La Grande Rural Fire Protection District names Brady Walters chief

The La Grande Rural Fire Protection District has named Brady Walters its new chief, ending a months-long search for the leader of one of Union County’s key public-safety agencies. The district said Walters was selected after a nationwide recruitment effort and an intensive screening and assessment process.

The appointment matters well beyond the station door. The district, commonly known as the Island City Fire Department, serves Island City and surrounding rural parts of Union County, an area that has relied on the agency since 1949. Its coverage reaches about 135 square miles and about 6,000 residents, which makes the chief’s job central to emergency response, staffing, training, long-range planning and day-to-day coordination with nearby agencies.

The recruitment timeline shows how deliberate the district’s search was. Public postings for the chief position listed a closing date of February 2, 2026, suggesting a formal process that stretched across several months before Walters emerged as the choice. The district’s decision now puts a new leader in place as local fire agencies continue balancing limited staffing, growing service demands and the need to stay ready for the next fire season.

Walters brings a long emergency-services résumé. Originally from Medford, he began his career in 2005 as an Explorer and EMT with Mercy Flights Ambulance in Southern Oregon. He also worked as a volunteer ski patroller and firefighter, later completed Chemeketa Community College’s paramedic program while serving as a student firefighter for Marion County, and was promoted to resident lieutenant overseeing a fire station there.

For Union County residents, the leadership transition carries practical implications. The La Grande Rural Fire Protection District and the City of La Grande Fire Department operate in the same regional public-safety environment, where mutual aid and coordination can shape how quickly crews are deployed and how well agencies respond during large incidents. In a rural district, the chief’s relationships with volunteers, career staff, homeowners, businesses and partner agencies can influence everything from response times to equipment planning.

The district has scheduled a public meet-and-greet for June 9, giving residents a chance to meet Walters and begin putting a face to the job. That event will be the first public test of a new chapter for the district, and it will give neighbors a chance to hear how Walters intends to handle staffing, readiness and service expectations in Island City and the surrounding countryside.