Umatilla County Fire District #1 was awarded a $285,102 grant allowing it to add a new employee to the staff.
The grant comes from the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s 2023 Oregon Fire Service Capacity Grant Program.
The new employee will be part of the district’s fire prevention staff and will work alongside Fire Marshal Scott Goff.
UCFD #1 was one of 33 agencies to receive this grant out of 102 total applications. The grants will add 53 firefighters and fire prevention staff to fire departments over the next three years.
“We are very excited to receive this grant from OSFM and will be putting it to use starting in the fall of 2023,” said Nickolas Oatley, recruitment and retention coordinator for UCFD #1. “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 plan reviews 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 the fire district, said Oatley.
This funding is a part of the State Fire Marshal’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.
