JULY 15,2009
Smoke Signals 3
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By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Grand Ronde Tribal Council
and West Valley Fire District have
agreed to an intergovernmental
agreement to provide around-the-clock
and faster fire and emergency
medical coverage in the Grand
Ronde area, including Spirit Moun
tain Casino and Lodge, the Tribe's
government campus and Tribal
Housing areas.
"The most important piece for me
is guaranteeing protection in Grand
Ronde," said Tribal Council Vice
Chair Reyn Leno from Washington,
D.C. "That 20-minute commute
(from the Fire District's Willamina
main station) is the biggest con
cern. I think it's good for the casino
and the community."
West Valley Fire District Chief
Chuck Eddings said response times
in the Grand Ronde area for emer
gency medical and fire calls will de
crease from more than 10 minutes
to almost immediately. The Grand
Ronde area, Eddings said, accounts
for almost 60 percent of the Fire
District's calls.
Tribal Council accepted the
agreement in a July 10 directive
and the West Valley Fire District
board unanimously approved the
intergovernmental agreement the
same day.
According to the agreement, the
Tribe will design and build a new
fire substation in Grand Ronde
on 2.5 acres of Tribal land at the
southeast corner of Grand Ronde
and McPherson roads.
The 5,700-square-foot, single-story
structure will feature three vehi-
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Photo by Michelle Alaimo
The West Valley Fire District and the Tribe have reached an agreement to build a new fire station in Grand Ronde. It
will be located at the corner of Grand Ronde Road and McPherson Road.
cle bays and living space, including
three dormitories. The building will
be owned by the Tribe.
In addition, the Tribe agreed to
buy one quint (a fire engine that
serves the dual purposes of an
engine and a ladder truck) and
equipment for three firefighters
paramedics, three firefighters
emergency medical technicians and
six volunteer firefighters.
Eddings said the importance of
the quint is to access to the upper
stories and roof for firefighters.
Tribal member and Tribal Direc
tor of Development Peter Wakeland
said the quint also could provide an
aerial stream of water to the lodge's
upper floors.
The Tribe also will pay the Fire
District before Aug. 1 the balance
of the ambulance and associated
equipment purchased by the dis-
i ,
( '
Photo by Stobhan Taylor
Tribal Council member Chris Mtrcler, (left), presents a pine needle
basket to Chinook Chairman Ray Gardner at the annual Chinook
Salmon Ceremony held at Fort Columbia, Wash.
trict with a 2007 grant from the
Tribe's Spirit Mountain Commu
nity Fund. The ambulance will
be owned by the Fire District and
located at the substation.
The agreement calls for the Tribe
to fund six full-time employees,
at least three of which will be
firefightersparamedics and any
remaining positions will be fire
figthersEMTs. In return, the West Valley Fire
District "shall provide fire suppres
sion and emergency medical ser
vices on Tribal Lands upon request
of the Tribe or through notification
and activation of 9-1-1 on the same
basis as those services are provided
to other lands within the District's
service area."
"This boosts our manpower pool
and increases our abilities at that
end of the district," Eddings said,
adding that the Fire District will go
from having five to 11 employees.
The Fire District also agrees to
keep three resident volunteer fire
fighting positions open for Grand
Ronde Tribal members for basic
firefighting training.
The substation will be operated
and managed by the Fire District
and will have two firefighters as
signed per shift "with the intent to
provide fire and emergency medical
services to Tribal Lands 24 hours a
day, seven days a week."
Eddings said he hopes the six
new Fire District employees will
be staffing the substation by March
2010.
The "large garage" owned by the
Fire District next to the Grand
Ronde post office will become ob
solete, Eddings said.
The Fire District also will provide
a fire engine for the substation.
The Tribe and Fire District agreed
to work together to "recruit Grand
Ronde Tribal members for full-time
positions at the substation."
The agreement also requires the
two entities to meet quarterly to
discuss fire and emergency medi
cal needs.
"This has been a long time com
ing and has required a lot of work
to successfully produce this agree
ment," Wakeland said. "As a result,
the western portion of the district
and the Tribal community will
be much better served where fire
and emergency services are con
cerned." "I think this is a positive thing
for the Tribe and the community,"
Leno said. "It's being a good neigh
bor." a
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