Proposed Policy on South County Fires
July 30, 1998
Wasco County Public Works
Fire Policy - South County, Generally in the Antelope District
Wasco County Road Department is a road agency. It is funded by dedicated road dollars. We are not firefighters. However, it has been our practice to assist when someone's property is in jeopardy. We want to be good neighbors and we want to be there to help. Generally, we have one grader in Antelope. It is a late model grader that we must take care of, so we are going to be very careful where it is sent. (In the 1996 fire we ruined a $1,000.00 worth of tires).
Policy: We will send the grader to protect a structure or other things of value, but we are not going to send a grader to protect range land.
We have learned from experience that when we go to an area we need to have one single point person from the landowners in the area. We can not answer to Farmer "A" for half of a day, Farmer "B" for half of a day, and then Farmer "C" for another part of the day. It is unsafe to overwork a man, and this is when accidents happen.
Policy: When we are called onto a fire we will ask who the contact person is, and that person the sole person who we are will answer to on the fire.
When a fire starts, call either Rocky or Kent at the Antelope shop, or the Wasco County Public Works in The Dalles, which has 24-hour beeper service. Determination of when or where to take the grader will be the responsibility of the County's grader operator. They know what the equipment can or can not do (and their decision will be backed by The Dalles office).
We have two bulldozers in Wasco County. Depending upon where they are and what they are being used for, they can be hauled to Antelope in a couple hours, when truly needed.
Again, the Road Department wants to be good neighbors. We will help fight fires, but a servant can't serve two masters.