Applegate Valley Rural Fire Protection District 9

Applegate Valley Rural Fire Protection District 9 — branded as the Applegate Fire District — provides all-hazards emergency response across roughly 192 square miles of the Applegate Valley, spanning about 170 square miles in Jackson County and 22 square miles in Josephine County. It serves an estimated 10,000 residents in a largely rural, wildland-interface region southwest of Jacksonville.

The district operates as a combination department out of seven fire stations. Its workforce mixes a small career core with a large volunteer and developmental roster: roughly 50 people total, including full-time staff, full-time seasonal firefighters, EMS/fire apprentices, student firefighters, resident firefighters, and community volunteers. Several outlying stations are volunteer-based, with responders answering calls from home, while the Applegate station leans on student and apprentice firefighters.

Services include structure and wildland fire suppression, EMS, vehicle extrication, rope rescue, swift-water rescue, and hazardous materials response, backed by a fleet of around 28 apparatus. The district also invests in fuels reduction and public education for its fire-prone valley.

The department traces its roots to 1980, when it was formed as the Applegate Lions Volunteer Fire Department; its first fire chief was hired in 1981 and the main campus on Upper Applegate Road was established in the early 1980s.

Applegate Fire District recruits on a continuous basis and relies heavily on volunteers, since it does not have the resources to staff every station with paid firefighters. It welcomes committed community members as volunteer firefighters and also offers developmental pathways through student, resident, apprentice, and seasonal firefighter roles. A recurring specialty need is Water Supply Specialists, who set up and manage water-supply sites (drafting from rural sources or supporting tender-shuttle operations) during incidents.

The district provides comprehensive training at no cost to members, including a Firefighter I academy, wildland firefighting, EMS, and driver training. To get started, prospective members fill out an inquiry form on the district website and a team member follows up with next steps. Questions can be directed to the district office at (541) 899-1050.