Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
Ground was broken Saturday, June 15 for construction of the new Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District station.
The 30-minute ceremony attracted approximately 75 people, a series of shiny Idanha-Detroit fire vehicles and was rain free.
“It is pretty amazing that this is starting to happen,” Chief Fred Patterson said in his remarks to the crowd.
“And there are a lot of thank yous.”
Starting with state Sen. Fred Girod (R-Stayton), who along with state Rep. Jami Cate (R-Lebanon), helped secure more than $2 million in state funds to kick-start the project. Girod has long-standing Santiam Canyon ties and lost a house in the 2020 wildfires.
“Anything we can do in the Canyon is important to me,” Girod said. “This [fire station funding] was at the very top of the list for me.”
Marina Ruiz-Temple, the Oregon state fire marshal, also was on hand.
“Today is a moment that signifies the resilience of this community,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the vision and dedication of the first district officials and volunteers up here. You do not give up, and you have our trust and confidence.”
Brandon Hamilton, the board chair of the district, called the new station “a legacy with lasting impact in the community. We look forward to seeing it come to fruition.”
The station is projected to cost $4.1 million. The district has $2.9 million in hand and continues to aggressively fund-raise to close that gap (see the info box for how to help). The 3.23 acres of land was donated by the Marion Forks Investment Group and Patterson said the effort has received in-kind donations of labor and materials from Siegmund, Evans Equipment, Freres Engineered Wood and Frank Lumber.
“Hopefully, next summer we will be standing here again as we move into our new station,” Patterson said.
Idanha-Detroit’s equipment currently is split between its aging station on Highway 22 and the Detroit Community Center. The new station will accommodate all of the district’s apparatus. The old building has rats, steep stairs and no ADA-accessibility.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
IDRFPD still is accepting donations and contributions of materials and labor for the construction of its new fire station. Contact District Fire Chief Fred Patterson at [email protected] or call 503-983-5651. Also, the district is hosting a pancake breakfast fundraiser from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 6 at the Detroit Community Center.
