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Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much.
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The volunteer fire department in Yreka, California is in desperate need of upgrades. The city is considering a 1% sales tax to put on the November ballot that could help alleviate staffing and facility issues.
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Grants Pass approved a utility fee to fund public safety services on Wednesday. But council members warn that likely isn’t a long-term solution.
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Yreka’s all-volunteer fire department is struggling to attract new firefighters, and the ones they already have are getting burned out from a dramatic increase in calls. The city is looking at what it would take to fund full-time firefighters instead.
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As the cost of fighting wildfires increases, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner has proposed a bill — developed in consultation with the logging industry — that would shift millions in expenses away from the biggest landowners and onto taxpayers.
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Residents in Josephine County have the opportunity to provide input on the creation of a rural fire district at a town hall meeting this Thursday. County commissioners are looking at their options when dealing with this previously unpopular idea.
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After several years of devastating wildfires, California lawmakers want to give hefty raises to Cal Fire firefighters. The deal could tie the governor’s hands in contracts.
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"That smoke impacting a part of the nation that doesn’t normally see smoke certainly draws attention to some of the issues that we’ve been talking about for a long time,” said the U.S. Forest Service's Alex Robertson.
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After unanimously clearing the Senate, a bill expanding first responders’ access to workers’ comp for PTSD moves to the Assembly.
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Firefighters along the Oregon Coast say they’re struggling to meet increasing call volumes with fewer and fewer volunteers.
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Facing a mental health crisis, Cal Fire crews sought less of a workload. But they have to wait two years under their new contract.
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A public memorial was held Monday for Logan Taylor, a 25-year-old firefighter from Talent, Oregon who died earlier this month.
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The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal has awarded $6 million in grants to local fire districts to hire firefighting staff during the 2022 wildfire season.
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Forestry officials say they’re bringing back firefighters from other parts of the country this week for Oregon’s wildfire season.