Baker City Firefighters Respond Increasingly to Medical Calls, Cadet Program Fuels Careers

Baker City Fire and Rescue reported responding to 1,408 calls for service in 2024, a 34.65% increase over 2023, and an official BakerCity posting said the department was “already on track to respond to 1,400 calls for service this current calendar year.” The department’s Station 24 is staffed by career firefighters who are all licensed as EMTs or Paramedics and certified in CPR and First Aid, the department statement and Elkhorn Media Group reporting say.

BCFD personnel emphasize that medical work now dominates 911 workloads. The department told Elkhorn Media Group that “Medical calls make up the majority of 911 responses nationwide, often 70-85%.” Baker City firefighters explained that “Sometimes firefighters can arrive before the ambulance, due to station and ambulance locations, and provide lifesaving care immediately. In emergencies like cardiac arrest, severe bleeding or bleeding problems- seconds matter.”

Elkhorn Media Group described how firefighters and ambulance crews coordinate on scene: “Firefighters work alongside ambulance crews to provide patient care, assist with lifting, gathering vital information, and helping stabilize patients before and during transport.” BakerCity’s official text adds that the department operates from a centrally located station staffed 24/7/365 and provides fire protection across roughly 8 square miles while also supplying mutual aid to neighboring departments and past deployments to Idaho.

The department’s operational history includes a restructuring announced in March 2022 and carried out in fall 2022 that ended BCFD’s role under the County approved Ambulance Service Agreement. BakerCity’s posting also stated that BCFD “will, once again, be responding Advanced Life Support (ALS) as a ‘third out’ ambulance, assisting Pioneer Ambulance Service,” a planned change noted for early to mid-summer 2025 in the department text.

Recruitment and local workforce development are tied to a new cadet program that held its first class training in January 2026, the Baker City Herald reported. Senior William Spriet of Baker High School said the cadet program convinced him “to pursue a career as a firefighter and emergency medical technician,” and that “I could see myself working here if I had the chance.” Spriet described the culture of shifts as “That’s your home,” noting that “You’re living with these people for two days straight (firefighters generally work a schedule of 48 hours on duty, followed by 72 hours off). That sense of togetherness is really appealing to me.” He also said, “There won’t be any danger.”

Cadet training leaders told the Herald that at age 16 cadets may begin a task book of skills required for Oregon firefighter certification and can attain a certified emergency medical responder at 16; Carlson said the program’s ultimate goal is to help cadets become certified firefighters and EMTs at age 18, the minimum Oregon allows. With call volume rising and an official pipeline now in place, Baker City’s approach ties training, stationed EMT-Paramedic staffing, and planned ALS support with Pioneer Ambulance Service to meet a growing demand for medical response in the community.