Some clouds. Low 52F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..
Some clouds. Low 52F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Glide Fire Department Chief Ted Damewood, left, and Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Chip Clough at the Glide Fire Dept. in April 2022.
Glide Fire Department Chief Ted Damewood, left, and Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Chip Clough at the Glide Fire Dept. in April 2022.
GLIDE — That ol’ Kenworth ain’t what she used to be.
No, that wasn’t a local log truck company talking about retiring one of its haulers. Rather, the Glide Rural Fire Protection District, which it was announced Wednesday will receive a grant to replace one of its oldest pieces of apparatus.
In a joint press release issued Wednesday morning, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that four Oregon fire departments will receive a combined more than $900,000 in federal Assistance for Firefighters Grants for crucial operations, safety and vehicle costs.
Two communities, Glide and Pilot Rock, located south of Pendleton, were awarded the lion’s share of those monies, each receiving in excess of $370,000 to upgrade outdated equipment. The total award for the Glide Rural Fire Protection District is $371,428.
For Glide, that means its current water tender, a converted 1984 Kenworth log truck, can soon go on to its golden years.
When asked about the age of the existing water tender, Chief Ted Damewood just chuckled. Now, he’s shopping to find a tender which will not only meet the department’s needs, but also fit within the parameters of the grant.
“We have put in for this grant three or four times,” said Damewood, who would like to find a current tender with a minimum holding capacity of 3,000 gallons.
The existing tender can hold up to 3,800 gallons, but rust holes have developed in the water tank, causing at least some of that water to leak out.
The communities of Nyssa — located near the Idaho border 15 miles south of Ontario — and Seaside also were awarded grants as part of the Assistance for Firefighter Grants program.
“Oregon’s firefighters are on the front lines of protecting our homes, communities, and businesses when fires and emergencies happen, and it is crucial they receive the federal support needed to safely and effectively do this important work,” Merkley said in Wednesday’s statement. “This funding will help ensure that the dedicated firefighters in Oregon are well-equipped and prepared to keep Oregonians safe in every corner of our state year round, including during wildfire season.”
The grant announcement was the second in consecutive days for Glide, which received another grant of $11,428 from the same AFG program. Damewood said those funds are earmarked to acquire equipment to fit-test self-contained breathing apparatus as well as N-95 masks.
In March of this year, the department received a grant from the National Volunteer Fire Council to bring on a full-time Recruiting and Retention Coordinator, giving the department two and a half paid employees.
Through that coordinator, Glide Rural Fire Protection District has already seen a moderate bump in new recruits.
“Three have gone through their (emergency medical technician) classes and passed, and another just coming out who passed,” Damewood said, noting that three more candidates will be entering the EMT program at Umpqua Community College during winter term.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s pretty cool,” Damewood said.
Donovan Brink is a reporter for The News-Review. He can be reached at dbrink@nrtoday.com or 541-957-4219.
Donovan Brink is the cops and courts reporter for The News-Review.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription
Would you like to receive our Daily Briefing? Signup today!
Would you like to receive our DC Family wrap up? Signup today!
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.