By Michael Kohn
The Bulletin
BEND, Ore. — An ambulance owned by Bend Fire & Rescue that has been on reserve is in active use starting this week, reducing wait times for emergency calls, fire officials said.
Increased staff numbers were the catalyst for getting the ambulance on the road, increasing the active fleet from three to four advanced-life support ambulances, said Makayla Oliver, a spokesperson for Bend Fire & Rescue. This is not a newly purchased ambulance — it is one Bend Fire already owns and keeps as a reserve but did not use regularly due to low staffing numbers.
Bend Fire increased its staffing following the May 2023 passage of a levy that costs taxpayers 76 cents per $1,000 of taxable assessed home value for five years. Bend Fire hired and trained six firefighter/paramedics to get the ambulance in operation. The levy also helped stock the ambulance with equipment needed to put it in service, said Oliver.
Oliver said Bend Fire is currently in the process of purchasing a new ambulance. Funding for the new ambulance comes from capital expenses not tied to the levy. The new ambulance would replace the oldest in the fleet based on engine hours and drive time, Oliver said.
Bend Fire & Rescue serves 1,450 square miles of land in and around the city. Last year the agency had nearly 14,000 calls for service (an average of 38 per day), a record for the department. Around 75% of its calls were medical-related, Bend Fire said in a statement.
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