New Station Project
History of the Camas Valley Fire Station
Why We Needed a New Station
By 2000, the old Camas Valley Fire Station (a 50' x 50' three-bay building with one room) no longer met modern safety and operational standards. The department had to squeeze seven vehicles into the building which did not meet OSHA clearance requirements and did not satisfy Insurance (ISO) storage requirements. Building a new station that met OSHA, ISO, and NFPA standards became essential for firefighter safety and community protection.
Land Donation
Longtime volunteers Hank and Agnes Summit generously donated three acres adjacent to Highway 42 to site the new station. Hank had been a volunteer since the 1970s — their donation provided the property we needed to move forward.
Planning & Design
- Planning committee formed in 2000: Dave & Donna Brown, Chuck Drew, Red Attaberry, and James Beans.
- Design goals: five drive-through bays, heated bays, a community room with kitchen, and upstairs space for future expansion.
- Architectural plans: Paul Bentley Architecture — plans completed May 2006 (cost: $33,000) and approved by the county August 2006.
- Seismic testing by Galli Group ($13,000) to meet disaster-resilient standards for the building.
Construction Timeline (highlights)
Groundwork & rock base: Massive rock donations and hauling placed over 3,000 yards of rock in three days — supported by local companies, volunteer drivers, and heavy equipment operators.
Concrete pad poured: Department paid approximately $55,000; Concrete Services donated around $10,000 worth of concrete.
Framing begins: Led primarily by Mike Kay and family with many volunteers helping lift and set walls and trusses.
Exterior construction completed.
Temporary power installed to support construction and operations.
Interior construction ramped up — Camas Valley School Construction Class assisted with upstairs framing using donated lumber. Initial rooms completed included the medical room, training room, bathrooms, offices, and hallways.
Permanent power installed (approx. $20,000).
More wood donations (Roseburg Forest Products) and interior finish work: dorms, closets, lounge completed.
Ford Family Foundation donated $11,000, and a custom engraved brick fundraiser raised an additional $11,000. These funds paid for a modern, automated & monitored fire alarm system which was installed the same year.
Community Donations & Volunteers (selected)
Countless individuals, families, and local businesses donated materials, labor, equipment, and money. Below are selected contributors (not exhaustive).
Donated ~80% of framing lumber (2x4 & 2x6) — request by Darla Standley.
Donated large beams (4x6, 4x4).
Donated approximately $10,000 worth of concrete.
Did concrete work and donated significant time.
Led framing; donated the majority of framing labor.
Donated forklift use and roofing labor (materials valued ~ $7,500).
Provided plumbing labor at no charge (materials approx. $30,000).
Installed septic and donated many hours of work.
Donated half of the station generator.
Donated lumber (including additional 2x4s in 2020 used for interior).
Truck drivers, equipment operators, and dozens of local businesses contributed rock, hauling, equipment, and labor across many years.
Grants, Loans & Fundraising (selected)
- USDA Grant – $25,000 (2006)
- Ford Family Foundation – early grants $50,000–$125,000 (2005)
- Infrastructure grant for fuel & water purification – $59,000 (2020)
- SDAO fencing grant – 2022
- Special District Loan – $250,000
- Ford Family Foundation – $11,000 (2025) to support the fire alarm system
Fundraisers: Fundays (2006–present) — organized by Justin Wilson, James Beans, Donnie Casteel, and Dave Ewing — raised roughly $50,000 over 16 years. Trap shoot events, brick sales (2008 and custom bricks in 2025), and many smaller community events contributed to the building fund.
Financial note: Estimated build price in 2000 was roughly $750,000. Due to inflation and rising material costs over time, project estimates approached $4 million. Despite that, construction and interior completion progressed through grants, donations, fundraisers, and loans — not local tax dollars.
Today & Looking Forward
Thanks to more than two decades of donations, volunteer labor, grants, and community fundraisers, Camas Valley now has a modern fire station that meets OSHA, ISO, and NFPA standards and provides space for training, operations, and community events.
While this page captures the broad story, it is not complete. Hundreds of hours and many names are not yet documented here — if you or someone you know helped, please reach out so we can properly recognize them.