Nyssa Fire Department is now accepting applications for Volunteer Firefighters. If you are 18 years or older and wish to help your community by becoming a volunteer firefighter stop by the City Hall Mon – Fri or at the fire department if anyone is available to pick up an application.
The Nyssa Fire Department is located at 203 Good Ave, Nyssa, OR. Firefighters respond day or night, good weather or bad weather, come rain or come shine. In addition, our department is committed to providing education to our youth on fire safety and awareness. Nyssa boasts one of the finest departments in the valley for training and morale.
Fires are dispatched from the Malheur County Dispatch which can be reached at 541-372-3825 or 541-473-5125 non-emergency.
For emergencies, call 911.
The Nyssa Community is served and protected by twenty-one dedicated volunteer firemen, who annually donate thousands of hours and often place themselves in danger to protect their fellow citizens and their property. Not one member of the department is a paid professional. Nyssa Fire Chief Eric Menchaca and Assistant Fire Chief Marvin Seuell and their loyal crews take great pride in their level of training, skills, and high level of commitment to the community of Nyssa.
Each fireman spends over 100 hours of training per year to maintain and improve skills. New department members must undergo an initial training of up to four rigorous days. Every member of the department must be certified in basic fire fighting techniques, first aid, and CPR. Each fireman is responsible for the care and maintenance of personal equipment, as well as contributing to the constant maintenance and cleaning of the trucks and other equipment. The fire department has had an average of nearly 100 calls per year. Often the firemen are called from their jobs or their homes in the middle of the night, in bad weather, and on occasion must perform their duties under very difficult circumstances.
The Nyssa Fire Department is actually two cooperative depts., the City of Nyssa and Nyssa Rural. It was determined long ago that a cooperative agreement between the two departments, to share equipment, training, and budgets would provide a higher level of service to both the city and the surrounding rural areas of Nyssa. Each department contributes budgeted funds for the maintenance of the departments and for the purchase of necessary equipment.
The constant need to repair and replace aging equipment is a concern for the department personnel. The specialized trucks and other equipment are extremely expensive. Current major vehicles and equipment include: three pumpers, two tankers, 6 brush trucks. Only one of the trucks is less than twenty years old, which is a concern for the department leaders.
In addition to the basic vehicles, a wide-range of equipment is owned by the departments, from the individual member’s personal equipment to life-saving equipment such as the “jaws-of-life” and other specialized tools. The Nyssa departments are recognized by other regional departments and one of the best trained and equipped departments in the valley.
Of course, the most important benefit to the community is the high level of protection that such a well trained, managed, and equipped department provides to the citizens. Another important benefit from having such a highly rated department is that fire insurance companies closely consider the quality of local fire departments in determining the relative rates for fire insurance. Nyssa fire insurance rates are comparatively lower than other communities, due to the high rating the departments receive annually.
The Nyssa Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, providing 24-hour police coverage to the citizens and visitors of Nyssa. There are 7 full time police officers and 8 reserve officer positions along with a part time ordinance officer.
Whether you are a Nyssa citizen or a visitor to our beautiful city, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable experience here. Please take the time to tour historic downtown and visit the diverse businesses that provide excellent customer service.
Chief Ballou can be reached at dballou@nyssacity.org