There is a low-head dam on the Willamette River that most people drive past without a second thought. The millrace low-head dam is a hydraulic trap — the kind of structure that can capture a swimmer and not let go. When that happens, every second matters.

Right now, the team positioned to respond to that emergency — and hundreds like it across our two cities — is the Eugene Springfield Fire partnership. The department’s water rescue team launches from Alton Baker Park in Eugene or the D Street ramp in Springfield, crosses city lines without hesitation, and works as one unit to pull people from that dangerous hydraulic. One team. Shared training. Shared equipment. Shared mission.

That is not an accident. It is 16 years of deliberate investment in a regional model that puts patient care above politics. It is the reason Eugene Springfield Fire stands as one of the most effective EMS systems in Oregon. And it is exactly what some of our elected leaders are now considering dismantling.

I am asking them to stop.

Breaking Eugene Springfield Fire apart would not make either city safer. It would introduce confusion into a system where confusion costs lives. It would weaken response times, fracture the trust our crews have built together and leave the workforce that stands ready 24/7 uncertain about their future. The firefighters and paramedics who serve our community deserve better than to become bargaining chips in a short-term political dispute.

The low-head dam does not care which side of the city line you fell in from. Neither should we.

Preserve the Eugene Springfield Fire partnership. Protect our first responders. Keep investing in the regional system our community has earned.

Mike McFarlane
President, Millrace Dam Authority
Springfield