A new fire station planned near Pilot Butte and a replacement station in Tumalo should put emergency responders closer to the people who need their help in Bend and the surrounding areas, a fire official said Thursday.
“We hope that it would help reduce response times, as well as fill in some areas that are holes in our system,” said Tom Fay, executive director of the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 2.
The district owns one fire station in Tumalo and four stations in Bend, which it rents to the Bend Fire Department. The fire protection district includes about 130 square miles around Bend, and the Bend Fire Department is responsible for responding to fires and emergency medical calls in that area, as well as the city.