Bend Fire & Rescue begins community survey on local option fire levy

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- People in Bend and the surrounding Deschutes County Rural Fire District area may receive a call or a text in mid-December asking participants to answer questions about Bend Fire & Rescue services and funding. Phone calls and texts requesting survey participation begin Monday, December 12 and continue through Saturday, December 17. 

Bend Fire & Rescue is seeking community feedback regarding an upcoming local option fire levy for the City of Bend and Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District #2. 

The survey intends to get a sense of how Bend residents perceive Bend Fire & Rescue services and to assess support of the local option fire levy. This levy will bring in essential funding that will retain current staffing levels and add emergency responders to ensure we are keeping up with increasing call volume and growth of the community. 

The phone survey should take about 15 minutes. Community participation will help the Fire Department set funding priorities for the next five years. 

The survey will be available in English and Spanish. The survey results will be shared with City government officials, the Rural Fire Protection District #2 board and the Bend City Council.