I just applied for a job with the Medford, Oregon fire department.  I've lived most of my life in northern Arizona, haven't been to Oregon since I could walk under a table without ducking.  Do any of you have advice about housing, hunting, fishing, shooting ranges, etc?

Also, this would be a career change for me.  If any of you are firefighters, I'd be glad to hear any advice.

skackaho,

I am originally from Oregon, but Eastern and Central Oregon.  Medford was one of the perennial powerhouses in football, etc when I was in high school.  I have been there a few times, but mostly what I will tell about there is hearsay with a bias.

Medford sits in a basin where the dirty air accumulates during certain climatic conditions, giving rise to smog.  It has a reputation for being very conservative it the middle of some beautiful country.  The Rogue River runs through the area, as does a couple of others.  There are lots of hunters and opportunities for such in the Cascades and the Coast Range.  Westside timber; big Douglas fir.  BIG DOUGLAS FIR!

Short distance to the Coast for great seafood and fishing.  The Counties around there are wealthy because of the O&C lands that pays PILT payments to them.  Medford has always done well for itself.  They are loners within the state and area.  Easy to get acquainted; difficult to get totally accepted.  That may have change somewhat with the influx of Californians over the past 30 years or so.

You should be able to find lots of hunting/fishing/outdoor activities.

I beleive that there is an abundance of work for firefighters, especially in dry years.  This area is used to a lot of moisture during the year.  Dry just means less and the town and the forests will burn.  Keeps it interesting.  (I fought fire for both the Forest Service and BLM years ago.)  You should be kept busy.

Hope this helps.

dclark

Thanks, dclark.

Thanks, y'all, but I just received notice that I was not accepted to the written test for the fire department, so Medford is no longer an option for me right now.

Sorry to hear about the rejection.  Not the only place to apply.

dclark

Thanks for the encouragement, dclark.  The truth is, I wasn't planning on applying to any fire departments this soon, since I just finished my EMT-Basic class -- I haven't even received my final test results yet -- and I haven't taken any firefighting classes yet.  I just stumbled across the Medford opening and couldn't pass it up.  Besides, I like my current job; I just don't want to be a surveyor for the next thirty years.

At any rate, I'll keep trying.  I'm in no hurry.