From the stage to the station, Steve Deters brings passion for community, helping all to Clackamas Fire
By Brit Allen, The Sandy Standard
Long before he was assistant fire chief for Clackamas Fire, Sandy’s own Steve Deters was definitely marching to the beat of his own drum, playing in a band and working as a manager at a grocery store.
But in 2001, in search of a way to give back to his community, Deters began considering a volunteer position with Boring Fire (now annexed into Clackamas). Afterall, what is more punk rock than helping others with the added benefit of staying in shape?
Convinced he’d need the training to be accepted into the fire service, Deters studied nights and weekends to get his EMT certification, then applied to volunteer. Because he’d gone above and beyond the required First Aid training, after about 8 years of volunteering, Deters became a career firefighter for Boring.
“After the volunteer experience and academy, I kind of fell in love with the job itself,” Deters explained.
At Boring Fire, everyone on staff was trained in and tasked with doing a bit of everything, which Deters didn’t mind. So when Boring annexed into Clackamas Fire, he was prepared to take on whatever was needed of him by the district.
For four years, that included acting in a temporary capacity as the district’s volunteer coordinator, which he looks back on as “a good fit for me.”
“As I’ve moved through the fire service, I’ve found I enjoy most seeing other people succeed and helping people,” Deters said. “I appreciate if I can be a part of someone’s success.”
After his temporary duty coordinating volunteer firefighters, Deters was promoted eventually to battalion chief, and then assistant fire chief. He’s served in his current position for about five years.
Aside from helping with district admin duties and on calls, Deters appreciates getting to be involved in the other ways the district gives back to the communities it serves. He’s often in attendance at Clackamas Fire community events, helping out with Operation Santa Claus in the winter, and a bevy of other Emergency Services Foundation and community engagement programs throughout the year.
Deters, 58, was born in Portland, but spent the majority of his childhood and adulthood in the Boring/Damascus area, and has now resided in Sandy for 12 years.
“I love that I get to see the direct effect of our efforts,” Deters said, adding that that feeling has only increased as his own town of Sandy has become served by and later annexed into Clackamas Fire.
Deters explained that when he was with Clackamas prior to the district’s contract with Sandy Fire, his work, and he himself by extension, felt less connected to the community he called home. Now having Clackamas serving Sandy, he said he appreciates “being involved in the community in the parts that aren’t only seeing them on their worst day.”
“I really like being a member of this community,” he explained. “It’s a great community.”
When he’s not working, Deters said he enjoys spending time with his family, and also building lowrider cars and trucks.