Gladstone fire station gets makeover

Seismic upgrades will make building 'like new'

By Raymond Rendleman

The Clackamas Review, Jul 28, 2010, Updated Jul 29, 2010

Gladstone Fire Dept. Assistant Chief Michael Funk is overseeing seismic upgrades to the station.

raymond rendleman / clackamas review

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One of the region's last volunteer fire departments is getting more than $300,000 for seismic upgrades on its only fire station.

Serving about four square miles, the Gladstone Fire Department has only two paid staff, but it is supported in large part by 38 volunteers. Those 40 people hope to respond to thousands of calls for service from a much nicer building by this fall.

“It's going to be like it's new,” said Gladstone fire marshal and assistant chief Michael Funk.

Located at 555 Portland Ave., the department structure was built in 1940 for the city's public works. In 1974, the volunteer firefighters moved in and made due with the repurposed building.

New garage doors were installed as part of an upgrade in 2006. Yet the building remained susceptible to the next big quake.

Workers from Cedar Mill Construction have been installing steel poles, spraying concrete and reinforcing the building with plywood-sheet braces. In the meantime, the department will be located temporarily at 825 Portland Ave.

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