Scott Hammers / The BulletinKai Spencer, 4, of Sisters climbs down out of fire truck during the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection Districtís 50th anniversary celebration at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds.

SISTERS — The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District celebrated its 50th birthday Saturday, inviting the community to the Sisters Rodeo Grounds to see an array of emergency vehicles up close and in person.

A couple dozen small children, many in plastic firefighter helmets, spent the day racing from vehicle to vehicle, crawling up the high steps to take a turn sitting behind the wheel and meeting firefighters from various local agencies.

Beside a Crooked River Ranch Fire District truck, Kai Spencer, 4, of Sisters, looked puzzled as Assistant Chief Mark Wilson tried to explain why the brim should be worn facing backwards. Given an opportunity to try on Wilson’s helmet, Kai staggered, reeling under the weight as the helmet settled onto his head.

The actual date the Cloverdale department was formed is a little hazy, but it was sometime in 1963, said volunteer firefighter Sam Sellers. For much of the past year, the department has been marking its 50th anniversary and working to boost its public profile.

With two paid staff and 22 volunteers, the Cloverdale district serves a 50-square-mile triangle, with a population of around 3,500 mostly south and west of Sisters. Even after 50 years, though, the department is still largely unknown, Sellers said.

“A lot of people in our district don’t even know we’re here,” he said. “They think we’re part of Sisters.”

The 50-year milestone has also brought some significant upgrades for the department.

At the station on George Cyrus Road, new offices are under construction, as well as sleeping quarters to allow volunteers on an overnight shift to stay close to the vehicles and equipment. Sellers said the department also recently acquired its first rescue vehicle, complete with all the equipment needed to dismantle a car or truck and free a trapped occupant.

Cloverdale firefighters put that new equipment to use Saturday in a mock rescue staged for an audience, chopping off the roof of a car to remove one of their fellow firefighters playing the role of injured victim.

Several surrounding agencies joined Cloverdale for Saturday’s event, with the Bend, Crooked River Ranch and Sisters departments bringing their own firetrucks, and LifeFlight and AirLink each bringing a helicopter.

Maddox Spencer, 6, of Sisters, joined his younger brother and a group of friends, crawling through the cab of every vehicle at the rodeo grounds multiple times.

Pressed for his favorite fire vehicle, Maddox ticked off Bend’s ladder truck, the Sisters-Camp Sherman off-road truck, Cloverdale’s new rescue unit and more, until he’d listed nearly every vehicle on site.

“Everything is awesome,” he said.

— Reporter: 541-383-0387, shammers@bendbulletin.com