Row River Fire Response

About the Organization

Organization category

Public Charity

Country / State

United States / Oregon

Mission

The Row River Valley Community Partnership brings neighbors together to build connected, safe, and resilient communities through education, prevention, and preparedness. We strengthen local capacity for emergency response and long-term recovery, while advancing programs that support health, stability, and quality of life across the Row River Valley, a rural Oregon community committed to opportunity for all residents, economic vitality, and environmental stewardship.

Programs or services

Community Resilience & Preparedness
Building local capacity through disaster preparedness, Neighborhood Teams, emergency planning, community education, volunteer engagement, and resilience initiatives that strengthen communities before, during, and after disasters.

Emergency Response Infrastructure
Supporting the development of emergency response facilities, equipment, communications, and volunteer firefighter capacity in partnership with the Row River Rural Fire Protection District to improve rural emergency response and public safety.

Wildfire Risk Reduction & Community Mitigation
Home wildfire assessments, defensible space, fuels reduction, public education, wildfire preparedness, and community mitigation projects that reduce risk while protecting lives, homes, forests, and critical infrastructure.

Watershed & Environmental Stewardship
Protecting the upper Coast Fork Willamette River watershed through community stewardship, forest health, natural resource conservation, and projects that strengthen environmental resilience and safeguard drinking water resources.

Healthy Homes & Community Stability
Helping rural residents remain safely housed through home repair coordination, resource navigation, partnerships, and community-based solutions that improve quality of life and support aging in place.

Community Development & Capacity Building
Building long-term organizational and community capacity through partnerships, volunteer leadership, strategic planning, grant development, collaboration, and locally driven solutions to rural challenges.

Detailed programs

The Row River Valley Community Partnership was created by neighbors who came together to solve challenges our rural community could no longer ignore. What began as an effort to establish emergency services has grown into a broader community resilience initiative focused on preparing for disasters before they happen while strengthening the long-term health, safety, and stability of the Row River Valley.

Our work includes community resilience and disaster preparedness, bringing residents, local organizations, volunteers, and public agencies together through Neighborhood Teams, preparedness education, emergency planning, and community engagement. We believe resilient communities are built through trusted relationships long before emergencies occur.

We coordinate wildfire risk reduction and community mitigation by helping property owners reduce hazardous fuels, conducting home wildfire assessments, organizing defensible space projects, supporting volunteer mitigation efforts, and promoting Firewise principles. These efforts help protect lives, homes, forests, and critical infrastructure while strengthening the upper Coast Fork Willamette River watershed.

We support rural emergency response capacity by assisting with the planning and development of emergency response infrastructure, volunteer firefighter support, communications improvements, emergency equipment, and fire station development in partnership with the Row River Rural Fire Protection District. Our current priorities include construction of the permanent Dorena Fire Station and the Disston Emergency Response Station and Equipment Cache.

Our organization also works to strengthen watershed stewardship, environmental resilience, and healthy rural communities through restoration projects, natural resource protection, volunteer stewardship, and partnerships that safeguard drinking water resources while protecting forests, wildlife habitat, and recreation corridors.

Recognizing that community resilience extends beyond emergency response, we are developing Healthy Homes and Housing Stability initiatives that connect older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, and vulnerable rural residents with home repair resources, technical assistance, housing stabilization, and community support that help people remain safely housed and connected to essential services.

Throughout every program, our focus remains the same: building local leadership, expanding volunteer capacity, strengthening partnerships, and helping our rural community become better prepared to prevent, withstand, respond to, and recover from future disasters.

Target Audience

The Row River Valley Community Partnership serves the rural communities of Dorena, Culp Creek, and Disston in Lane County, Oregon. We primarily serve rural residents, including low- and moderate-income households, older adults aging in place, people with disabilities, veterans, families, and volunteer emergency responders. Our work also benefits the broader region by strengthening emergency preparedness, supporting mutual aid response to adjacent public lands, protecting the upper Coast Fork Willamette River watershed, and improving resilience for the communities and natural resources that depend upon it.

