By Mary Owen
The Stayton Fire District is looking for volunteers.
“We need another three more for each of our four stations to be at our ideal numbers,” said Matt Aalto, firefighter, EMT and recruitment and retention coordinator for the district. “That’s anywhere from 10 to 15 more volunteers needed for the district.”
Currently, Aalto said the district has about 60 combat-line firefighters, who “wear gear, packs and masks, and go into burning buildings.”
“Equally important is our support and rehab team,” he said. “We have about 20 volunteers who respond to large incidents with a trailer to provide food, take the vitals of firefighters, and handle other tasks. They also help prepare food at the station when we have big community events like our pancake feed or when we have meetings.”
No matter what their task, volunteers keep the station humming, he added.
Volunteers must be 18 or older, live in the fire district, have a valid Oregon driver’s license with a good driving record, must be able to pass a drug test, and be free of any felony convictions. “And they have to be able to spend time,” Aalto said. “It’s a very time-consuming commitment.”
Once accepted, the rookie firefighter will go through a fire academy, half online and half on the training grounds. The no-cost training is twice a week for four months, Aalto said.
“And then there is the ongoing training,” he added. “We hold weekly drills and other special opportunities throughout the year. A firefighter’s training never ends!”
After volunteers receive initial fire training, Aalto said they start to learn the medical side of response.
“Many train to the first level, emergency medical responder,” he said. “Some take their training further and become emergency medical technicians. To become an EMR takes three months and an EMT another 6-9 months.”
Aalto said 70 percent of district responses are medically related. The rest are to fires, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials responses, alarms and rescues, he added.
“If Sublimity has a fire, we go as well,” he said. “If the fire is in Turner, dispatch may not add us right away. We provide mutual aid to everybody in the canyon. Whenever they call, we always respond.
“We also respond statewide to wildland fires,” he added. “Last year we responded to six fires across the state. We had one of the worst fire seasons due to the lack of rain.”
Having a full complement of volunteers allows the fire district to respond to emergencies in a quicker fashion, Aalto said. “More volunteers also allows for better public education, fire prevention and community involvement.”
Aalto said as the department and community grow, the district’s call volume will continue to rise. “The increasing call volume can be extremely taxing on a group of firefighters,” he said. “The more volunteers available, the more work can be spread out. So we expect to have an ongoing need for firefighters.”
The Stayton Fire District delivers emergency services to Stayton and the unincorporated communities of Marion, Mehama and Elkhorn, which all have stations located in the community.
For more information on volunteering, call Aalto at 503-769-2601 or visit www.staytonfire.org.
May is Oregon Wildfire Awareness Month, during which federal state, tribal and local fire agencies will spread the word about wildfire prevention and the steps to stop most fires before they start.
“Last year, we had one of the worst fire seasons due to lack of rain,” said Matt Aalto, recruitment and retention coordinator for the Stayton Fire District.
When it comes to preventing wildfires, officials caution that lives, property, and the values provided by Oregon’s forests and rangelands are at stake.
In 2015, Oregon Department of Forestry reported some 630,000 acres in Oregon were consumed by wildfire. In Oregon, some 850 human-caused fires ravaged the landscape, burning nearly 87,000 acres.
Since wildfires can start at home, spreading to nearby wildlands, simple prevention strategies must be in place, ODF reports.
“Make sure to be aware of when burning restrictions are in place,” Aalto said. “The human factor is the most dangerous. To burn responsibly, have tools and water at hand to put a fire out – and have a cell phone handy in case the fire becomes an issue.”
Aalto also said to make sure to provide access in and out of a property for emergency vehicles, should they be needed. State Fire Marshal Jim Walker said “having an adequate turnaround area is critical for firefighters.”
Walker recommended long driveways be at least 12 feet wide, have 10 feet of vegetation clearance from the centerline to the edge of the driveway, and about 14 feet of overhead clearance.
“The more accessible the properties are, the easier it is for us to eliminate the problem,” Aalto said. “And if a permit is required, get the permit. Be prepared to handle every issue that can arise.”
National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 7 calls for neighbors to reduce their community’s wildfire risk by working together on projects that can help protect homes and entire communities from the threat of fire. The day is a team-sponsored effort by State Farm Insurance and the National Fire Protection Association.
For information, visit: Keep Oregon Green, www.keeporegongreen.org; Oregon Department of Forestry, www.oregon.gov/odf; or Office of the State Fire Marshall, www.oregon/gov/OSP/SFM/pages/index.aspx.
Follow Oregon wildfire news and prevention updates on social media: Twitter @keeporegongreen, @ORDeptForestry and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/keeporegongreen; https://www.facebook.com/odfprevention/?fref=ts.
The Stayton Fire District also has prevention information at www.staytonfire.org and on its Facebook page as The Stayton Fire District.
