Saturday morning event near Emigrant Lake offers overview of district staffing and financial matters
By Buffy Pollock, Rogue Valley Times
A town hall set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, will give Jackson County Fire District 5 patrons and other community members an updated overview of the district’s staffing and financial matters. The open house event near Emigrant Lake will follow a similar format to one held last spring, giving district officials a chance to provide updates on a host of topics and for community members to ask any questions they may have.
The event is set for the district’s Station 4 at 40 Neil Creek Road, Ashland. The station has been a hot topic for the district, with staffing issues preventing the rural station from being staffed 24/7.
The district has grappled with a series of issues ranging from staffing shortages and financial and criminal investigations dating back to February 2024, when union members expressed lost confidence in then-district Chief Charles Hanley.
Concerns about Hanley’s tenure ranged from alleged unacceptable treatment of employees by top-level brass to a staffing crisis that threatened the safety of firefighters and the public. Hanley was eventually removed, and there were board resignations and reappointments, along with discussions about the ongoing financial crisis.
District officials entered into a contract for administrative support from Jackson County Fire District 3, which took over leadership of District 5 on Jan. 1, 2025. District 3 officials have helped navigate financial issues, investigations into potential criminal allegations and, more recently, a pair of lawsuits against the district filed by Hanley and a former grant writer for the district.
The district, which serves a 120-mile area incorporating the cities of Phoenix, Talent and surrounding rural areas, including outside the city limits of Ashland, has previously discussed a range of options for the future management of the district but recently reported an improving financial state and increased staffing.
Patrons who plan to attend Saturday’s forum are asking to bring a chair.
Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
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