Fairview council opens information-gathering on proposed change to fire service; union leaders urge regional plan

Fairview city leaders said Aug. 6 they are in an information-gathering stage after several firefighter unions and local chiefs urged the council not to approve a plan that would transfer fire and emergency services for Fairview, Wood Village and Troutdale to Clackamas Fire District 1.

Why it matters: multiple speakers representing career firefighters and station leadership warned that the Clackamas proposal, as described to the council, would reduce immediate local resources, risk longer response times and shift costs and responsibility to voters or other agencies. Council members said no imminent decision is pending and that city staff and city managers from neighboring jurisdictions will continue meetings to evaluate options.

Several union leaders and local captains spoke at the meeting. Jeff Teeter, speaking for local professional firefighters, said emergency calls were rising and urged the city to seek a regional, multi-city commitment to address service sustainability: "The need for more fire stations, more staffing, and long term investment is real and very urgent. These challenges can be solved by one city alone. They require bold collaborative action from all four cities in our service area." He asked Fairview to be "a full partner in that conversation."

Ryan Dorn, vice president of Local 1062, said his union strongly opposed Clackamas Fire District 1's proposal and that the move would not build a second fire station or guarantee a local seat at planning tables. "Fire District's proposal is taking advantage of you and taking advantage of your citizens' hard-earned tax dollars," Dorn said, urging collaboration between the four cities and existing local firefighters.

Capt. Travis Soles described operational details he said were in the Clackamas proposal: an initial single engine staffed with three firefighters and a later expectation that Wood Village would provide a station in year two. He warned that mutual-aid support from more distant stations would regularly take 20 minutes or longer and said East County’s water-rescue and specialized teams could be at risk if local resources are reduced.

Kevin Larson, president of the local fire department serving the area for more than 40 years, told the council that current local assets — engines, water-rescue teams, training grounds and stations — represent community investments that would be difficult to replicate quickly. "Mutual aid cannot be used as your primary source of fire coverage," he said, warning that longer travel times for supplemental units would degrade service.

City leaders emphasized process limits and next steps. Mayor and council members said there is no imminent decision and that the three cities have until the end of the calendar year to choose a direction. The mayor and City Manager George said they and their counterparts from Wood Village and Troutdale have been meeting with Gresham Fire, Clackamas Fire District 1, Fire District 10 and other stakeholders and will continue to collect data and options.

What was decided: the council took no formal action on any transfer or contract. Officials described the current phase as information gathering and scheduled further intergovernmental meetings to review proposals and financial implications.

Context and next steps: speakers urged the council to insist on any long-term change that includes sustainable funding, fair representation for the cities and commitments on staffing levels, station placement and inspection programs. City staff said they will continue the outreach and report back to council before any binding agreement is considered.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the Aug. 6, 2025 Fairview City Council meeting; the council noted the discussion was informational and no immediate contract or annexation vote was on the agenda.