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Fire Department Progress

Fire Stories

Portrait of a firefighter/paramedic with the red Rescue 72 response unit in the background.

Rescue 72: Making an impact

Since going into service, Rescue 72 has boosted service to the community and eased strain.

 A fire inspector shines a flashlight and looks upward as she looks for hazards in a school storage room.

Safety checks, safer schools

A first round of school fire-safety inspections has been completed, thanks to the levy.

 Fire lieutenant showing Station 72 interior remodel.

Station 72 back in action

Station 72 reopened in January with living quarters for a larger crew and a new Rescue unit serving the city’s busy east side.

 Two firefighters in protective gear stand in front of emergency lights at night. They are talking after the fire has been put out.

On the line

Graduates of Gresham's 2025 fire academies, hired with support from the levy, are making an impact.

Two fire inspectors talking. Female inspector holds a red fire extinguisher.

School fire-safety inspections

In 2025, the Gresham Fire Marshal’s Office performed 39 levy-supported school inspections — up from zero in 2024.

 A smiling firefighter in a dark blue uniform shakes hands with another firefighter in a dark uniform and cap at his graduation ceremony. Other uniformed individuals are visible in the background.

Hiring progress in 2025

The levy funded 33 Fire Department positions and 40 Police Department positions in 2025.

 Fire academy graduates, seated in the front row of a crowded room, applaud Firefighter/Trainer Spencer Tejedas as he wraps up his graduation speech at the podium.

Fire Academy 25-02 training and graduation

After being on extended medical leave due to severe injury while on duty, Firefighter Spencer Tejedas returned to train Gresham Fire Academy 25-02.

 Rescue 72 drives through a Gresham neighborhood in the snow.

Rescue 72

Sixty-five percent of Gresham Fire Department’s calls are actually medical emergencies, requiring a paramedic on scene as quickly as possible.

Gresham fire inspectors walk through a classroom.

School fire safety and community education

In a win for kids and safety, passage of the levy means school fire safety inspections have once again resumed. 

A group of seven fire recruits holds a bright-red class flag outside the Fire Training Center.

Levy-supported hires build Fire ranks

Gresham Fire was able to hire seven new experienced, levy-funded firefighters, with more on the way.