One of the District’s most significant accomplishments in 2025 was implementing a $6.9 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant awarded to UCFD#1 in 2024. This highly competitive federal award provides funding over three years for frontline emergency response staffing. It fully covers salaries and eligible benefits for 16 full-time Firefighter/Paramedic and EMT positions, saving local taxpayers the full cost of these critical roles.

The FEMA SAFER program is designed to help fire departments meet national staffing and deployment standards to enhance response effectiveness and improve firefighter/paramedic safety. Securing this grant demonstrates the District’s strong operational planning, service demand, and commitment to responsible financial stewardship. By aggressively pursuing federal funding, UCFD#1 strengthened service capacity without creating an immediate local tax burden.

In 2025, the first eight grant-funded personnel were hired, making it the largest recruitment of Firefighter/Paramedics & EMTs in District history. They completed a rigorous 13-week fire academy before transitioning into field operations with structured mentorship and ongoing training. The academy curriculum covered fire suppression, advanced emergency medical care, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, wildland firefighting, traffic incident management, firefighter safety and survival, and coordinated team operations. Eight more personnel will join in 2026, bringing the total to 16 federally funded frontline responders.

This staffing expansion is consistent with recommendations identified through an independent consulting analysis of the District’s staffing and service needs. The District continues to experience rising call volume and growing service complexity across a large response area. In 2025, approximately 70% of calls occurred while crews were already committed to another emergency, limiting available resources and stretching response capacity. This led to 98 calls in which mutual aid partners from Pendleton, Boardman, and Umatilla were requested to travel into the District while UCFD#1 resources were fully committed. The additional staffing improves coverage reliability, reduces reliance on neighboring paramedic ambulance agencies, enhances firefighter safety, lowers fatigue and overtime, and improves response times and patient outcomes.

While the FEMA SAFER grant provides significant short-term funding, it is temporary. Meanwhile, tax-deferred programs in Enterprise Zones & Strategic Investment Programs continue to reduce long-term District revenue. To retain these positions after federal funding expires and sustain the improved level of service now in place, the District will explore and pursue consistent long-term funding solutions.

This approach demonstrates UCFD#1’s commitment to meeting community needs responsibly by leveraging $6.9 million in federal funding to enhance emergency services now while planning for long-term financial sustainability and ongoing protection of lives, property, and critical infrastructure.

 

The 16 Grant Funded Positions include:

Mason Campbell — Firefighter/EMT

Cody Cox — Firefighter/Paramedic

Cody Grahn — Firefighter/EMT

Derek Free — Firefighter/EMT

Mitchell France — Firefighter/EMT

Conrad Greeley — Firefighter/Paramedic

Andrew Mitchell — Firefighter/Paramedic

Wesley Nelson — Firefighter/EMT

Pedro Pacheco-Alvarado — Firefighter/EMT

Dakota Paola — Firefighter/EMT

Brody Pingree — Firefighter/EMT

Angelina Prohidiko — Firefighter/Paramedic

Christian Robbins — Firefighter/EMT

Coldin Shopp — Firefighter/EMT

Chad Overholt — Firefighter/EMT

Taylor Walden — Firefighter/EMT