When asked to contribute to the special Fire Prevention Edition of our local paper I pondered over what I would write about. There have been so many new and exciting events and changes over the last year in our department; I barely know where to start.
The most obvious transformation in the immediate vicinity of the fire station has been the demolition of the apartment to the north and houses to the east of our administration building. This perhaps signifies the greatest step forward in planning and preparing for a new fire station. For years the fire district has needed a facility designed and built to accommodate career and volunteer firefighters working 24 hour shifts 7 days a week. As we continue to train our firefighter and emergency medical technicians to higher levels and competencies, respond to more varied and complex emergencies and situations, and equip them with the tools necessary to complete their missions, we find we are continually searching for solutions to combat overcrowding and a lack of physical space. Our training is often interrupted by poor facility design and apparatus are often subjected to extreme weather conditions. Our protective firefighting gear needs to be stored in darkness, yet current design limitations require it to be inefficiently stored in bags in order to protect and thus prolong its serviceable life. Gender issues can manifest when privacy cannot be ensured, and as fortunate as we have been in not experiencing these issues, we are aware of this potential exposure.
For the sake of brevity I will break from my discussion of why someday a new facility needs to be built, and get to the point. Through the years Estacada Fire has worked with the City of Estacada, and eventually the Urban Renewal Board, to minimize the negative impact urban renewal would have on the Fire District. The intergovernmental agreement the City Council signed many years ago will be of greatest value to the Fire District when a new station is built. The Fire District Board of Directors has been delaying a bond measure to build a station until the economy improves and the citizen’s can better afford it. We have taken funds recovered from the embezzlement and dedicated this money to a special fund solely to be used to obtain the properties needed for a station, thus lower the cost to complete the project. Someday we will ask the voters for their support, until then we will plant grass seed on our new properties and wait. We will continue to do our best to maintain a state of readiness, to respond as effectively and efficiently as possible, and to treat all people with respect and compassion.
Estacada Fire District members have a strong commitment to serve our friends and neighbors; it’s not just stated in our philosophy of operations, it’s in our blood. It’s what we believe in and what we practice in a professional manner, every day.
