Western Lane Fire And Ems Authority

Western Lane Fire And EMS Authority is a U.S. local government emergency response entity located in Florence, Oregon, that serves rural and remote areas of Western Lane County. As a domestic public special district and emergency response authority, the organization provides critical fire suppression, emergency medical services, and innovative mental health crisis response programs to approximately 19,128 residents across a 980-square-mile service area. The authority has positioned itself as a leader in addressing rural health disparities by integrating behavioral health services with traditional emergency response operations, thereby expanding its mission beyond conventional fire and EMS services to encompass comprehensive community health and safety initiatives.

Western Lane Fire And EMS Authority has secured federal grant funding through three distinct programs that reflect its diversified service delivery model. Most recently, in September 2025, the organization received a $500,000 Project Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (CFDA 97.044), which supports critical infrastructure improvements, equipment procurement, training programs, and health and wellness initiatives with a 24-month performance period extending through September 2027. The authority also received a Project Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services in September 2023 to fund the Western Lane Mobile Crisis Response program, a rural 24/7/365 mobile mental health crisis response initiative that establishes staffing based on SAMHSA best practices, implements law enforcement diversion protocols, and focuses suicide prevention outreach on high-need populations including veterans, children, and older adults through September 2027. Additionally, in July 2023, the authority received a $100,000 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to establish the Western Lane Mental Health Response Network, which improves care coordination for mental health crisis response and follow-up services across impacted communities in rural Western Lane County. These grant awards demonstrate the authority's comprehensive approach to emergency services that integrates fire suppression, EMS, and mental health crisis response to address the distinctive health disparities facing its rural service population.