Firefighter: Eugene is not treating us fairly; we need our own district

Presenter: Eugene Springfield firefighters ask the City Council to support a fire district. On Sept. 22, Mike McFarlane:

Mike McFarlane: Hello, my name is Mike McFarlane, a communications consultant for the fire union, but today I’m addressing you as a constituent. I’m here to speak about the urgent need for more resources in Eugene’s fire and EMS services, and why a fire district is the right path forward.

[00:00:27] Over the last 20 years, our city’s growth has far outpaced our emergency response. In the 1980s, fire crews could reach 90% of the calls within four minutes. In 2003, that average had stretched to nearly five minutes, and today we’re over seven minutes.

[00:00:46] Those extra minutes are critical. In the case of a cardiac arrest, it could mean life or death. At the same time, our community has grown upward as well as outward. New high-rise housing, particularly in the University area, adds new vertical challenges.

[00:01:04] National standards say that it takes 43 firefighters to safely manage one high-rise fire. Right now, a single multistory emergency would require every firefighter in Eugene—and we would still fall short of that standard.

[00:01:23] The demand on our system is relentless. Eugene Springfield Fire bring full fire response to more than 130 calls a day and three out of the four are medical. Ambulances are stressed so thin we run out of ambulances daily.

[00:01:35] And when that happens, fire crews must cover medical emergencies and start life-saving care. And while that saves lives, it also leaves us with less resources for the next call.

[00:01:48] A fire district offers stable, dedicated funding and local control we need to meet these growing challenges. It would allow us to manage resources at a true scale of demand, improve staffing, and strengthen our ability to prepare for disasters like wildfire and high-rise incidents.

[00:02:09] Most importantly, it creates a structure where fire and EMS are prioritized, not competing with the library, parks, and animal services for funding.

[00:02:20] Presenter: Melanie Helms:

[00:02:22] Melanie Helms: My name is Melanie Helms. I’m a Eugene resident and a paramedic working for Eugene Springfield Fire for over two years.

[00:02:28] Last year during a difficult pregnancy, I was told when I moved to a light-duty assignment, I would receive the same light-duty pay adjustment that every other pregnant firefighter before me had received. Despite support from my peers, my supervisors, my union, and even our fire chief, the city of Eugene denied me that accommodation.

[00:02:47] Instead, I was forced to use my earned leave to cover lost wages, or work longer days while pregnant, squeezing six days into a traditional five days.

[00:02:56] Forming a fire district would give Eugene Springfield Fire the autonomy to make fair decisions for its firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs and the resources to better serve our community. I feel as if an elected fire district board focused on improving our working environment would not have acted in this manner.

[00:03:12] Beyond my personal experience, I want to emphasize how strained our system is. On the medic units on which I primarily work, we are often so busy that we run out of ambulances to respond to emergencies in Eugene, Springfield, and nearby rural areas. We are understaffed and stretched thin. It’s only a matter of time before it’s your loved one that will be impacted by this.

[00:03:32] I urge you to support the creation of a fire district so that we can better care for our firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs, and the people that we strive to serve.

[00:03:39] Presenter: Daniel Allred:

[00:03:41] Daniel Allred: My name is Daniel Allred. I serve as the vice president for IAFF Local 851. I’m here tonight to speak to you about the current state of your fire department.

[00:03:48] In 2003, I took an oath as a firefighter to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Eugene. I take that oath seriously. It guides every decision I make, but with each passing year it’s becoming more difficult to uphold.

[00:04:00] Looking around this room, I see leaders who deeply care about this city, leaders who understand what it’s like to lead in tough times. My fellow firefighters and I are here because our emergency response system is approaching a breaking point that puts our safety and our community at risk.

[00:04:14] When I began my career at Eugene Springfield Fire more than 20 years ago, the job looked very different. On a typical shift, we would respond to three to 10 calls. In that time, we had time to look at fire protection systems and emergency response plans so that we could respond quickly and effectively.

[00:04:28] Today, most engines and medic units respond to twice as many calls. Training is no longer consistent. It is rushed and interrupted. Calls are more complex and too often I have no idea where the closest medic unit is coming from.

[00:04:40] Sometimes I’m forced to make impossible choices, like pulling the paramedic off the fire engine to upgrade a basic life support ambulance to an advanced life support one. But doing so takes a fire engine out of service, which means slower fire response times for the service area.

[00:04:53] Let me be clear: Response times are increasing, we often have less than 10 minutes to contain a fire before it becomes too dangerous, and even less time if someone is trapped inside. This is life or death.

[00:05:04] Since 1981, calls for service have increased by more than 1000%. Let me say that again: 1000%. Yet not a single additional fire structure unit has been added to the city of Eugene.

[00:05:15] I’m not here to point fingers. I’m here to offer solutions. Creating a fire district won’t fix four decades of underinvestment overnight, but it will put us on a path for sustainability, long-term improvements. The merger of Springfield and Eugene fire department was the initial first step, but right now our budget is vulnerable year after year. The community deserves better.

[00:05:35] Eugene Springfield Fire, where it functions like a regional fire department, it’s time to fund it like one. We need a system that is stable, resilient, and built for the future. We need more units, better coverage, faster response times, and we need guaranteed funding that only a fire district will bring.

[00:05:49] In closing, let me say this: Every oath I’ve ever taken was about protecting people. We need your help. We need your leadership. We need a fire district. Thank you very much.

[00:05:57] Presenter:  Firefighters say they are not being treated fairly at the city of Eugene, and that the department has been underfunded for the last 40 years. They’re proposing a fire district with its own elected board and guaranteed funding.