OREGON — The Oregon Fire Protection District is undergoing a $4.1 million renovation and expansion of its station at 100 Washington Street to modernize the 40 year old facility and meet the needs of a growing staff and larger equipment, with the project expected to be completed in late 2026.
Firefighter Damien Vant said the upgrades will help crews respond faster, especially to river calls, stating, “That was one of our main goals was to really decrease the time that it takes us to respond to our river calls. Right now for us to go get a boat, we have to pile in vehicles, go down to our other building to grab those boats and then bring them back here to launch them into the river, especially if it’s the lower part of the river.”
The project will double the size of the facility with an addition to the west side.
Vant added the expansion will also address staffing and space needs, “When this station was built it really was not designed for us to live here full time, and our city has grown and our call volume has significantly increased, so we have had to add more staffing which has increased the demand for us to be able to stay here, and that is what the sleeping quarters are for, along with the need for a larger bay because our trucks are getting bigger and we have added more equipment.”
The Oregon Fire Protection District said it is funded through existing capital funds, bonds, and grants with no increase to property taxes.
