Alfalfa, Ore. – The Alfalfa Fire District’s former chief, Chad LaVallee, has long advertised himself as a “16‑year student of the fire service” who spent nine years leading a rural combination department. New scrutiny of state training records and agency responses suggests those claims are inaccurate.
State training records tell a different story
Records from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) show LaVallee’s documented Oregon firefighter training began on June 20, 2017, when he entered the Alfalfa Fire District. His earliest courses were Vehicle Fire Safety (Oct. 26, 2017) and Flammable Liquids and Gas with Props (Nov. 13, 2017). He earned his NFPA Fire Fighter I certification in February 2018, followed by Operations Level Responder the same month and Fire Fighter II in August 2018. No earlier Oregon fire‑service employment appears in the DPSST files.
If LaVallee’s promotional material for the 2026 Louisiana Instructors & Firefighters Training Conference is correct, a 16‑year career in 2026 would place his start around 2010—seven years before the first Oregon training record.
Chief tenure does not match the advertised nine years
DPSST records indicate LaVallee officially became chief of Alfalfa on July 1, 2018, a year after joining the district and three months after completing his NFPA Fire Instructor I certification. He resigned on June 30, 2024, after eight years as chief, not nine. An earlier advertisement posted in late 2025 claimed he had served seven years as chief at that time, further contradicting the nine‑year claim.
Claims of service with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue unverified
LaVallee has repeatedly asserted that he worked for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) in the early 2010s. TVF&R’s Records Program Coordinator, Janetta Tarley‑Davis, told the Prineville Review, “We have no record of Chad LaVallee having worked for TVF&R in a paid or volunteer role.” When LaVallee was later asked about the denial, he changed his story, saying his involvement had been a brief volunteer stint in the 1990s. TVF&R confirmed that its records, which extend back to 1989, contain no entry for LaVallee during that period.
Brief interim chief role in Idanha‑Detroit raises further concerns
While still chief at Alfalfa, LaVallee served as interim chief of the Idanha‑Detroit Rural Fire Protection District for less than three months in early 2022. During that tenure, he attempted to block public comment at a board meeting and labeled citizen influence as “illegal,” prompting pushback from attendees. Audio from the meeting captured LaVallee and a board member making profane, disparaging remarks about critics. The interim appointment ended after a matter of months.
Local residents voice criticism
During a June 13 district meeting, LaVallee confronted a group of women discussing his leadership, including resident Whitney Griffen. Griffen had previously presented photos alleging LaVallee used a district vehicle for personal trips, such as taking his children to school in Bend. The Alfalfa board has not yet launched an independent investigation into those allegations.
What this means for Alfalfa residents
The discrepancy between LaVallee’s self‑promoted résumé and the documented record raises questions about transparency and accountability within the fire district. Residents and volunteers who have raised concerns note that the district’s board has yet to take formal action, leaving the community without clear answers.
As the district moves forward, local officials will need to address the gaps in LaVallee’s claimed experience and ensure that future leadership appointments are based on verifiable qualifications.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
