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TVF&R tells Sherwood council wildfire response, new EMS pilots and station rebuilds are priorities
Summary
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue officials reported a surge in wildfire deployments, that roughly 70% of local calls are medical, and described new EMS pilot programs, a voter-approved levy to hire 36 firefighters/paramedics, and planned station rebuilds that will affect Sherwood coverage.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue officials briefed the Sherwood City Council on June 3, 2025, saying the agency sent personnel to major wildland deployments, is piloting new emergency medical programs and plans station rebuilds that will change local staffing arrangements.
The presentation, given by the TVF&R chief (name not specified in the meeting transcript), said Oregon burned about 1,900,000 acres in 2024 and noted interstate mutual aid this year: "Within the first 24 hours, the Oregon State Fire Marshal's office began mobilizing resources across the state," the chief said, adding that 370 Oregon firefighters deployed to California and that TVF&R sent 14 personnel as part of that mobilization.
Why it matters: the district’s deployments, staffing pilots and station construction affect how and where Sherwood residents are served by engines, medic units and single-unit responders.
TVF&R officials described the district’s call mix and new medical response strategies. "It's about 70% of our calls are EMS in nature," the chief said, and the agency is expanding programs aimed at reducing transports to emergency departments. TVF&R has staffed advanced practice community paramedics (APCP) as single‑unit responders and in January received a state grant to launch a two‑year Advanced Resource Medic (ARM) pilot based at Station 53. The ARM unit pairs two paramedics with a contracted nurse practitioner or physician assistant from Dispatch Health; the goal is to treat some patients on‑site at assisted‑living and licensed care facilities to avoid hospital transports.
The agency is also working with primary ambulance contractor AMR and the dispatch center on a nurse‑navigation program to divert low‑acuity 911 callers to non‑emergency nursing support.
On funding and staffing, TVF&R reminded the council that voters approved a five‑year local option levy in May 2024 that will fund hiring 36 additional firefighters and paramedics over five years; the new levy rate takes effect on tax statements this July 1. The chief said the levy is intended to sustain staffing for roughly 10 years.
Recruitment remains a challenge. TVF&R officials attributed past dips in paramedic program graduates to COVID‑era disruptions and said they are intensifying outreach with social media, high‑school and college partnerships, a Portland‑area fire camp for girls, internships and a career day. The district reported steady interest from high‑quality applicants but said overall applicant pools require active recruitment.
Bond and capital work will affect local operations. TVF&R described Station 35 in King City as scheduled for a complete rebuild; a temporary station will be built on the same site while work proceeds. Medic 35 is expected to temporarily relocate to Sherwood's Station 33 during construction. The agency also listed Station 33 and the training center among planned rebuilds or major renovations; TVF&R staff said station siting and sizing discussions with Sherwood officials are underway and that long‑range growth at Sherwood West could alter future station needs.
Councilors asked about local impacts. The chief said the district monitors coverage and can draw on neighboring stations (35, 34 and others) for larger incidents; he told the council he had not seen a material change in Sherwood response performance after earlier boundary or consolidation changes. On hazardous‑materials training and federal funding, the chief said he had not heard of current cuts affecting the district’s hazmat team.
The presentation included an incident snapshot for 2024 showing incident density concentrated near assisted‑living facilities and projecting Sherwood will remain in the roughly 2,000 incidents per year range. TVF&R emphasized data analytics to plan staffing and resources by hour and day of week.
The presentation concluded with an offer to meet with city staff about station siting and with a reference to a TVF&R year‑in‑review video available through the district’s media channels.
Ending: TVF&R officials said they will continue recruitment and the two‑year ARM pilot while beginning construction activities this year; they asked the city to participate in future siting conversations for Station 33 and other capital projects.
