GRESHAM, Oregon — Gresham firefighters brought longstanding occupational safety concerns before Gresham City Council on Tuesday. They demanded improved working conditions and more staffing resources after two recent line-of-duty deaths and a growing number of serious illnesses among staff.
Before the council meeting, family members of firefighters held a rally outside Gresham City Hall. Many drivers honked their horns in support of Gresham firefighters. Those who organized the rally said they want to feel that same support from city leaders.
“It just doesn't feel like that's been happening,” said Jessica Thran.
Her husband, Bo Thran, has been a Gresham firefighter for 10 years.
"As a spouse, I felt like, OK, I can't hear this anymore," she said about ongoing concerns over her husband's health and safety.
One reason for concern stems from statistics provided by IAFF Local 1062, the Gresham Firefighters union. They show the city's service population has more than doubled since 1990, growing from 68,235 to 147,835 in 2021. The fire department’s call volume has also increased by 339% from 5,227 calls in 1990 to 22,947 in 2021. Meanwhile, the fire department’s daily staffing minimum has not grown, remaining the same at 24 people since 1990. The union said currently, Gresham firefighters work an average of 59-hours a week including Bo Thran.
“I think he worked five of the last six days,” Jessica Thran said. “He's working Christmas, he worked Thanksgiving. We have two kids at home. I've gotten used to it, but it's not normal.”
Firefighters said extended shifts mean extended exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, which all firefighters face. But in Gresham, union members said their hazardous working conditions far exceed what's considered normal.
“Not one of our stations are up to code,” said Gresham Fire Battalion Chief Kestin Kim-Proudfoot during testimony. “These are our homes, and they're killing us.”
Kim-Proudfoot and other firefighters said Gresham fire stations lacked sleeping quarters that protect firefighters from diesel exhaust immitted from fire engines. They described sewage leaks, lead in the water and other toxic malfunctions, particularly at Station 75 in Troutdale. Gresham fire Lt. Anthony Foster said while working a shift there in March, he got so sick he ended up in the hospital after suffering from dizziness and nausea.
“The crews with the help of fleet discovered that the truck batteries in the engine had been burning our entire shift and filling our station with the byproducts including sulfuric acid,” Foster said.
Station 75 is also where Gresham firefighter Brian Flowers worked for the past 10 years. On Nov. 19, the 48-year-old died after battling Occupational Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Union officials said two other Gresham firefighters are currently fighting occupational cancer. They believe all three cases are related to their working conditions. In February, Gresham firefighter Brandon Norbury died of cardiac arrest during training. The former Navy SEAL was 50 years old.
“City leadership showed up to the emergency room the day Brandon Norbury died as we grieved over his body,” Flowers told city council members. “They saw the same dead firefighter we saw. Since then, no change. In fact, the opposite.”
Firefighters demanded a staffing increase, safe workspaces and environmental tests to show where their facilities stand now. After public testimony, Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall and other council members said they were at a loss and vowed to respond.
“My heart breaks for this conversation,” Stovall said. “I'm going to be completely honest with you, the city of Gresham has failed you and I have failed you.”
After public testimony, council members agreed to hire an industrial hygienist to assess working conditions within all of Gresham’s fire stations. Next week Stovall and two council members plan to meet with firefighter union leadership to discuss solutions moving forward. In May, voters defeated Measure 26-239, the Gresham Safety Levy that would have increased funding for fire, police, and homeless services. Stovall said despite that, he and council members were focused on getting fire facilities replaced and moving forward, possibly with a new urban renewal area that would include a new fire station.
“I don't expect you to believe that until you see action and that's what I’m committed to,” Stovall said. “Those are the things this council is working on as quick as we possibly can, but I know it's not fast enough. This is 20 years overdue.”