The Cascade Locks Public Safety Department provides police (Law Enforcement), fire and ambulance services, and currently serves a population of 1150 in the City of Cascade Locks proper and additional rural residents in both Hood River and Multnomah Counties. Currently, the Department has one paid employee, an EMT Paramedic, who is also the Director of the Ambulance Program. The Department contracts with a volunteer association that provides volunteers who respond to medical, fire, and other emergency calls for assistance from Multnomah Falls (Interstate 84 mp 33) on the west to Viento State Park (I-84 mp 57) on the east.

This area encompasses a number of rural residences and clusters of property owners including the unincorporated towns of Warrendale and Dodson with an additional population of approx. 160. Virtually the entire profile of this area of Hood River and Multnomah Counties is in the Forested Urban Interface. Additionally, Cascade Locks Fire And Ambulance Departments provide first response protection to the Bonneville Dam facilities accessible from the Oregon side as well as the Cascade, Oxbow, and Bonneville Fish Hatcheries.

We also service several State and Federal Recreation areas in addition to providing emergency medical, fire, and extrication coverage for 24 miles of Interstate 84, the Union Pacific Rail Line, and a State of Oregon alternate airport landing strip in the middle of the City. Cascade Locks Fire Department also acts as 1st response (initial attack) to all forested areas within their response area.

In the event of a Wildland fire, the Cascade Locks Public Safety Department will be the initial agency to respond, evaluate, and act while resources from the State and Federal agencies having jurisdiction gear up for response from outside of the area.

The City and response area are situated in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and is only accessed by Interstate 84 exit #44 or by Washington Highway 14 across the Bridge of the Gods. The City is bordered on three sides by State and Federal Forest Lands, with the Columbia River on the fourth side.

The Cascade Locks Public Safety Department regularly interacts with the USFS Gorge Fire Patrol, Oregon Division of Forestry resources, Hood River Westside FD, Skamania County EMS, Corbett FD, and several Skamania County Fire Departments. The town of Corbett provides mutual aid to our westside from their station located near Milepost 21, and the Westside FD of Hood River provides mutual aid from their stations located just outside of Hood River to the east about 18 miles away.

We also receive mutual aid from the North Bonneville, Stevenson, and Carson Fire Departments located across the Columbia River in Skamania County, Washington, approximately seven miles away and accessible only by bridge.

Current assets of Cascade Locks Fire And Ambulance Departments include a total of five response apparatus. All response apparatus are based out of one station on the westside of the City at this time. The Cascade Locks Volunteer Association currently provides to the Public Safety Department 22 active volunteer personnel who respond as available. Ten of these volunteers are from the Warrendale/Dodson area.

We have instituted a FF I training program that we are implementing in stages and hope to significantly improve the numbers of qualified firefighters. Several of our current volunteers have received training in wildland firefighting to the 130/190 level and two have received crew boss training. On the ambulance side our goal is to have as many volunteers become EMT-B certified as soon as possible.

Burn Permits:
Burn permits must be obtained from the Fire Chief. All guidelines and restrictions must be observed when burning. Before starting any fire, even if you have a valid permit, you must check to see if burning is allowed that day and then call the Fire Hall at 374-8510 to leave a voice mail giving the location and details of your burn. This is necessary in case someone reports your burn. Your message will let the Fire Department personnel know that it is a permitted burn, and not a fire that they must respond to with full equipment and personnel.

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