Geographic Focus

United States, Oregon (USA), Lane County (OR)

Current projects

Community Resilience & Preparedness
Building local capacity through preparedness education, Neighborhood Teams, volunteer engagement, emergency planning, and Think Tank Tuesdays, our monthly community forum that brings together residents, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and local leaders to identify needs, strengthen partnerships, and develop community-led solutions.

Wildfire Risk Reduction & Community Mitigation
Home wildfire assessments, defensible space, fuels reduction, volunteer mitigation projects, Firewise education, and development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) that reduces wildfire risk while protecting homes, forests, and the upper Coast Fork Willamette River watershed.

Emergency Response Infrastructure
Supporting development of the permanent Dorena Fire Station and the Disston Emergency Response Station & Equipment Cache, emergency communications, and volunteer firefighter capacity in partnership with the Row River Rural Fire Protection District.

Watershed Stewardship & Environmental Resilience
Community-led stewardship projects that protect forests, waterways, wildlife habitat, and the upper Coast Fork Willamette River watershed through restoration, conservation, and volunteer engagement.

Healthy Homes & Community Stability
Developing partnerships that connect older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, vulnerable rural residents, and individuals experiencing housing instability with home repair resources, technical assistance, housing stabilization, and community support.

Organization goals

The Row River Valley Community Partnership brings neighbors together to build connected, safe, and resilient rural communities where people care for one another, protect the land they call home, and work together to prepare for the future.

We believe lasting resilience begins with relationships. We strive to meet people where they are, recognizing that every individual, family, and neighborhood has different strengths, challenges, and experiences. By listening first and building trust, we connect residents, volunteers, local organizations, businesses, and public agencies to strengthen disaster preparedness, reduce wildfire risk, improve emergency response, protect the watershed, and enhance quality of life throughout the valley.

We believe everyone has something to contribute. Our role is to help people discover where their interests, skills, and experiences can make a difference while creating opportunities for neighbors to work together toward shared solutions.

As our organization grows, we will continue strengthening local leadership, expanding volunteer opportunities, supporting wildfire mitigation and Community Wildfire Protection Plan implementation, developing Healthy Homes and Housing Stability partnerships, improving emergency response infrastructure, and building the organizational capacity needed to serve our rural community for generations to come.

Our vision is a rural community where every person has the opportunity to contribute, every neighbor knows they belong, and communities come together to prepare for challenges, care for one another, protect the natural resources that sustain them, and build a stronger future together.

Leadership

Kathleen Istudor – Executive Director
Reta Cochrane – Board President
Art Alexander – Treasurer
Lena Harding – Board Secretary
Jennifer Ferraez-Chartrand – Board Member & Volunteer Coordinator
Jill Limonoff – Board Member

The Row River Valley Community Partnership is led by Executive Director Kathleen Istudor and a volunteer Board of Directors representing education, finance, healthcare, social work, agriculture, and community leadership. Together with dedicated volunteers and community partners, our leadership guides community-led initiatives that strengthen disaster preparedness, wildfire resilience, emergency response, watershed stewardship, and rural quality of life throughout the Row River Valley.

Funding Needs

Grant categories you're seeking

Capital Funding, Community and Economic Development, Community Services, Environment and Conservation, In-Kind Support

Funding needs

Current Funding Priorities
Organizational Capacity Building – Staffing, organizational development, fundraising capacity, strategic planning, technology, financial sustainability, and volunteer coordination.
Emergency Response Infrastructure – Construction of the permanent Dorena Fire Station and the Disston Emergency Response Station & Equipment Cache, emergency communications, apparatus support, and essential response equipment.
Community Resilience & Disaster Preparedness – Neighborhood Teams, Think Tank Tuesdays, Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), preparedness education, and community-led resilience initiatives.

Website & Social Media