also means that PDX can maintain our Level 3 airport certification, having demonstrated the competency and capability to respond to an aircraft emergency.
Special thanks to the PDX Maintenance team and the Portland Air National Guard fire department for their assistance and partnership, and to fire inspector and training assistant Ryan Roy for capturing a photo under the light of a full moon.
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