THE SPOKESMAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 P3
FLASHBACK
Redmond Fire Department grows through the years
100 years ago
April 21, 1921 — Department
Abandons Regular Fire Drills
Decision to abandon regular fire
drill of the full volunteer department,
substituting drill to be called at least
once a month by the lieutenants in
charge of the different squads, was
reached at a meeting Tuesday night.
A.H. Tifft was asked to get prices
on fire alarm sirens after it had been
pointed out that many members of the
department lived at such a distance
from the present fire bell that they
could not hear its alarm.
75 years ago
Spokesman file photo
April 25, 1946 — Truck Hits Post,
Strikes Jackpot On City Lights
A semi truck hit a city lamp post
in Redmond between 6 and 7 o’clock
Tuesday morning and got the jack-
pot—all 60 ornamental lamp posts on
the street went out and will remain out
for some time to come, until the city
can acquire a new regulator from the
factory. The one in use collapsed from
the strain when the damaged lamp post
caused a short in the entire system.
The city must also buy 60 new light
bulbs for the 60 posts, not to men-
tion a $20 globe for the one hit by the
truck, which was driven by William
Bretthauer of Eugene. Bretthauer left
his name at the bus depot and also re-
ported the accident, indicating his will-
ingness to pay for the damage. At the
time, however, extent of the damage
from the accident had not been deter-
mined.
During recent months, careless mo-
torists have damaged the city’s orna-
mental lamp posts on several occasions,
necessitating replacement. Mayor Mau-
rice F. Roberts urges use of greater pre-
caution on the part of drivers.
Just recently all bulbs were replaced
With 20 years of log hauling behind them, these two ‘50 Kenworth diesels can look
forward to the rush and wait that goes with being water tankers for the fire depart-
ment. George Wakefield, second from right, donated the two trucks, part of his orig-
inal three-truck fleet, to the Redmond Rural Fire District, represented by chief Hoy
Fultz and directors Duffy Knorr and Clyde Penhollow.
at a cost of $1.05 each, and now an-
other new set must be bought. Globes
re $20 each, in addition to the costs of
installation and repair of the posts.
50 years ago
April 21, 1971 — Fire fighting ca-
pability enhanced by donated trucks,
volunteer efforts
Fighting fires in rural areas with
only 2000 gallons of water is no fun--in
fact it’s downright dangerous.
And that was the situation until last
week when two former log trucks went
into operation as Redmond Rural Fire
District tankers, each carrying 4000
gallons, and with a 5000 gallon trailer
in the mill. That will make a 15,000
gallon total.
The trucks were donated last fall by
George Wakefield, who estimates that
the 1950 model Kenworth diesels trav-
eled some 2 million miles since they
joined his log and lumber hauling op-
eration over 20 years ago.
“They’re the best trucks I ever
had,” declared Wakefield fondly, as he
pointed out a weld in the frame. “It got
fixed in Baker.”
And it was thanks to that donation
that the fire department was able to
gain, with an additional $5000 made
available through the rural board, two
tankers that would have cost some
$20,000 if purchased new.
But that was only the beginning.
Soon Assistant Fire Chief Spike Durfee
and rural board member Duffy Knorr
were enroute to Portland to find tanks.
And when they bought two aluminum
petroleum tanks, Trans Western Ex-
press agreed to haul them to Redmond.
With the arrival of the new year,
Redmond firemen launched a social
season not soon to be forgotten--a se-
ries of sanding parties that removed
the yellow paint and a string of me-
Redmond Pacific Associates LLC, 1238
SW Obsidian Ave., Foundation for
building 7, a 3-story 12-plex in Obsidian
Heights, $1,562,880
Redmond Pacific Associates LLC, 1238
SW Obsidian Ave., Foundation for
building 8, a 3-story 12-plex in Obsidian
Heights, $1,562,880
Redmond Pacific Associates LLC, 1238
SW Obsidian Ave., Foundation for
building 9, a 3-story 12-plex in Obsidian
Heights, $1,562,880
Juniper Canyon Investment LLC, 701
NW Spruce Ave, Juniper Canyon Living
Bldg A-1 Future East Parcel Of 7th Street,
$1,750,000
BasX Properties LLC, 3500 SW 21st Pl.,
14,423 sf office addition to an existing
manufacturing building, $3,500,000
Redmond Free Methodist Church, 1475
SW 35th St., show and restroom addition
in existing storage closet for homeless
shelter at Mountain View Fellowship
Church, $25,000
Western Oregon Conference Of Seventh
Day Adventists, 655 SW 9th St., external
10.8x10.8x8’7” walk in freezer for food
bank, $40,000
Albany-Pacific LLC, et al, 1705 SW
Odem Medo Rd, demolition of current
liquor store and two adjacent spaces
to become larger liquor store with new
restroom, office, sales counter and
coolers, $25,000
April 24, 1996 — Firefighters cope
with cramped quarters, hope for ex-
pansion
Each night the firefighters on duty
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND COLUMNS: Join in on the topics we’re covering. Details on Page 5.
