Randle Fire & EMS Community Update Summer/Fall 2026

Serving Randle, Cispus, and our surrounding communities

A Message from the Chief

Our department is growing, and we want you to know what that means for the community we serve. More volunteers are stepping forward, our members are investing more time in training, and we are planning for the staffing, equipment, and facilities our community will need in the years ahead.

Our goal is straightforward: get trained people to your door quickly, with the equipment and support they need to help. Your participation as a volunteer, a neighbor, or someone willing to share an opinion helps us get there.

Justin Claibourn, Fire Chief

Help Shape Your Fire Department’s Future

Randle Fire & EMS is developing its 2027–2037 Strategic Plan, and we need your input. This plan will help guide decisions about emergency services, staffing, apparatus, facilities, and the responsible use of public funds.

What are we doing well? Where could we improve? What matters most to you when you need us?

Share your input by October 31, 2026: randlefire.us/survey

Your responses will help our leadership and commissioners set priorities grounded in the needs of the people we serve.

More Volunteers. More Training.

Our active volunteer membership has grown from approximately eight active members when I became chief in June 2025 to now 26 volunteers. That growth strengthens our ability to respond, but it also takes a substantial commitment to training.

In September, our members completed a combined 286 hours of training, compared with 192 hours in September 2025, 65 in 2024, and 55 in 2023.

Those hours represent people giving up evenings and time with their families to prepare for someone else’s emergency. We appreciate their commitment and the families and employers who make it possible.

A Closer Look at Our Calls

295 incidents in 2026 through October 12

What kinds of calls are we answering?

Medical calls account for about seven out of every ten incidents.

• Medical: 71%

• Fire: 12%

• Public service: 8%

• Hazardous situations: 5%

• Non-emergency: 3%

Percentages are rounded. Other call categories make up the remaining share.

Training & Department Progress

Progress Worth Sharing

More trained responders. Two new EMTs had received their credentials by May, and another member became an EMT-B in August. Members also completed wildland firefighter, incident command, and peer support training.

Equipment and station improvements. Grant-funded radios were issued, a new gurney entered service, and brush truck repairs restored foam-system operation. Cispus station improvements included cleaning, pressure washing, and safety striping.

Making the most of district resources. Surplus sales had generated more than $10,000 by the August review and freed an apparatus bay. The district also put a detailed budget and improved equipment maintenance tracking into use.

Community service and transparency. SAFE KIDS grant-funded bicycle helmets were distributed. Website additions included public call information, awarded grants, and surplus listings.

Serving Today. Planning Ahead.

Interested in Becoming an EMT?

We are recruiting Randle residents age 18 and older for a winter hybrid EMT-B course.

For accepted volunteers, the department will cover initial class tuition, required out-of-pocket class expenses, and initial testing. Participants must meet department volunteer requirements and commit to maintaining active volunteer status and affiliation with Randle Fire & EMS for at least two years.

This is an opportunity to serve your neighbors, learn valuable skills, and jump-start a career in EMS.

Seats are limited. Learn about applying at randlefire.us/volunteer.

We also welcome people interested in firefighting and support services. You do not have to become an EMT to make a difference. Opportunities include structural and wildland firefighters, ambulance drivers, cooks, those willing to provide childcare during emergencies, and more. There are spaces for those with leadership or niche skills that benefit our organization and its mission.

Improving Equipment for Cispus

Through the Federal Excess Property program, the district received a KME structural engine to replace the out-of-service 1976 Mack pumper assigned to Cispus.

The replacement engine brings four-wheel drive and increased equipment storage. It was obtained without a purchase cost to local taxpayers; preparation for service includes maintenance and training so our members can operate it safely and effectively.

Planning for a Future Main Station

Our main station’s location in the floodplain remains a long-term concern. The district has acquired property outside the flood hazard area for a future station, and we are pursuing planning and funding opportunities.

This work is still in the planning stage. Design, costs, and available funding will determine how the project moves forward. We will keep the community informed as those details develop.

Thank You, Randle

A volunteer department depends on more than the people who answer the pager. It depends on families, employers, neighbors, and a community willing to support the work of those willing to step up.

Thank you for helping us build a stronger department.

Department information and updates: randlefire.us

For emergencies, call 911.

Randle Fire & EMS • Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 14