NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
La Grande public safety sectors look to fill staff shortages
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Like
nearly any local entity strug-
gling to hire a full staff, the
public safety sectors within
the city of La Grande have
faced similar challenges.
While the city’s police
and fire departments both
have faced staff shortages
during the pandemic, hiring
incentives and altered train-
ing programs have provided a
positive trend in getting back
to full staff.
“I’m excited that we have
some new candidates,” La
Grande Fire Chief Emmitt
Cornford said. “It looks like
some good ones based on
the applications, so if we can
hire one or two that would be
great.”
The La Grande City
Council emphasized the
issue of recruiting and retain-
ing employees in the public
safety roles at its 2022 coun-
cil retreat in January. In the
council’s April meeting,
a professional compensa-
tion survey was approved
to address this issue moving
forward.
Cornford and La Grande
Police Chief Gary Bell both
spoke at the La Grande City
Council meeting earlier this
month detailing the current
status of openings in the
departments.
The police department is
Bell
Cornford
currently down three officer
positions, but is in the process
of selecting new hires. Bell
stated the department has
made one conditional offer
to a candidate and is in the
late stages with a few other
candidates.
One new off icer is
currently in the police acad-
emy and was due to graduate
April 14.
“We’ve had successes
in terms of retirements and
things like that in the last five
to eight years, but it’s just
really challenging to recruit
and make sure that we work
really hard to keep those stan-
dards where we need them to
be so that we can provide the
service that the community
deserves,” Bell told the coun-
cil during the Wednesday,
April 6, meeting.
The La Grande Fire
Department may have help
on the way soon, following
roughly seven months of
lacking a firefighter/para-
medic position.
A firefighter/EMT role
also recently opened after a
retirement, and the depart-
ment is in the process of
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Firefighters with the La Grande Fire Department respond to a structure fire in the Oregon De-
partment of Transportation sign shop the morning of March 29, 2021. The city of La Grande has
adjusted hiring practices in 2022 to help the department fill firefighter/paramedic positions.
testing eight individuals to
potentially fill the void.
“The challenge has been
the paramedic piece,” Corn-
ford said. “Paramedics are in
short supply, so we haven’t
had a lot of people apply.”
The department has faced
difficulties in hiring firefight-
ers who are qualified as para-
medics, which Cornford said
is a statewide trend. To help
alleviate the burden, the city
of La Grande passed a memo-
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
Mostly cloudy with
a few showers
Cloudy, a shower
in the p.m.
53° 38°
60° 44°
| Go to AccuWeather.com
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Mostly cloudy,
showers around
SATURDAY
Considerable
cloudiness
Considerable
cloudiness
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
57° 36°
59° 40°
57° 41°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
59° 39°
64° 45°
62° 35°
64° 41°
63° 44°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
52/40
48/32
55/29
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
54/38
Lewiston
52/41
60/39
Astoria
51/41
Pullman
Yakima 57/32
52/34
55/36
Portland
Hermiston
52/43
The Dalles 59/39
Salem
Corvallis
52/36
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
49/32
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
53/39
50/33
47/29
Ontario
59/35
Caldwell
Burns
56°
39°
67°
39°
87° (1939) 21° (1964)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
54/38
0.00"
1.04"
0.47"
2.99"
1.73"
3.24"
WINDS (in mph)
57/35
49/24
0.00"
0.91"
0.81"
4.51"
3.34"
4.88"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 47/26
53/40
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
53/38
57/38
56°
39°
63°
40°
88° (1910) 23° (1909)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
52/34
Aberdeen
51/32
52/32
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
51/38
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
54/40
Wed.
WSW 7-14
WSW 7-14
ENE 6-12
SE 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
46/32
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
6:03 a.m.
7:47 p.m.
none
7:44 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
Apr 23
Apr 30
May 8
May 15
NATIONAL EXTREMES
randum of understanding
with the Local 924 Chapter
of the International Asso-
ciation of Firefighters that
would allow for new hires to
undertake paramedic train-
ing while working for the
department as a condition of
employment.
One current staff member
of the department previ-
ously completed the train-
ing, receiving high marks in
the program. Cornford noted
that the process takes roughly
two years, so the depart-
ment would look to stagger
the training in order to still
have staff on hand. Even so,
a sizable portion of the train-
ing is online, allowing for the
employee to continue work-
ing regular shifts.
“It’s a good way to do it,
but we also don’t want to
do that until they’re a good
portion of the way through
their first year learning the
ins and outs of the depart-
ment and firefighting in
general,” he said.
