By Jayson Jaco
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY, Ore. — Baker City Mayor Randy Daugherty said he’s “not happy” about a Facebook post by the city firefighters’ union on Monday, May 11 , regarding a plan to rotate use of two fire engines, but both the mayor and the union president agree about the goal that prompted the plan.
And both Daugherty and Austin Kelley, an engineer at the fire department and the union president, agreed that councilors and firefighters need to talk about the issue and seek a resolution.
| BETTER EVERY SHIFT: Dena Ali: How leaders shape firefighter wellness
“We do intend to try to sit down with the city council and bring some of this to light,” Kelley said on Tuesday, May 12 .
Daugherty also welcomes that conversation, although he said he wishes union members had not posted on the union’s Facebook page.
“I’m not a big fan of fighting it out on social media,” Daugherty said on Tuesday. “I’m very disappointed in the posting by the fire union. It riled up the public and wasn’t necessary. They should have come to the council and told us.”
Kelley said the Facebook post (the full text of which is below) was not intended to criticize the city council, but rather to address questions firefighters have fielded recently from citizens who wondered why firefighters were driving the department’s 2007 engine, which the city bought from the Salem Fire Department for $25,000 in April 2025.
In November 2025 the city council voted to buy a new engine for about $889,000. That engine arrived in late January.
Daugherty and city councilor Roger Coles both said on Tuesday that the council’s goal is to ensure that all fire equipment is ready, and that alternating use of the two engines would help ensure that’s the case.
Coles said he also wants to lengthen the lifespan of the new engine, and that dividing mileage between the two engines could help accomplish that.
Kelley said he understands that goal, but he doesn’t think the city covers enough miles with its engines to warrant rotating the trucks.
“It’s definitely not needed,” he said.
Kelley also agrees with Coles and Daugherty that engines and other equipment can deteriorate if they’re not used occasionally.
But Kelley said the department tests all its equipment weekly. And he said firefighters can ensure the older engine is ready to be used by driving it occasionally for nonemergency trips.
Having a formal rotation schedule of the sort Fire Chief Michael Carlson created — with the 2026 and 2007 engines alternating as the “first-out” engine every three months — is unnecessary, Kelley contends.
Carlson, who recently finished his first year as fire chief, said such equipment rotation schedules “are not typical” in his experience. He said he came up with the three-month plan based on the city council’s request that he both ensure all equipment is ready to be used, and that mileage on the new engine is controlled. The council didn’t specify the means to accomplish that goal, he said, but they “made their wishes known.”
However, Carlson said that based on the size of the city, and how often engines are needed, he’s not concerned about putting too many miles on the new truck.
“We don’t typically put a lot of miles on the apparatus,” he said.
Kelley said union members are concerned about the three-month rotation among engines because the two trucks are not equivalents in their capabilities.
The new truck can carry 1,000 gallons of water, twice as much as the 2007 engine.
The new truck has a pump with a capacity of 1,500-gallons per minute, compared with 1,200 gallons per minute for the older vehicle.
Kelley said he worries about a situation in which firefighters drive the older engine to a blaze because it’s the first-call truck, but a fire hydrant fails and the crew has to rely on the truck’s tank. The difference between having 500 gallons available, and 1,000 gallons, could have a significant effect on firefighters’ safety and on their ability to douse a fire, he said.
“You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re limited,” he said.
Daugherty, though, said the council’s only goal is to preserve its equipment, not to degrade the fire department’s capacity.
“If you have an important fire call, you take the best you’ve got to it, obviously, and that’s the new truck,” he said.
Daugherty said his concept is that in nonemergency situations, firefighters could drive the older truck.
Kelley doesn’t argue that point.
But he contends the fire department doesn’t need a formal rotation schedule to achieve the council’s goal.
The 2007 engine has about 160,000 miles. The new engine has about 8,000 miles, most of which were logged before the city took delivery. Carlson said the truck was used at an international firefighter convention before the city bought it.
Buying the new engine
Carlson said the Leo Adler Foundation paid about one-third of the cost of the new engine.
Adler, who died Nov. 2, 1993, at age 98, helped the city buy multiple fire engines and ambulances during his lifetime, and the foundation he created has continued that legacy in the 32 years since his death.
The remainder of the money for the new truck comes from federal dollars the city received during the pandemic, and from the city’s capital reserve fund, Carlson said.
The pandemic money has to be spent before the end of 2026, he said.
Fire union Facebook post
“Over the past several days, we have received a number of questions from community members regarding the planned rotation of fire apparatus within the Baker City Fire Department. For those who may be unaware, the Baker City Council has implemented a plan to rotate the department’s new 2026 fire engine, received in January of this year, with the department’s 2007 engine, which was acquired last year from Salem Fire Department.
1) Why will crews be switching from the 2026 fire engine to the 2007 fire engine every three months?
According to the current plan established by the Baker City Council, the rotation is intended to distribute usage between both apparatuses in an effort to reduce long-term wear and tear.
2) Does the 2007 fire engine have the same operational capabilities as the 2026 fire engine?
No. The 2007 fire engine carries approximately 500 gallons of water, while the 2026 fire engine carries approximately 1,000 gallons. Additionally, the 2026 engine includes newer safety enhancements and larger equipment compartments, which may improve firefighter safety and operational efficiency.
3) Does the 2007 fire engine offer the same reliability as the 2026 fire engine?
The 2007 engine currently has approximately 160,000 miles, while the 2026 engine has approximately 8,000 miles and remains under warranty for three years. The 2007 engine has experienced mechanical issues in the past, though those concerns have reportedly been addressed. At this time, there are no definitive facts that can guarantee which engine will be more reliable over time.
4) Was the decision to rotate engines every three months made by the fire department?
No. The rotation plan was established by the Baker City Council. The fire department did not make this decision.
We hope this information helps provide clarity regarding the current apparatus rotation plan and answers many of the questions being asked by community members. Our priority is ensuring that accurate information is shared in a transparent and professional manner.”
Does your department rotate older and newer apparatus to reduce wear and tear? How do you balance equipment longevity with operational readiness and firefighter safety?
© 2026 the Baker City Herald (Baker City, Ore.).
Visit www.bakercityherald.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
