THE DALLES — The Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue board approved a new continuity of operations plan (COOP) for backup emergency leadership at their Aug. 17 meeting, despite concerns from Director Walter Denstedt that the plan didn’t account for certain situations.
Included in the COOP is a detailed section on the delegation of authority “during emergencies, disasters, and other significant disruptions,” as per the meeting packet.
Denstedt questioned how, without an assistant chief, division chiefs would split tasks. According to Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue’s website, there are three division chiefs: Chief of Operations Josh Beckner, Chief of Training Adam Cole, and Chief of Prevention and Public Education Chris Grant (mcfr.org/administrative-staff).
Board President Corey Case and Fire Chief David Jensen said the three division chiefs could divide various roles among themselves.
Denstedt also said there needed to be more detail around specific scenarios, such as where fuel would be obtained if gas stations stopped working. However, the remaining directors seemed to agree that there were too many to consider individually.
Ultimately, the COOP was approved 4-1, with Denstedt opposed. A second motion to modify Board Policy 1.1 to align with the new COOP was also passed 4-1, with Denstedt again opposed.
According to meeting packet materials, Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue worked with consultants and internal staff throughout 2025-2026 to develop the plan.
Grasshopper Fire deployments
Firefighters from Mid-Columbia were deployed twice to the Grasshopper Fire, once straight from work on the nearby Eightmile Fire and again to protect Sportsmans Park and Pine Hollow before the state sent other mobilized task forces.
Jensen said he expects the fire to continue until the area sees significant rainfall.
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Read the full Aug. 17 Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue District board meeting notes by Gorge Documenter Rowan McKenna at columbia-gorge.documenters.org.
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