Jackson County Fire District No. 5

06/02/2026

05/27/2026

🚒 Tuesday Night Training Recap 🚒

Last night, our volunteers gathered at Jackson County Fire District 4 in Shady Cove for another hands-on Tuesday Night Training focused on rural water supply operations in the wildland environment.

Crews spent the evening sharpening skills on:
• Water tender operations
• Portable tank (water dump site) setup
• Apparatus traffic patterns & scene organization
• Backing hazards and safety awareness
• Hand signals for clear communication
• Fill site procedures and drafting considerations

With fire season, this type of training is critical. In many of our response areas, reliable water supply isn’t always readily available, making efficient tender operations and dump site setup absolutely essential to successful firefighting operations.

Thank you to all the volunteers who took the time to train, learn, and prepare. Your dedication helps keep our community ready for whatever this fire season may bring. 💪🔥

Applegate Fire District
Jackson County Fire District 3

05/22/2026

Please join us in congratulating Captain Jim McEvoy on his promotion to Captain with Fire District 5!

Captain McEvoy began his fire service career with FD5 in 2004 as a volunteer and student firefighter and also worked several seasons as a summer firefighter. He was hired full time in 2012, promoted to Engineer in 2021 and is currently continuing his education toward a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.

Known as a dedicated, principle driven firefighter who leads through experience, Jim represents the values and work ethic that define the fire service. As a second-generation Captain with Fire District 5, his promotion continues a proud family tradition of service to our community.

Congratulations, Captain McEvoy, on this well-earned achievement.

05/20/2026

🛟 Fire District 5 crews had a valuable opportunity this week with Ashland Family YMCA, Oregon to work on water rescue training.

With warmer weather approaching, we know more people will be heading out to enjoy Emigrant Lake, where we respond to water assists and rescues. This made the training especially timely as we prepare for the busy summer season ahead.

During the sessions, crews are focusing on retrieval techniques utilizing a rescue buoy, shallow dive techniques for victim retrieval with a buoy, and C-spine immobilization in the water.

A big thank you to Lifeguard Instructor Rob and the YMCA staff for hosting us and sharing their expertise. We appreciate the partnership and the opportunity to train together.

If you are heading out to the water, please remember to always wear a life jacket, never swim alone, and keep a close eye on children near the water. Stay safe. 💧🛟🏊‍♀️

05/19/2026

Please join us in offering congratulations to John Gavin on his well-deserved promotion to Captain!

Captain Gavin was hired as a firefighter with Jackson County Fire District 5 in 2011, later promoting to Engineer in 2014. He also served as a student and volunteer firefighter from 2007–2011.

Since day one, he’s been driven, committed to the job, and always focused on serving our community. Known for his strong work ethic, passion for the fire service, and dedication to fitness, John is a great example of what leadership looks like.

Congratulations, Captain Gavin!

05/18/2026

This National EMS Week, we extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated members of the Oregon fire service and our incredible public safety and healthcare partners.

Every single day, emergency medical services personnel answer the call, bringing critical, lifesaving care directly to Oregonians in their most vulnerable moments. Your skill, compassion, and rapid response form the backbone of our state's emergency safety net.

To our firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and hospital partners: thank you for your unwavering dedication, your sacrifices, and your commitment to keeping our communities safe.

Please join us in thanking an EMS professional in your community this week!

LEARN MORE: https://emsweek.org/

05/16/2026

Today! 🌿 GREEN DEBRIS DROP-OFF DAY 🌿

Jackson County residents are invited to participate in the upcoming Green Debris Drop-Off Day! Bring your yard debris and help reduce wildfire risk in our community.

🗓 Date: Saturday, May 16
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: 115 North Main St., Phoenix OR

Accepted items include:
✔️ Branches
✔️ Leaves
✔️ Brush
✔️ Other green yard debris

🌿 GREEN DEBRIS DROP-OFF DAY 🌿

Jackson County residents are invited to participate in the upcoming Green Debris Drop-Off Day! Bring your yard debris and help reduce wildfire risk in our community.

🗓 Date: Saturday, May 16
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: 115 North Main St., Phoenix OR

Accepted items include:
✔️ Branches
✔️ Leaves
✔️ Brush
✔️ Other green yard debris

➡️ For other dates and locations throughout Jackson County, visit:
https://www.jacksoncountyor.gov/debrisdays

Thank you to Jackson County Emergency Management
and our community partners!

05/15/2026

Recap of calls happening across the Rogue Valley this afternoon, May 14th, 2026.

Please be careful to prevent any new fire starts. Fire Season goes into effect at midnight tonight.

• Vehicle fire/structure fire with spread to vegetation on Neville Lane in Medford (in Fire District 5’s jurisdiction but initially dispatched within Medford Rural District 2 / Medford Fire Department). A quick stop by crews on the grass fire and is wet lined and in overhaul. Reported at 1:38pm.

• Grass fire on Mason Way in Medford, in Fire District 3’s jurisdiction. Stopped quickly, under investigation. Reported at 2:05pm.

• Grass fire on Kershaw Rd in White City. Reported at 3:54pm. Slow moving, estimated at 1/4 acre. Crews are on scene. Fire knocked down at 4:17pm, starting mop up.

• Multiple smoke investigation calls, mostly related to the controlled burn in the Applegate area.

• Multiple EMS calls concurrently happening during the calls above.

Busy afternoons like this highlight the importance of our region’s robust mutual aid capability and our partners at ODF Southwest Oregon District, Mercy Flights Inc, and Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon ECSO 911

Be safe out there. This post will be updated if any additional significant calls occur this afternoon within Fire District 3 or Fire District 5.

05/12/2026