Commitment to Serve: Alfalfa Fire District Pushes Forward Amid Challenges

ALFALFA, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Alfalfa Rural Fire District has faced a series of challenges in recent months, including board member resignations, the departure of longtime Chief Chad Lavallee, and a failed levy.

But firefighters on the ground say the department remains focused on maintaining service to the community.

“I know that the board and departments made efforts to fix things if that’s needed to be fixing,” said Buddy Payne, a firefighter with Alfalfa Fire and Rescue. “But our main concern is running smoothly and keeping service going to the community.”

Calls for stability and community involvement

Payne said he hopes the recent turmoil will settle and allow the department to refocus on its mission, while also encouraging more community engagement.

“I would love to see the turmoil kind of just get everything running back smooth and have the community more involved,” he said. “That way there’s no misconception of what’s going on.”

“I hope the community knows that our volunteers, all of us, are very dedicated,” Payne added. “We love our community and we do the best we can, and we want to keep doing it here as long as they’ll let us.”

He also urged residents to stay informed and involved by attending meetings and asking questions.

“I think what people can do is come to meetings and ask questions,” Payne said. “Our doors are open Monday through Friday. Come talk to someone.”

Staffing concerns during fire season

As fire season begins, concerns are growing about staffing levels in the small rural district. Payne said the department typically has about 10 to 12 volunteers available on any given day, many of whom do not live close to the station.

Volunteer firefighters also juggle other responsibilities, including full-time jobs and family obligations, making availability a constant challenge.

“It’s a huge balancing act,” Payne said. “I haven’t shut my phone off at night for almost four years now because I can’t.”

He added that volunteers are always on call, responding to emergencies at any time of day.

“It’s like having three different jobs at one time,” Payne said.

The failed levy has added to those concerns, particularly during the busy summer months.

“That would have meant that during the summer, we’d have two firefighter EMTs staffed here 24 hours a day,” Payne said. “That way somebody would be able to respond no matter what.”

Without that additional staffing, Payne said coverage gaps are more likely.

“Without that, we’re going to have to rely on our volunteers who are available, and we might have an EMT available,” he said. “We’re real short on EMTs.”

He said many EMTs work outside the district and cannot always respond, especially as call volume increases in the summer.

“In the summertime, we’ve got more fires, more heat, more մարդիկ out recreating,” Payne said. “There’s more things bound to happen, and we’re not going to have the people.”

Payne said the department may need to rely more heavily on neighboring agencies for coverage.

“We’re going to have to rely on other agencies to come in and make those calls, or our volunteers are just going to have to,” he said.

How the department operates on limited funding

Payne said he understands concerns about taxes but noted the district operates on one of the smallest budgets in Oregon and has worked to stretch resources through grants and volunteer labor.

“I understand taxes — nobody wants to pay more,” he said. “But Alfalfa has one of the lowest budgets in Oregon to work with.”

He said much of the department’s equipment has been obtained through grants, donations, or in-house work by volunteers.

“A lot of what we have has come from grants or donated resources,” Payne said, pointing to items like medical equipment, protective gear and even a vehicle provided by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Volunteers also handle much of the maintenance and construction work themselves.

“We built things like the deck and stairs ourselves, and a lot of the interior work in the station was done by volunteers,” he said. “We try to do as much as we can on our own to keep costs down.”

That work extends beyond emergency response, including building and maintaining training facilities used by other agencies.

Commitment to continued service

Despite the challenges, Payne said the department is committed to continuing service for as long as possible.

“Everybody is on the same page — we’re going to keep responding until somebody tells us we can’t anymore,” he said. “If we’re here and we’re able to, we’re going to respond no matter what.”

Search for new fire chief underway

The district has begun its search for a new fire chief and is reviewing several candidates. Sources within the department say a meet-and-greet with finalists is planned once the selection process narrows.