BEND, OR -- A five-year operating levy for Bend Fire & Rescue, approved by voters in 2023, takes effect July first. Fire Chief Todd Riley says the department is now developing its first ever strategic plan. "The Strategic Planning Initiative lines up perfectly with the lifespan of the levy," he says.

A new online survey is now collecting community input - Not on the department’s response to emergencies; those are highly regulated. But to gather feedback on the community’s other priorities. "First of all," Riley asks, "Is what we’re doing meeting the needs of the community? In other words, are there any desires or expectations of something to be done that we’re not currently doing? Also, it’s an opportunity for us to educate the community on the things that we do other than fire and EMS response." 

Those non-emergency services are more prevention oriented, like helping install smoke alarms in people's homes, "That’s something that we do that doesn’t require emergency response personnel, doesn’t require a 911 call. But it does require staff time and equipment to do those things. Also," he ads, "Wildfire home risk assessments. That’s not a 911 call, but it’s something that fire department personnel can come out to your property and take a look around and say, ‘here’s how you can protect your home and your community from an approaching wildfire.’"

Riley tells KBND News, "There’s things that we do on the side that, if it’s not valuable to the community, we can invest those resources and that time and those people elsewhere."

Feedback gathered in the survey will be included in the plan, which will guide spending through 2029, which is the end of an operating levy. "We also are very mindful of the promises that we made the community: Here’s how we’re going to spend this levy funding. And, that engine at the Pilot Butte Fire Station was the first priority. The second priority is that fourth Advanced Life Support ambulance, and that’s coming this winter. So, those are the givens."

The new levy will appear on property tax bills in November. Riley hopes to have the strategic plan published just ahead of those payments.

The online survey is available HERE through 5 p.m. June 28th.

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