Umatilla County’s emergency vehicles could get a shelter

By Terry Murry on Friday, December 26th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories

UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County’s fleet of emergency vehicles, which has grown to include a Sno-Cat and trailer. Also included are boats used by the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Marine Division and vehicles and equipment used by UCSO Search and Rescue.

Commissioner Dan Dorran said there is no permanent shelter to keep these vehicles out of the weather. Now, there could be. Amazon Web Services has given the county a $140,000 grant to build one.

“It won’t be a fancy building at all, but it will be covered storage and they will be able to secure it,” Dorran said.

He added that the county had looked for land in a location where the boats and other vehicles could quickly be deployed to respond to emergencies. He said the answer appears to be on the five-acre property that houses the Umatilla County Fair office in Hermiston.

The county is issuing a request for proposals based on that location.