Twelfth Valley deputy chief warns of drier wildfire season, highlights EMS changes and station rebuilds

Deputy Chief Alex Haven of Twelfth Valley Fire & Rescue told the Tigard City Council on Monday that the district handled about 6,225 calls in the City of Tigard in 2025 and that roughly 70% of those calls were emergency medical in nature.

“Seventy percent of our calls are EMS in nature,” Haven said, summarizing the district’s incident snapshot as he opened the department’s 2025 state-of-the-district presentation.

Why it matters: Haven said the district is preparing for what analysts predict could be a warmer, drier 2026 wildfire season and stressed that increased call volumes and evolving 911 use patterns are reshaping how fire agencies allocate resources. The district is balancing wildfire readiness, EMS demand and long-term capital work funded by last November’s general obligation bond.

Haven outlined the patterns behind the numbers: the district recorded 22 structure fires in Tigard (16 residential, six commercial), about 72 vegetation-related incidents, roughly 1,441 critical EMS incidents and about 420 traffic crashes. He said call volumes show a modest five-year uptick and that response timing and resource mix are under continuous review.

Haven described several operational responses to shifting demand. Twelfth Valley has an Advanced Practice Community Paramedic (APCP) program and community paramedics who create case files for high utilizers of 911 to connect them with services. The district also launched a nurse navigation capability in dispatch last year to triage calls and provide telehealth-style guidance.

“We have community paramedics engaging with what we call our high utilizer group,” Haven said, noting the district’s goal to partner with county and city resources to reduce unnecessary transports and improve outcomes.

Haven said care facilities account for about 13% of the district’s call volume and emphasized that some reductions in certain call types take time to show in metrics. On nurse navigation, he said the district’s broader initiative aims for a 2.5–3% reduction in some call types but currently shows about a 0.5% change while adjustments are made in dispatch workflows.

On capital projects, Haven said station builds and remodels funded by the 2021 bond prioritize seismic resilience, equity and decontamination spaces; he reported that Station 62 site work is underway, Station 67 is in design (it is the district’s busiest station) and Stations 17 and 19 are in concurrent design phases. The district’s administrative building at the Sherwood training center is slated for demolition next month, with staff working in modular units during the rebuild.

Haven also described the district’s workplace wellness initiative. Since 2022, the district has partnered with the Boulder Crest Foundation on a program called Struggle Well, which aims to shift from post-traumatic stress toward post-traumatic growth. “While life will have struggle, deep struggle will cultivate profound strength,” he read from the program material, and he said about 40% of staff have completed training with a goal of reaching 60% to embed the practice culturally.

Councilors asked for examples and metrics. Council President Wolf asked how the Struggle Well training shows up in practice; Haven said it begins by creating opportunities to talk about experiences and providing tools for life balance and recovery. On tracking outcomes, Haven said the district creates case files for frequent 911 users and partners with county systems to follow stabilization and continuity of care.

Haven concluded by directing councilors to a year-end review available via a QR code in the meeting packet and invited follow-up questions from staff and council.

Next steps: No formal action was taken; the presentation was received and councilors asked for further information about program outcomes and metrics.