By Mary Owen
The Stayton and Sublimity fire districts need a few good people.
“The need for volunteers is always there,” said Alan Hume, assistant chief and training officer for the Sublimity Fire District. “Even with a large group of volunteers, not everyone is available at the same time of day. Depending on the call, we may have a handful or a large group.”
“Volunteers are our greatest asset,” Stayton Chief Jack Carriger said. “We wouldn’t have emergency services if we didn’t have volunteers.”
Stayton volunteer recruiter Derek Gilbert said now is the perfect time to apply at either station, just prior to the spring training session at Santiam Fire Academy. Firefighters and support staff, all agree, are needed to help keep the district mission: “To provide outstanding service with commitment to saving lives and property.”
Gilbert encouraged interested people to apply now as the membership process takes up to a month. Those who are accepted before or after spring or fall training can still volunteer at the station to get used to how the district operates, he said.
Both districts also operate a cadet program for youth 16 and 17 interested in fire service. Sublimity has three unpaid interns who are enrolled in a paramedic or fire science program at Chemeketa Community College.
Support teams are also needed to provide on-site firefighter rehabilitation, event planning, fire prevention education, photography, history and clerical assistance.
Many of the volunteers have gone on to work for agencies such as the Portland Fire Bureau or the Lake Oswego, Forest Grove, Albany, Keizer, Springfield and Marion County fire districts, according to website information.
“If a person has the interest and commitment, this is a good avenue to serve the community,” Carriger said. “The people that do are incredibly dedicated people.”
Both districts respond to all natures of emergencies: fire protection, rescues and medical emergencies.
Stayton Fire District is a small combination department with about 50 firefighters and 15 support staff, as well as six paid staff. The district serves about 14,500 permanent residents as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and covers 107 square miles of city and rural areas. Stations operate in Stayton, Elkhorn, Marion and Mehama.
Sublimity Fire District has 25 volunteers who respond out of two in-town fire stations and cover its 44-mile district.
“We are all in this together and jurisdictional boundaries are not a factor in providing excellent service,” Carriger said regarding the districts’ “cost-effective service.”
Both districts pay to train volunteers and provide equipment and supplies for them to do their job, Carriger added.
Challenges to recruiting and maintaining volunteers, he said, are “our mobile society and the high demand on people’s time.”
Both districts are dedicated to helping new recruits make the cut, said the staff.
“We maintain Twitter and Facebook accounts for the district to post emergency calls, safety messages and community events,” Gilbert said. “We put something on every day. That’s a good way to keep in touch with Stayton Fire.”
To volunteer for Stayton, call Gilbert at 503-769-2601 or visit the station at 1988 W. Ida St.
To volunteer for Sublimity, call the main station, 115 NW Parker St., at 503-769-3282.
