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Message from <br />the Chief <br />This year marks the 135`h.year of continuous op- <br />eration for the Eugene Fire & Emergency Medi- <br />cal Services Department. As the first department <br />formally organized in what was then Eugene <br />City, Hook and Ladder Company. No. 1 began <br />operations on April 3, 1872. The members of <br />our department continue to serve with pride and <br />professionalism, as detailed in this Annual Re- <br />port for Fiscal Year 2007. <br />Many words may be used to characterize the past <br />year for our department. Those that come most <br />readily to mind are change, challenge, and progress -all on a major scale. <br />To provide better service throughout our response area, the department has been reorganized <br />into three divisions from the previous two without adding new positions. In the past, our Op- <br />erations Division was the largest in the City organization, bigger even than some departments: <br />We now have a Special Operations Division and an Administrative Services and Support Di- <br />vision, in addition to a streamlined Shift Operations Division. In this report I am proud to in- <br />troduce our three new Deputy Chiefs; Karen Brack, Denise Giard, and7oe Zaludek. <br />Foremost among our new service initiatives is a stronger and more dynamic partnership with <br />Springfield Fire & Life Safety. We call this the " 3-Battalion Concept," with our department <br />consisting of two battalions and Springfield adding athird -all functioning together in the <br />field as a seamless unit, thanks to common procedures and protocols, joint training exercises, <br />complete compatibility, and enhanced automatic aid provision. The success of this concept, <br />which is still developing, has already been proven. <br />Also this year, under Mayor Kitty Piercy's leadership in moving toward sustainability, our <br />department is reporting on a number of environmentally sensitive practices that are an integral <br />part of our everyday work. Some are relatively new, while others have been standard operat- <br />ingprocedure for many years. <br />Finally, I would be remiss in failing to mention that this report includes a description and pho- <br />tos of the largest fire in Eugene since the 1980s. The fire destroyed the Gheen Irrigation <br />Works on Willakenzie Road on Apri120. Fortunately there were no casualties. <br />Thank you for your interest in the Eugene Fire & EMS Department. It is indeed our privilege <br />to serve, and we look forward to the next 135 years. <br />Randall B. Groves <br />Chief <br />3 <br />