A busy Station 72 back in action

An expanded Gresham Fire Station 72 reopened in January - ahead of schedule, no less - with living quarters for a larger crew and a new Rescue unit serving the city's busy east side.

"We hit the ground running," Station 72 Captain Tiffanie Andrews-Rost said of the homecoming. "In the first hour and a half, we ran five calls."

The minimum number of crew rolling out of the station on medical incidents, fires and other emergencies is now five: three on the engine and two on the more-compact Rescue 72, which became fully staffed in July 2025 thanks to the May 2024 voter-approved Fire and Police Levy.

"Historically, 50 percent of the time that we were on a call with the engine, somebody from another engine house had to come and cover calls in our area," Andrews-Rost said. "So, there was a real need to have that second response unit out of this station."

Built in 1974, the Kane Drive station was long overdue for a major renovation to accommodate additional firefighters.

The new second-floor dormitory - about 2,000 square feet of new space - features individual sleeping rooms, several bathrooms with showers for quicker post-response clean-up, more lockers, and a quiet room where crew can decompress after tough service calls.

Downstairs, gym equipment previously housed in the engine bay now occupies dedicated indoor space, away from fumes.

"New paint - it brightens the day up a bit more," Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Barnhart said. "It's great to be back in our house."

Working together, working smarter

With the remodel complete, Rescue 72 is now stationed at its home base and easing strain on Engine 72. In the second half of 2025, the engine took 34 percent fewer calls compared to same period in 2024, increasing its availability for the most-severe emergencies.

"This is what happens when all those entities work together," Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall said. "When we were doing the levy, we had open houses here at the stations. I think we had probably over 100 people at Station 72. We had Council, we had community, we had our firefighters, all who were working together to say, we have a need."

"The contractor (Dovetail Construction) did a great job," Council President Cathy Keathley added. "The opportunity for our five firefighters is for more safety and better living. Better sleep, which is really critical. So, I'm really excited about what I see here."

City Capital Project Manager Mike Green, who more typically oversees park development, will remember the station remodel as one of his favorite projects in his 28 years with the City. Green said the $1.6 million price tag, paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, was about half what conventional contracting would have cost because of the streamlined "design-build" approach that was used for Station 72. And the station has unique features.

"This might be a first for Gresham, to have what they call a selectable tap-out system," Green said. "If a firefighter is in here sleeping, they (hit a control to) select what piece of equipment they're assigned to for that day. Then, when a call comes in, if they're here sleeping and it's not their piece of equipment that's being called out, it's relatively quiet. The speaker doesn't go off. That's pretty cool."

Better sleep equals better firefighter health and safety.

Firefighter feedback

Firefighter Barnhart said he appreciates the expanded station and will also fondly remember the construction period where multiple crews shared quarters at Station 71 because of the camaraderie of the larger group. In addition to responding to scenes with personnel he doesn't always get to see, the larger crew formed basketball teams for exercise and "we made some giant dinners," he said. (Firefighters cover their own food costs.)

"The new station is great - it looks awesome," Firefighter Tommy Terrones said. "We got a new workout room. There's more personnel here. There's a lot more space. So, I really appreciate that the City put this out for us."