Small cities break with Gresham Fire continues to heat up

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire — and this may be one Gresham firefighters are unable to douse.

With threats of “substantial service increases” during the next contract, the three small cities in East Multnomah County continue to mull an official break with Gresham Fire & Emergency Services.

The contract inked between the cities of Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village for fire and medical emergency services from Gresham ends July 1, 2025. Because of the continued funding woes within the city of Gresham, especially when it comes to a financially healthy police and fire department, some of those costs could be shunted upon the small cities.

That has created a sticking point with the leaders to the north.

“Nothing is changing overnight,” Wood Village wrote in a statement. “This is a multi-year effort (toward) a cost-effective solutions that meets (our) needs.”

It’s not just potential cost spikes that have the small cities spooked. Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village have become frustrated with not having any say in how fire service is handled — a complaint Gresham should be sympathetic to as that was one of the main drivers in a break from the city of Portland and Bull Run Reservoir for water service.

In that case, Gresham weighed the various costs and decided to drill its own groundwater system, as it was ultimately cheaper than projected increases and was completely in its own control. The plan is to be completely operational by 2026.

A similar idea has been kicked around by the small cities for fire service. They could create a shared fire district, construct local stations, purchase equipment and bring on firefighters. While the cost would initially be a hit to the collective general funds, that service scope is far less than what Gresham currently faces, meaning fewer resources would be required.

“We want to look at service providers, models and options that can provide high-quality service that is responsive to our communities’ needs and gives us a seat at the table,” Wood Village wrote in a statement.

The immediate next steps are the small cities hiring consultants and fire professionals to determine realistic options, costs and other critical components. There are also planned open houses and town halls in all three cities, beginning as early as this summer, to allow the public to weigh in.

Regardless of what is decided, it appears all three municipalities want to remain in lock step.