Gresham fire stations gain grants for seismic upgrades

Global catastrophes have underlined need for preparation

By Mara Stine

The Gresham Outlook, Mar 16, 2010, Updated Mar 16, 2010

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A state grant of nearly $288,000 will leverage a previously awarded grant, allowing Gresham’s four fire stations to be upgraded to withstand an earthquake.

Gresham Fire & Emergency Services and Gresham Emergency Management received the latest funds from the Oregon Emergency Management’s Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program last month.

The money will fund seismic improvements to Station 72 at 500 N.E. Kane Drive and Station 71, located on the west end of the public safety and school district building at Gresham City Hall.

The grant also funds improvements to the Gresham Police Department, housed in the same building as Station 71. But Gresham’s City Council chambers and the Gresham-Barlow School District offices on the east end of the building are not covered.

City officials are coordinating with the school district to fund seismic improvements to its share of the building, said Deborah Bond, Gresham’s finance director.

What that will cost the district, and the city for improvements to its council chambers, is unknown.

Fire Chief Scott Lewis said the grant doubles the number of stations to be seismically rehabilitated. The city had already received a nearly $392,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program to provide seismic upgrades to Station 73, 2301 S.W. Pleasant View Drive, and Station 74, 1520 N.E. 192nd Ave.

Gresham’s share for improving its four fire stations and police department totals $246,636, or about 27 percent of the total project cost of $926,008.