Ave., $258,574
COBC Holdings LLC, 4195 SW 44th St.,
$297,533
JD Neel Construction Inc, 3713 ,SW 44th
St., $339,912
Palmer FH LLC, 3671 SW 43rd St.,
$398,320
Palmer FH LLC, 3728 SW 44th St.,
$319,909
JD Neel Construction Inc, 610 NW
Rimrock Dr., $317,522
Megan Park LLC, 752 NW 27th St.,
$252,409
Megan Park LLC, 748 NW 27th St.,
$284,984
COBC Holdings LLC, 4331 SW Coyote
Ave., $323,246
Hayden Homes LLC, 3865 SW Metolius
Ave., $296,552
Hayden Homes LLC, 3887 SW Metolius
Ave., $240,822
COBC Holdings LLC, 4420 SW Badger
Creek Dr., $323,246
Dry Canyon NW LLC, 2932 NW 23rd St.,
$294,240
Dry Canyon NW LLC, 2878 NW 23rd St.,
$265,491
1720 Ne 4th St., $234,302
1743 Ne 5th St., $206,037
1757 Ne 3rd St., $234,302
4951 SW Zenith Ave., $320,705
Blackwell Development LLC, 1609 SW
17th St., 520 sf ADU, $66,577
4891 SW Zenith Ave., $259,500
4902 SW Zenith Ave., $292,720
4898 SW Zenith Ave., $254,157
4924 SW Zenith Ave., $320,705
1777 Ne 5th St., $206,037
4973 SW Zenith Ave., $272,147
969 NW Teak Ct., $300,071
945 NW Teak Ct., $219,196
1765 Ne 5th St., $207,999
Encore Cinder Butte LLC, 957 NW Teak
Ct., $309,399
Encore Cinder Butte LLC, 933 NW Teak
Ct., $271,569
921 NW Teak Ct., $271,569
Hayden Homes LLC, 2399 NW Kingwood
Ave., $222,673
Ways you
can support
Thelma’s Place:
• Vehicle donations
• Cash donations
• Sponsorships
• Volunteer
Residential new construction,
single family
COBC Holdings LLC, 4217 SW 44th St.,
$280,393
JD Neel Construction Inc, 3575 SW 43rd
St, $285,077
COBC Holdings LLC, 4384 SW Badger
Creek Dr., $281,147
COBC Holdings LLC, 4445 SW Coyote
25 years ago
at the Redmond fire hall climb into
bunks spaced two feet apart and try to
get some rest.
But it’s no slumber party.
The 20-year-old station on NW
Dogwood Avenue was built with two
resident firefighters in mind. Today,
four paid staffers and occasionally a
volunteer or two inhabit the cramped
quarters.
There is no privacy, especially not
when training sessions or public meet-
ings are held in the commons area ad-
jacent to the kitchen and dining area.
“If there’s a class in here, we have no-
where to go. We’re trapped,” said Capt.
Tim Moor of the C shift, one of three
that rotates 24 hours on, 48 hours off.
“We’re busting at the seams,” Moor
said.
Firefighter/paramedic Steve Pengra
agreed: “If you have a really busy shift
and want to unwind with a book,
there’s no place to just get away.”
Also, the building’s design did not
anticipate the need for co-ed facilities,
so the department has had to make
some adjustments for its first female
crew member, hired last fall. Everyone
was issued gym shorts and T-shirts to
wear to bed and they must take turns
using the sole bathroom with a shower.
“When I’m in the bathroom it ties
up the entire bathroom,” said Cathy
Smith, a firefighter paramedic. “It’s
more of an inconvenience to the guys.”
The guys are quick to point out that
growth and an inadequate facility, not
the hiring of the first female firefighter,
are the real problems.
In short, the department has out-
grown the station they say. However,
no one’s asking for a new one. Instead,
they want to expand with new meet-
ing rooms and offices on the west end,
freeing up the east end to be renovated
for larger, more private living quarters.
Continue this archive story online at
redmondspokesman.com
SUBMISSIONS
MARCH BUILDING PERMITS
City of Redmond Commercial
structural permits
chanics get-togethers that made pos-
sible the mounting of the tanks. Trans
Western again had stepped forward
to make its shop available for the me-
chanical alterations, supervised by Lyle
Calvert, auto shop superintendent, and
Clyde Penhollow, terminal manager.
After a visit to the shop of Jordan’s
International, where the trucks were
painted by Brad Carroll, the trucks
emerged last week in fire department
white.
“Next project will be installation of
extensive manifold systems at an es-
timated $750 per unit, to enable the
department to pump 30,000 gallons of
water per hour.
Then, the rural district may be able
to retain its Class 8 rating from Ore-
gon Fire Insurance Rating Bureau--the
highest possible rating in a rural area.
The bureau had threatened last fall to
drop the ratings from 8 to 9B in resi-
dential and from 9A to 9B in industrial
if action was not taken within a year.
Redmond firemen estimate that by
maintaining the Class 8, the owner of
a $20,000 home in the rural district
would save some $50 to $75. The ru-
ral resident elsewhere in Central Or-
egon would benefit through mutual
aid agreements with neighboring de-
partments. For the first time, the de-
partment will have a real capability for
fighting fires and aircraft crashes at
Roberts Field.
And for the donor of the trucks,
whose long association with the Sisters
Fire Department began as its first chief,
there is a shiny new badge. Wakefield
was voted an honorary member of the
Redmond Fire Department.
CHILD CARE
AN INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM
Your support makes a difference!
Redmond: 541-548-3049
Day Respite and Support Groups
www.thelmasplace.org
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birthday announcement form. For more information, call 541-383-0304.
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