Orofino has a part-time paid Fire Department consisting of a Fire Chief, and Assistant Fire Chief, a Captain and fifteen to twenty fire fighters. The Orofino Fire Department has an insurance fire classification of four (4) which is the highest rating that can be obtained for our community. Orofino has three fire stations and two captains and has fire agreements with the Dworshak Dam, Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, the Clearwater Fish Hatchery, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the Orofino Rural Fire District for fire protection services. The department also has Mutual Aid Agreements with ten (10) different fire districts in the event of catastrophic emergencies.

In January of 1911 the Orofino Fire Department had its beginnings.  A small group of men got together and wrote up a constitution and by-laws which were recorded, handwritten, by H. L. Walrath acting as secretary. Once the constitution and by-laws were approved E. W. Jewell was elected as the first chief. He maintained that position for six years.

The startup of the department required a lot of fundraising to get off the ground. One of the most popular activities and major fundraising events during that time was the annual Fireman’s Ball and was highly supported by the community.

With the funds gathered in their first year; they secured a building, installed equipment and a triangle alarm. In 1913 they received a donation by the Eureka Fire Hose Company for a 28-inch fire alarm bell.

Current Fire Department Developments

Between 1911 and 2024 a lot has been accomplished within the department. The City of Orofino now has three stations within the city limits. They also have mutual aid agreements with 10 rural fire districts as well as Kamiah Fire Department.  These agreements state that all these departments will support each other as needed during any structural and wildland fire events.   Orofino Fire Department Station #1 is located at 217 1st Street, Station Two is located at 110 126^th Street, and Station Three is located in Konkolville. Currently the 10 rural fire districts are located throughout Clearwater County. These 10 fire districts are Elk River FD, Evergreen FD, Grangemont FD, Pierce FD, Sunnyside FD, Twin Ridge FD, Upper Ford FD, and Weippe FD. Greer is considered a fire district with a contract for service with Orofino FD. Greer is actively pursuing the prospects of establishing a local fire station. Orofino Fire Department also has a contract for rescue services with Clearwater County and several other organizations/agencies for interactive work which includes Orofino Rural, Army Corp of Engineers, Clearwater County, Dworshak Dam, Nez Perce Tribe, and City of Greer.

The Orofino Fire Department Station staff not only provide structural fire services but also provide wildland firefighting, hazmat mitigation, rescue services and medical assists. In order to provide these services, various fire and rescue vehicles are required. These vehicles are; 1 command vehicle, 2 rescue vehicles, 3 brush trucks, 4 fire engines, and 2 water tenders.

The various services provided are paid for through tax base, contracts, grants, fee for service, limited cost recovery, and generous donations.

The department is very active within the community. Various community services and fire prevention through education are just some ways they are involved. These have included helping the food bank, giving tours, making school educational visits and anything else that is asked for by the community.

The current command staff is made up of Bart Jones as Chief, Joshua Pospychalla as Assistant Chief, Tyler Carson as First Captain, Anthony Mastroianni as Second Captain, and Brain Adkins as Lieutenant with a typical personnel roster of 20-26. The Department operates on a rotating Officer-in-Charge during weekday nights and weekends.  The opportunity for the entire command staff to be the Officer-in-Charge helps build leadership skills and confidence in that individual as well as the within the command staff as a whole.

Besides the full-time Fire Chief and Assistant Chief, all positions receive pay for each response or training event. The Department is always recruiting and willing to accept applications from anyone wanting to help with our emergency services. Often, it is difficult to provide emergency services during the weekdays as the part-time staff have other work commitments.

The Department also provides a cadet program implemented many years ago to aid in the firefighting recruitment and education efforts. This is to build confidence and skills to prepare cadets for future employment.  In the cadet program, high school youth 16 years and older are hired, develop firefighting techniques and life skills. Although they have limited access to firefighting, they do get exposure to a variety of techniques and experiences.

Previous training is not required to become part of the department. Training for staff includes structural and wildland firefighting, rescue operations, and EMS training (which is offered through the Clearwater Valley Ambulance Service). All training will be provided on site.

Chief Ernest W. Jewell

To the right is a picture of Orofino’s first fire chief Ernest W. Jewell. He served in that position from the time that the department was founded in 1911 until 1917.  He also served as a Clearwater County Sheriff. Notice the fire services badge on the left breast of his vest.

• 1911-1917 E.W. Jewell
• 1917-1918 L.L. Luttrop
• 1918-1923 H.F. Ripley
• 1923-1924 Fred Hammond
• 1924 – Homer Cohun
• 1931-1937 H.F. Ripley
• Kester Hanson
• 1965-1978 Elbert Snyder
• 1978-1985 Lanny (Alan) White
• 1985-1988 Mike Wilson
• 1989-1998 Leonard Eckman
• 1998-2018 Mike Lee
• 2019-2022  John Hoyt
• 2022 Zack Tayler
• 2022- Present  Bart Jones