East Umatilla Fire & Rescue

East Umatilla Fire & Rescue formed on July 1, 2020, through the merger of three long-standing agencies — the Athena Volunteer Fire Department, the Helix Fire Department, and the East Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District — combining more than 50 years of local firefighting history into a single rural fire district based in Weston, Oregon. The district also partners with the East Umatilla County Ambulance Area Health District (EUCAAHD) under an intergovernmental agreement to deliver combined fire and EMS coverage across the eastern Umatilla County communities of Weston, Athena, Adams, and Helix.

Operating from headquarters Station 61 in Weston plus six satellite stations and ambulance bays spread across Athena, Adams, and Helix, EUFR relies on a blended roster of career firefighter/EMTs, paramedics, AEMTs, and community volunteers to cover a wide swath of rural eastern Oregon. Beyond structure fire and medical response, crews handle technical rescue work — including rope and lock/security specialty response — wildland fire suppression, and community risk-reduction programs such as burn-permit issuance, fuels-reduction assistance, and Narcan distribution.

Led by Fire Chief Dave Baty, a 35-year fire service veteran and US Air Force alumnus, the department's leadership team includes assistant chiefs, a battalion chief, and a dedicated public information officer — a command structure the district has been building out in the years since consolidation, while staying rooted in the volunteer tradition of its predecessor departments.

East Umatilla Fire & Rescue does not maintain a dedicated online careers page or job postings. The department's roster is a mix of career firefighter/EMTs, paramedics, and AEMTs alongside community volunteers, reflecting its origins in the Athena, Helix, and East Umatilla volunteer fire departments that merged to form EUFR in 2020. Interested candidates should contact the department directly to ask about current career and volunteer openings.