As Fire Chief of the Tenmile Rural Fire District, and on behalf of the dedicated volunteers, I'd like to welcome you to our district web page. I am honored to introduce you to the Tenmile Fire District, an organization established in 1962, and today is operated by dedicated men and women serving the district and it's citizens, workers, visitors, and businesses. 

The Fire District operates out of two stations, the main station which is located on Reston Rd., and our sub-station located on Upper Ollala Rd. Each station consists of the equipment, gear, and apparatus required for us to perform our duties as we serve the district. The district is an all-hazards organization that provides fire (structural and wildland), emergency medical services, good intent, vehicle accident extrication, search & rescue, and hazardous materials initial response. We respond to an estimated 250 calls for service annually with a steady increase in calls for service each year. Our goal is to answer each call in our district, and to do so in a timely fashion. As volunteers, our responders typically respond from their homes or places of work to the fire station, then to the incident scene. 

The Fire District is always searching for opportunities to improve our services, promote efficiency, and increase community and firefighter safety. We are doing this at a time when it is imperative we capitalize on every expenditure and opportunity that we can. 

Since becoming the districts Fire Chief in 2018, I have worked diligently to bring the district up to today's standards and improve upon our efficiency and professionalism. All while keeping our rich history as a district intact. And the volunteers have accepted that change, and have risen up to meet all expectations, assisting me through the entire process. We are working to update our equipment, we have improved our equipment maintenance program, have brought ourselves further into OSHA compliance, and our training is now more up-to-date and in line with today's science, tactics, and technology. In January we implemented a duty officer program, and soon we will have in place an out-of-district volunteer and Junior Firefighter program. All of which will assist us with meeting the goal of answering each call for service and doing so quicker and more affectively.

 2019 was a great year for the Tenmile Fire District. In November, the voters of the Fire District voted in favor of an operational levy proposed by the district to hire a Full-Time Fire Chief in July of 2020. This allows me as the Chief to oversee the needs of the district, staff, and assets on a Full-Time basis. Additionally, it allows for frequently improved daytime response times, and consistent leadership and oversight of district programs and personnel. With over 70% of our calls being medical aids, I am excited to provide advanced life support capabilities to our rural community on a regular basis. 

I understand our community. It is rural, it consists of hard working people, and it is a beautiful area with great natural resources.  I also recognize the challenges that lie ahead. Like much of rural Oregon and throughout the country, our citizens are aging and still struggling with a slow recovering economy, the climate is changing, and resources are nominal. However, with strong governance by the elected Board Of Directors and the ingenuity of our staff and volunteers, I am confident that creative and collaborative solutions will continue to enhance our district and benefit our firefighters and the citizens we serve.

I am extremely proud of our personnel and the level of service they provide on a daily basis. I am confident that when called upon for an emergency, our volunteers will do so quickly and safely with well-trained and caring personnel. We are all committed to protecting the lives, property and environment of all of you and our community. 

I hope that you find our website informative and helpful. We are always looking for dedicated and professional volunteers to join our team, as we wouldn't be successful without them. I encourage you to contact us with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Thank you.

Travis Henderson

Fire Chief