Umpqua Community College and CDF&R Collaborative Emergency Services Station

There is a significant shortage of first responders across the United States, and Oregon is facing this challenge, particularly in its non-metro areas. Here in Douglas County, we are fortunate to have a Community College that offers fire science and paramedicine programs. However, attracting students to these programs has been difficult.

Our department has collaborated with the college for many years, providing instructors and hands-on experience for students. Our research identified a key barrier to the program’s competitiveness: the absence of an operational student training fire station.

To address this, we propose constructing a fire station on property near the college. This facility would work with the college’s fire science and paramedic programs, allowing students to gain practical experience alongside professional firefighters. The station would include living quarters, apparatus bays for equipment, classrooms for training, and office space for the fire department and college staff. This arrangement would facilitate training and ensure 24/7 oversight for students on duty alongside career personnel, a proven successful model in Salem. In addition, the classrooms would be equipped so the facility could be utilized as an emergency operations center in the event of significance.

Establishing this project would enhance the college program’s competitiveness and provide local benefits. Keeping students in the area for their education increases the likelihood they will seek employment locally. Additionally, students could become resident volunteers with nearby rural departments when not in class or on shifts at the college station. We also aim to dedicate the college portion of the station as a memorial to the son of one of our local firefighters who was a fire science student who tragically lost his life during October 1, 2015, shooting at our college, having heroically acted to save another student.

We have worked with an engineering firm to create initial plans and conceptual drawings, with around $10 million in estimated costs. Unfortunately, neither the fire department nor the college can fund this critical project alone. We are exploring all avenues for funding options to make this worthwhile project a reality.

Fire Chief Rob Bullock (Central Douglas Fire & Rescue)