HERO: Helping EMS in Rural Oregon
About the HERO Program
The Oregon Office of Rural Health’s Helping EMS in Rural Oregon (HERO) program raises funds to help rural and remote (formerly referred to as “frontier”) emergency medical services (EMS) volunteers pay for their training.
If you represent a rural or remote EMS agency that wishes to conduct in-house training and perhaps include EMS providers from surrounding communities, this grant is for you. Funds may also be used to send volunteers to training that cannot be offered locally. A budget for the requested funds is required with the application.
You may apply for funding for any training class or exercise completed within 12 months of receipt of the award.*
*Please note, applicant agencies must be located in a rural or remote area (visit: Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer), and must participate in Oregon’s 9-1-1 response system.
Since 2010, the HERO grant program has made over 290 individual and agency awards to conduct local trainings for their staff – over $325,000 distributed!
How You Can Help
Contribute today by clicking on the button to the right. Your contribution will ensure that no matter what corner of our state you visit, you can expect a prompt EMS response.
The OHSU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and is the repository for all private grants and charitable donations in support of OHSU. The Taxpayer Identification number is 23-7083114. 100% of donations to the HERO campaign go directly toward the rural volunteer EMS grant program.
To Apply
The 2026 HERO application will be open from Feb. 9 to Feb. 27, and the awards will be announced on March 9, 2026.
Applicant agencies must be located in a rural or remote area. To determine this, visit the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer and enter your agency address. In addition, the agency must participate in Oregon’s 9-1-1 response system.
Priority will be given to applications from agencies:
- Located in counties designated as remote (Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Wallowa and Wheeler);
- With a high percentage of volunteer staff;
- That are non-profit or public entities; and
- That demonstrate participation from, or collaboration with, neighboring rural EMS agencies with this training.
HERO applications are submitted online only. We recommend that you carefully review the application requirements and questions (click here for the PDF of the application questions), and compile your information prior to completing the application on ORH’s online system.
Once you have your information compiled and are ready to submit your request, please click here to open the application form. Note: The online HERO application will only be accessible to receive submissions between Feb. 9 and Feb. 27, 2026. Awards will be announced on March 9, 2026.
Contact Joan Field if you need any assistance.
We are pleased to announce that ORH has awarded 2025 HERO grants to the following eight rural and remote agencies located across Oregon, including the following:
- Christmas Valley Rural Fire Protection District – for EMR training and certification;
- Dufur Volunteer Fire & Ambulance – for EMT training and certification;
- Glide Rural Fire Protection District – for EMR training and certification;
- Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District – to assist an EMT with paramedic training and certification;
- Oakridge Fire and EMS – to bring in advanced instruction, such as prehospital trauma life support and stop the bleed training;
- Row River Rural Fire Protection District – for EMR training and certification
- Sherman County Ambulance – to assist an EMR with EMT training and certification, an RN to receive EMS training and to bring in additional advanced instruction; and
- Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District – for EMT and AEMT training and certification.
Additional EMS Resources
Please visit our ORH EMS webpage for additional resources, including training scholarships and other assistance.
Contact
For questions about HERO, or to add your contact information to the ORH EMS mailing list, please contact Joan Field | fieldj@ohsu.edu