By Les Zaitz
The Oregonian
Copyright 2007 The Oregonian
All Rights Reserved
SALEM, Ore. — Grand Ronde tribal leaders, responding to concerns about fire protection at Spirit Mountain Casino, are considering whether to underwrite staff and build a better fire substation for the local district that warned it can’t protect Oregon’s largest tourist attraction.
Tribal leaders say they aren’t worried about the casino, but rather the growing tribal population and expanding tribal holdings in the Grand Ronde area. Their decision to order a study of fire services comes about two weeks after The Oregonian reported on long-standing concerns over the casino from state and local officials.
Chief Chuck Eddings of the West Valley Fire District told The Oregonian he fears a “catastrophic” loss of life because he lacks the firefighters or equipment to tackle a big fire at the five-story casino hotel. The Willamina-based agency is largely volunteer, and the closest ladder truck that extends beyond two floors is 45 minutes away.
Tribal officials have said fire suppression systems at the casino complex offer sufficient protection.
“We’re committed to continuing our dialogue with the local fire district to examine ways to improve emergency response time and services in our area,” Chris Mercier, tribal council chairman, said Wednesday.
Eddings and state fire officials said they weren’t aware of last week’s order for a study but welcomed it.
The casino draws as many as 10,500 people daily and is the best-known operation of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The tribe also operates a medical clinic, education building and other enterprises and provides housing to more than 500.
Although located in Eddings’ district, the tribe pays no property taxes for fire service. The tribe’s charity in the past has financed equipment for Eddings, but last spring it rejected a $730,000 request to staff and equip a substation in Grand Ronde.
Only two volunteers are routinely available for calls out of the substation, which is less than two miles from the casino. It takes four people to staff a fire engine.
Study options
Siobhan Taylor, tribal spokeswoman, said the study will focus on enhancing service out of Grand Ronde. She said the tribe will examine several options, including remodeling West Valley’s substation in Grand Ronde or building a replacement, and underwriting full-time staffing at the substation.
“Emergency response time for fire and ambulance to the Grand Ronde community is an issue,” Taylor said. “It’s become a real issue as our population in the Grand Ronde area is growing.”
The fire district responded to 390 calls on tribal property in 2005; most were medical cases.
Two Oregon tribes, the Umatilla and the Warm Springs, run their own fire agencies. Six other tribes have contracted with local fire agencies. The Grand Ronde is the only tribe with no fire service arrangement.
Since 1994, the Grand Ronde has funded five deputies and a sergeant for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which operates a substation in Grand Ronde. The Spirit Mountain Community Fund’s largest grant last year was the $450,000 paid to Polk County.
Concerns over addition
Eddings expressed alarm in early 2004, when the casino planned its hotel addition. He acknowledged the building had advanced fire sprinkler systems intended to hold a fire in check. But he cautioned that a failure could have fatal results.
He warned tribal and state officials that his district’s tallest ladder reaches only to the second floor and that the nearest ladder trucks that can reach higher are miles away in either Dallas or McMinnville.
Eddings also said he couldn’t muster enough volunteers to mount an effective rescue effort if the hotel was ablaze.
Tribal officials have vigorously contested Eddings’ view.
“Fire safety and suppression is not an issue at the casino,” Taylor said.
Casino officials last year retained an engineering firm recommended by state officials to examine Spirit Mountain. The consultants concluded the casino had advanced fire protection systems and a staff alert to fire safety concerns. The consultants did recommend casino officials work closer with local fire officials.