02/03/2025
A Proposal for
Improved Fire Protection in the
Klamath Marsh Area
(updater April 2025)
By Phil Turnbull, Fire Chief (Retired)
Summary Statement
This paper outlines the operation of a non-profit Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) for the greater Klamath Marsh area of Northern Klamath County, Oregon. The organization is proposed to be largely self-funded, while being supplemented through grants and donations.
In practice there will be two separate but related divisions of operation. The Community Service Division will function as an all-volunteer fire service, with volunteers recruited from the local population. In parallel, the Wildland Division will operate as a private fire contractor under agreements with state and federal government, generating a source of revenue for the RFB, while also providing seasonal employment opportunities to area residents.
As of the date of this writing, KMF is a registered non-profit, has a fully functional Type 5 wildland engine and temporary housing, is a registered non-profit, has qualified fire trainers on-board and is in the process of obtaining a contract with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). However, additional equipment is still needed, along with a permanent facility and administrative assistance with tasks like volunteer and employee recruitment.
It should be noted that initial efforts will be centered almost exclusively on the Wildland Division, as it is the fundraising arm of the organization. Further, insurance restrictions require that all fire suppression activities be conducted under governmental agreements. Not an issue for the Wildland Division, but a limiting factor for the Community Services Division. Several solutions exist, but the issue is not yet resolved.
Community Service Division
Once operational the Community Service Division will function much like a traditional year-round volunteer fire department, but with a reduced scope of service. In short, the organization’s volunteers will not be trained or equipped to enter burning buildings. This reduced service level is tied to the area’s rural nature and small population, which lacks the economy of scale to finance and staff a full-service fire department. However, by focusing on wildland fire suppression (with an emphasis on life safety and the defense of structures) the greatest bang to the buck is achieved, improving community safety at a fraction of the cost of a traditional fire department. Likewise, the commitment required to train wildland volunteers is small compared to a traditional fire department, greatly improving the organization’s ability to recruit and retain volunteers in an area with a limited population.
Wildland Division
The Wildland Division will operate under governmental contractual agreements much like any other wildland fire contractor. Revenue generated through these contracts will fund the Community Service Division, while also providing prevailing wage employment to seasonal employees recruited from the local community. Employment within the Wildland Division is also open to Community Service volunteers.
Organizational Structure
• Legal Status: KMF is a registered Oregon Nonprofit Corporation with an IRS tax exempt status under (IRC) Section 501(c)(3).
• Administration: The charter board will operate within the framework of the bylaws, with a goal of a complete handoff to local community members within the first full year of service delivery. There will be no Board compensation.
• District Boundaries: Yet to be defined, but roughly from the Diamond Lake Junction, South to the Chiloquin Fire District Boarder, and from the Western side of the Hwy 97 corridor, ten miles or so East, out the Silver Lake Hwy and Kirk Rd.
Training
Initial training for Community Service Division volunteers will include an estimated 36 hours of on-line study and a five-day, two-part academy as described below. Annual refresher training requirements have yet to be defined. In addition to the two-part academy, Wildland Division employees must also meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards for physical fitness.
• Fire Academy Part One: Spread out over four days (usually weekends), the academy covers fire apparatus driving, pump operations, incipient fire suppression and wildfire structural defense tactics. The curriculum is OSHA compliant and based on segments of national Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) firefighting and driving standards.
• Fire Academy Part Two: Covering wildland firefighting, part-two provides students with their NWCG wildland firefighter certificate. This nationally recognized curriculum is largely internet self-study, followed by a day of field training.
Modular Design
If KMF is successful, and there is community support for expanding the scope of services, new services can be included as stand-alone modules. Examples include the following.
• EMS Response: This service can be added by training enough personnel in EMS (multiple levels of certification are available), purchasing the requisite equipment and supplies, expanding the organization’s insurance coverage to include medical liability, securing the services of a supervising physician and registering the organization with the Oregon Health Authority.
• Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC) Response: Added by certifying enough personnel in Vehicle and Machinery Extrication through DPSST, training enough personnel in ODOT Hwy safety standards, reviewing insurance coverage and securing the necessary equipment and supplies.
• Structural Fire Suppression: The addition of this service would complete the transition into a full-service fire department. However, the fiscal and regulatory burden would be substantial, and the community would be wise to consider forming a public fire district. Such a move would open the door to a full range of resources and expertise through the Oregon Fire Marshal under authority granted within ORS 476. A fire district can be formed with or without taxation. Yet another alternative would be to petition an existing fire district for annexation. The tax rate of the annexing district would apply.
