By Ty Walker The Mountain Times
Eric Macy joined the Hoodland Fire District in 2007 as a full time staff firefighter. A lieutenant for the past decade, he is responsible for setting the objectives for each emergency his fire crew faces.
Whether his crew gets called to fight a structure fire on the mountain, threatening people and property, or a vehicle crash with multiple injuries on U.S. Highway 26, it’s his job to make sure the crew is ready to respond.
His career as a firefighter took root in Central Oregon, where he grew up on the family farm established by his grandfather in Culver in 1946, and which he still calls home. He started as a volunteer at Jefferson County Fire And EMS. He then became a paid staff member at the Warm Springs Fire District 1 1//2 years before he was hired full time at Hoodland.
“I tried different things in college and I was struggling to find what I wanted to do,” Macy said. “Then I started volunteering and I liked the variety of calls, not knowing what to expect day to day. I liked the physical nature of it. I didn’t want to be stuck in an office.”
He left college and went back home to work on the farm. Around the same time, he thought he’d try volunteering at Jefferson County Fire. He earned his firefighting and EMT certifications from Central Oregon Community College.
“I started volunteering and kind of fell in love with the fire service,” he said. “It’s exciting. You never know what you’re going to do from day to day. Your job kind of varies. No call is really the same. There’s always something different, something new.”
When he’s not fighting fires or responding to medical calls, Macy enjoys being active in the great outdoors. He likes hiking, hunting, fishing and gardening. He occasionally lends a hand on the 2,000-acre Culver farm but leaves most of the work for his brother, uncle and cousin.
Now 46, he plans to work at Hoodland Fire District until he retires. He and his wife have two grown sons, ages 25 and 19. The younger one is following his father’s footsteps and pursuing a career in firefighting.
Macy said Hoodland Fire District, which has 11 full time staff members, is always looking for volunteers and students from its student program to help fill in the gaps. Ideally, he’d like to have four firefighters assigned to his immediate crew but funding constraints make that a challenge.
For more information about volunteering at the Hoodland Fire District, phone 503-622-3256.