NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tom Fay, Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District #2, (541) 318-0459

Bend; The Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District #2 (DCRFPD #2) Board of Directors has begun planning the final phase of upgrades to emergency facilities serving residents of the Rural Fire District and the City of Bend. The District recently completed a project that remodeled one fire station and built three new ones. The plan now being contemplated would replace the East Station located at Neff & Hamby. That station serves the fast growing east side area and is the only one that has not been upgraded.

Although well located to handle present and future needs, the East Station has maintenance problems; it is too small and does not meet certain safety standards. While remodeling the existing station would be an option, it would require major renovation. The station needs an additional bay as well as larger living quarters. Such an expansion would generate major engineering costs and require the addition of an elevator and other upgrades to meet current legal requirements. Such a remodeling program would be a huge expense, and would only produce a short term solution. If a new station is built, it will replicate the successful design of the three recently completed stations.

The proposed station would be located just to the north of the existing one on land owned by The Bend Metro Park and Recreation District (BMPRD). The Park and Rec. District Board has given preliminary approval of a transfer of land if testing shows that the site is suitable for a fire station. In return for the new property, the land on which the old station sits would be returned to the BMPRD. This arrangement would allow the old station to stay in operation while a new one was built. Thus, emergency services provided out of that station could continue uninterrupted. A funding arrangement similar to the previous project will be used and no additional levies are contemplated for either the residents of the Rural Fire District or the City of Bend. As in the case of the other new stations, the City of Bend Fire Department will lease the building from DCRFPD #2. The building will also have a small police substation that will be leased by the Bend Police Department. The participation of the Bend Fire Department, the Bend Police Department, BMPRD and the DCRFPD #2 once again demonstrates the Rural Fire Districts motto of "Partners In Protection." The true benefactors of these partnership arrangements are the residents of the entire Bend area who receive improved emergency services at a cost that stays within current budget constraints.

The DCRFPD #2 board is also examining fire department need's for a training facility and additional storage. For more information contact DCRFPD #2 Administrative Manager, Tom Fay, at 318-0459.

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