While recent hiring trends
resulting from the COVID-
19 pandemic have impacted
nearly every job market,
Cornford stated that the
overall need for paramedics
in the state and La Grande’s
location in rural Oregon have
been two key challenges in
hiring paramedics.
“That puts us in the
market for paramedics along-
side bigger entities that are
more likely to pay better,”
he said. “There’s also the
challenges of being in rural
Oregon. Some people see that
as a benefit, which I myself
would say, but a lot of people
sometimes see that as not an
ideal place to live.”
As Cornford and the fire
department sustain efforts to
get the staff back to full force
soon, the chief stated how
crucial the current staff has
been in keeping operations
at the expected high quality.
“What has gotten us
through it is the ability of the
people here to work a lot of
extra hours. They have done
a fantastic job keeping us
up,” Cornford said. “There is
a lot of time at the fire station
running a lot of calls. I just
put that all back on them,
they’ve done a great job
covering. Most people would
probably be hard-pressed
to say we’re short staffed
Baker City police chief proposes limits
on camping to address homelessness
hours; provided, however,
organized youth groups
under competent adult
supervision-may be permit-
BAKER CITY — Baker ted overnight camping priv-
City Police Chief Ty Duby ileges.”
is asking the city council to
The ordinance states
approve an ordinance limit- that if someone is living in
ing where and when people a vehicle, it must be moved
can camp in parks and other at least every 24 hours and
for at least the distance of a
public property.
Duby, who presented city block.
Ordinance 3383 to council-
“Really what we’re doing,
ors during their Tuesday, we’re looking for solutions
to work with home-
April 12, meeting,
said the document is
less issues that regu-
intended to address
larly arise in our
problems with home-
community,” Duby
less people camping
told councilors.
The police chief
on public property.
Because the
said last summer he
intended to bring an
complete proposed
Duby
ordinance to coun-
ordinance wasn’t
cilors to consider.
available Tuesday,
He was prompted by a
councilors will continue
their discussion of Duby’s bill the Oregon Legisla-
proposal April 26.
ture passed earlier in 2021
The ordinance states, and that Oregon Gov. Kate
in part: “It shall be unlaw- Brown signed into law on
ful for any person to set up June 23.
tents or any other temporary
The law — introduced as
shelter or to use house trail- House Bill 3115 and passed
ers, campers or automobiles by the Democratic majori-
for the purpose of overnight ties in the state House and
camping in any city park, Senate — is based on a
nor shall any person remain 2019 federal court ruling in
in any city park after closing a Boise case that in effect
By SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Baker City Herald
prohibited cities and coun-
ties from making it illegal
for people to sleep outdoors
in public spaces if the juris-
diction doesn’t provide
indoor alternatives.
Baker County’s two state
legislators, Sen. Lynn Find-
ley, R-Vale, and Rep. Mark
Owens, R-Crane, voted
against the bill.
The new Oregon law
states that cities or counties
that have ordinances regulat-
ing “the acts of sitting, lying,
sleeping or keeping warm
and dry outdoors on public
property that is open to the
public must be objectively
reasonable as to time, place
and manner with regards to
persons experiencing home-
lessness.”
Baker City does not have
such an ordinance now, but
Duby said Ordinance 3383
would serve that purpose.
He said the proposed
Baker Cit y ord i na nce
would prevent camping on
public property in residen-
tial zones, while it would be
allowed, with time restric-
tions, on public property in
the general-commercial,
general industrial and light
industrial zones.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 100° in Borrego Springs, Calif. Low 0° in Rugby, N.D.
IN BRIEF
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Forest Service readies
for spring burns in
the Blue Mountains
PENDLETON — Fire management
officials on the Malheur, Umatilla and
Wallowa-Whitman national forests are start-
ing spring prescribed burns to reduce the risk
of severe wildfire.
The Umatilla National Forest in a recent
news release stated frequent, low-intensity
fire is essential for healthy forests and reduc-
ing the risk of high intensity wildfire caused
by excessive fuel buildup.
Prescribed burning is effective for remov-
ing excessive brush, shrubs and trees, while
also encouraging growth of native vegetation.
As well, the spring burning improves over-
all forest health and enhances habitat for elk,
deer and other wildlife, officials said.
Forest Service staff conduct prescribe
burns under controlled conditions, according
to the press release, and take wind speed and
direction, temperatures, humidity and fuel
moisture into consideration before beginning
a prescribed burn operation.
Staff also consider potential smoke
impacts prior to each burn, officials said, and
monitor burns until enough rain or snow falls.
For more information, visit the Blue
Mountain Prescribed Fire Council or
www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.
— EO Media Group
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
ice
50s
60s
cold front
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