File:Lorane Fire Hall.JPG

English: District

The Lorane Volunteer Fire and Emergency Group was founded in June, 1973. Up until that time, the only fire protection for Lorane was from the Western Lane Forestry Service which was funded to fight forest and grassland fires only. Their trucks and equipment were located 25 miles away in Veneta. The Lorane Volunteer Fire and Emergency Group entered into a 20-year lease in 1973 with the Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District on the land where the Lorane Fire Hall now stands. At the end of the lease, in 1983, the Lorane Rural Fire Dept. purchased the previously-leased property in addition to adjoining property where the school district bus garage stood. In the beginning, the annual “Fire Breakfasts” and “Hunter Breakfasts” were the main fund-raising projects. They were held early on the mornings when fishing and hunting seasons opened each year. Local volunteers manned griddles and skillets and had gallons of coffee prepared to send off the fishermen and hunters. Later, annual ice cream socials have supplemented the treasury. In 1982, the Lorane community approved the establishment of a fire district by a vote of 125 to 56. The Lorane Rural Fire Department at that time covered 12-square miles and approximately 650 people in 218 dwellings. Shortly after the levy was approved, the Fire Board installed Joe Brewer as Chief and Bruce McDonald as Asst. Chief. At the time the district was established, it lowered the fire insurance rates in the district considerably. With the acquisition of more and better equipment, the insurance rate fell even more in 1985. The Lorane Rural Fire Department eventually obtained two pumpers, three tankers holding a total of 12,000 gallons of water, one rescue unit, and one medical van. A number of the local citizens through the years have trained as Emergency Medical Technicians and have literally made the difference in a number of cases between life and death. The original fire hall was built entirely from volunteer help and donated materials, using no tax monies whatsoever. Bohemia and other local lumber companies donated the materials and cash, and the equipment was donated by Western Lane Forestry and Weyerhaeuser Co. The new building even housed a training center. Additional expenses were paid through the proceeds garnered from fundraisers over the past several years including those Hunters Breakfasts and Ice Cream Socials, sales of the Lorane Fire List – a directory of local people and homes – and funds donated by the Lorane Centennial Committee following the Lorane Centennial Celebration. In 2000, a bond issue for $270,000 was put on the ballot to add a new addition to the Fire Hall. It passed 222 to 119 with 87% voting. The bid for the remodeling job was awarded to 2G Construction on December 12, 2001. There ensued a community controversy centering around the size and cost of the proposed building that extended over a period of 13 months. The size and the cost of the building project was decreased and the work was completed by April, 2002. In October ,2002, Duane Coop donated materials for a Fire Hall sign. The local fireman painted it and with the help of Dan Yarr, it was installed on the front of the building. In 2005, Joe Brewer retired as Fire Chief, and on October 13, 2005, Tom Soward was appointed to the position. In November, 2005, Jim Bailor accepted the position of Asst. Chief. The majority of Lorane Fire Department’s firefighters are volunteers. The only paid positions are the Fire Chief, the Assistant Chief and the accountant. Over half of the volunteers have emergency medical training as first responders, EMT or higher. The district tries to maintain between 15 to 20 volunteers, but the number fluctuates frequently due to people moving or conflicts with school, jobs or lifestyles. One of the programs that the Lorane department offers to pique the interest of future volunteers is a cadet program for 15-year olds. The cadets do not fight fires or respond to calls, but they do train with the firefighters. They learn the skills for fighting fires and rescues. Lorane’s firefighters hold regular jobs or are students in high school or college. The reasons they volunteer cover a lot of territory. Most do it out of their desire to contribute to the community. In doing so, they know that they are helping others. Fighting fires and responding to medical or accident calls can also provide some with a needed “adventure-quotient.” These volunteers not only give to others, but gain much for themselves, as well, in the form of self-respect. Working alongside others with the same skills and objectives can also forge lifelong friendships. The volunteers’ dedication is evident by the many hours that each person spends in training and honing their skills. Firefighters generally train two hours a week, and many train 150 hours a year. Trying to keep a full staff of volunteers from a rural community is a challenging task, so new volunteers are constantly being sought. As of 2005, the Lorane Rural Fire Protection District still covers 12-square miles and has 675 people. All except 6 homes are within 5 miles of the station. Everybody has an ISO rating of 8 except the 6 homes that are farther than 5 miles away. Seventy-five percent of the calls are medical calls and 25% are fire calls. The average number of calls per year is 50-75. Medical calls include vehicle accidents, personal injury and illnesses. Fire calls include house, barn, car, wildland and grass fires. The current equipment inventory includes 1 pumper truck which responds to house fires; 1 pumper which responds to other types of fire calls; 1 rescue rig that carries rescue equipment to fire calls and vehicle accidents; 1 tender that carries 2,500 gallons of water to fire calls; 1 rescue truck that carries personnel and equipment to medical calls; and 1 tender that carries 3,000 gallons of water to fire calls. According to its website,“It is the mission of the Lorane Rural Fire Protection District to save lives and property by suppressing fire, performing emergency medical rescue, securing the scene of hazardous incidents and providing fire and safety education to the citizens of the district.”

The success of “a job well-done” can be attributed to the determination and hard work given unselfishly to the community by dozens of volunteers and paid employees to provide aid in our distress and to make our homes and our lives safer. From Sawdust and Cider to Wine by Patricia Ann Edwards, Nancy O'Hearn and Marna Hing