10/09/2026
Earlier this year, Estacada Fire District applied for an Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries grant to support firefighter apprentices and were awarded funding for six. This week our apprenticeship committee completed its first semi-annual review, and we want to share the results with the community that these firefighters serve.
Since July 1, our six apprentices have worked nearly 4,400 hours on shift, including more than 260 hours on conflagration assignment. All six are on track or ahead of their training benchmarks:
- All six have completed their NIMS incident management training
- Five hold their EMT, and the sixth is 75 percent complete
- Five have met Firefighter I requirements and hold Wildland Firefighter Type 2
- Four have completed emergency driver training, ahead of the December target
- Several are already pursuing training beyond program requirements, including pumper operator, fire instructor, and paramedic coursework
These numbers reflect long shifts, study on days off, and a consistent willingness to do the work. We are proud of Nick Vogel, Luke Weems, Jacob Curran, Nolan Thran, Ayla Platz, and Emily Day.
We are grateful to the Bureau of Labor and Industries for investing in this program, the Oregon State Firefighters Council, the IAFF Clackamas County Professional Firefighters Local 1159, to the field training officers and crews who mentor these firefighters every shift, and to our community for its continued support.
