Homepage of Woodburn Fire District

About Woodburn Fire District

Woodburn Fire District provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), fire prevention, and life safety services to approximately 40,000 people across 75 square miles. Our service area includes the cities of Woodburn and Gervais, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas of Marion County.

The District responds to an average of 4,000 calls per year—an 80% increase since 2015.

Increasing Call Volume and Overlapping Emergencies

Emergency call volume has increased 80% since 2015. Currently, calls overlap approximately 40% of the time, meaning multiple emergencies are happening simultaneously.

The federal grant has enabled the District to staff two fire stations—Woodburn and Gervais—rather than just one. With two stations staffed, response times have been reduced to eight minutes or less.

When only one station is staffed, the District must rely more heavily on mutual aid from neighboring agencies during overlapping calls. Depending on the location of the emergency, mutual aid response can take up to 20 minutes.

Response Times and Community Impact

Maintaining staffing at two fire stations supports faster emergency response times for fire and EMS calls.

Response times also influence a fire district’s insurance risk rating. A stronger rating may help lower property insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses.

Levy Rate and Cost

The proposed levy rate is $0.55 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

• $55 per year for a property assessed at $100,000
• Approximately $110 per year (about $9.17 per month) for a property assessed at $200,000

For reference:

• The average assessed value in Woodburn is $211,115
• The average assessed value in Gervais is $176,120

Questions?

Fire Chief Jim Walker is available to answer questions:

📞 503-982-2630
✉️ jim.walker@woodburnfire.com