Written by Chris Durkee, Task Force Chair – Built in 1971 and the oldest of Lake Oswego’s fire stations, 212 has served well its expected 40-to-50-year lifespan but has some serious deficiencies impacting its ability to continue providing a vital service to the people in the southeast portion of Lake Oswego.
The South Shore station fire management area is bounded on the west by Blue Heron Rd and Westview Dr and on the north/east at George Rogers Park, and serves the Palisades, McVey-Southshore, Hallinan, Glenmorrie, Skylands, Mary’s Landing, and a portion of Blue Heron neighborhoods.
Key deficiencies include:
- Not constructed to “essential facility” services (might not survive an earthquake)
- Inadequate vehicle, equipment, and apparatus storage
- Electrical system and backup power in poor condition
- Inadequate separation between living, office, training, and workout spaces
- Bathrooms lack privacy and equitable accommodations
- No diversion system for capturing run-off from equipment cleaning and tank flushing
In 2023, the City’s statistically-valid community survey asked residents to prioritize a list of potential capital improvement projects. Fifty-one percent of respondents ranked upgrading the South Shore Fire Station as one of their top three priorities.
With apparent community support, the City Council designated this work a 2024 strategic initiative, directing staff to “begin a needs assessment and community engagement process to rebuild the South Shore Fire Station.” On September 3rd, the City Council approved the formation of an ad-hoc task force charged with reviewing:
- The Fire Department’s assessment of community coverage needs
- Existing facility and site conditions at the South Shore Fire Station
- The Department’s vision for their next generation of service provision
- Preliminary project cost estimates
- A full-scale community engagement strategy, contingent upon a City Council decision to advance this project.
The task force has been formed and includes representatives from several neighborhood associations, citizen advisory boards, neighbors, fire department leadership, and city staff.
Stay tuned – we’ll issue periodic updates on the task force’s progress. For more information or to provide input please visit lakeoswego.city/SSFSproject, contact Quin Brunner, LO Management Analyst (qbrunner@lakeoswego.city), or Chris Durkee, Task Force Chair (durkeechris@yahoo.com)
