On May 4th, 2023 Umatilla County Fire District #1 was awarded a grant from the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s 2023 Oregon Fire Service Capacity Grant Program for $285,102.00. This grant will provide funding for our Fire District to add 1 person to our fire prevention staff. This person will work alongside Fire Marshal Scott Goff. UCFD #1 was 1 of 33 agencies to receive this grant out of 102 total applications. We are very excited to receive this grant from OSFM and will be putting it to use starting in the Fall of 2023. This grant will help us keep up with the growth within the fire district and the rising demand for fire and life safety services. The fire prevention division provides plans review and inspections for new construction, fire code enforcement, public education, fire prevention, smoke alarm installation, and fire investigation. Currently there are approximately 1.25 positions that provide these services. The additional full-time position will allow for development of new programs and timely delivery of these services provided by Umatilla County Fire District #1. 

Here is the official press release from the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal:

To boost capacity within the Oregon fire service and better prepare communities for wildfire, the Oregon State Fire Marshal announced Thursday the recipients of the $13.5 million Oregon Fire Service Capacity Grant. This funding is a part of the agency’s efforts to rise to the challenge wildfire poses to Oregonians.  

The goal of this grant is to provide small- to medium-sized Oregon fire agencies with resources to boost firefighting and fire prevention staffing over the next three years. These agencies protect Oregon communities and play a pivotal role in wildfire prevention and suppression.

Taking a two-pronged approach, this investment will increase firefighter capacity in the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS). The additional prevention staff will be an added resource for communities and property owners to assess and help guide Oregonians with defensible space.

In total, 33 local fire agencies were awarded funding, adding 53 firefighters and fire prevention staff over the next three years. The OSFM was able to issue awards to agencies in 27 counties. These funds will provide benefit across the state and give the Oregon fire service added tools to serve their communities and all Oregonians.Applicants were scored through a diverse scoring committee representing all aspects of the fire service. The following principles guided award decisions:

• Fire agencies serving areas at higher risk of wildfire  
• Communities with high social vulnerability 
• Consideration of previous grant awards 
• Statewide distribution and allocation to protect all Oregonians

This application process and other capacity-centered grants highlight the need within the Oregon fire service. The OSFM continues to develop creative and groundbreaking ways to rise to those challenges and give local fire agencies the tools they need to better serve and protect their communities.   

To see the list of recipients, visit the grants section of the OSFM’s website. To learn more about how the OSFM is helping Oregonians, visit the Success Stories – Showing our Work section on our website.