Aging firehouse kitchens set for upgrades across Bend

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend City Council approved a $394,000 contract today to remodel the kitchens at three Bend Fire & Rescue stations. The project will address significant wear and tear at Stations 301, 303 and 304.

Mission Building & Remodel was selected for the construction work after submitting the lowest responsible bid. The project will be completed in three phases over the next three fiscal years to ensure emergency operations remain uninterrupted.

The fire stations are owned by the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 2, which is responsible for major maintenance and repair costs. Under a partnership agreement, the City of Bend will manage the construction contract and receive full reimbursement for the project costs from the district at the end of each fiscal year. The kitchens being replaced are more than 25 years old and have deteriorated from constant use by multiple crews.

Construction is structured as a three-phase approach to minimize operational disruption and align with budget planning. Station 301 is scheduled for remodeling during the 2026 fiscal year. Remodeling for Station 303 will follow in 2027, while Station 304 is planned for 2028. This follows the successful completion of a kitchen remodel at Station 305 in fiscal year 2025.

Trish Connolly, Deputy Chief of Administration at Bend Fire & Rescue said, the kitchens have reached the end of their functional lifespan. "These kitchens, by the time they get remodeled, are more than 25 years old," Trish said. "So they've had a lot of pressure with the crews. We've hired more people. We have more crews working out of the station. You can see, that this kitchen has lots of wear and tear. The cabinets can't hold the doors anymore. They're particleboard and we just cannot reattach those cabinet faces anymore."

The scope of work includes replacing aging casework, appliances and sink fixtures. While most features will be replaced, some elements will be preserved or upgraded for commercial use. "Everything will look exactly the same," Chief Connolly said. "The cabinets will get replaced. We're also going to be putting in double ovens and all of our kitchens. We're cooking for multiple crews, so it's really important that they're able to make a lot of food and do that quickly. This countertop will stay the same. This, butcher block. We're just going to refinish it. We're also doing steel countertops. We're going to make sure all of the older stations have commercial dishwashers."

Firefighters occupy the stations 24 hours a day and are responsible for their own meal preparation. Crews typically rotate the cooking duties for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chief Connolly noted, although the city provides the facilities, the firefighters purchase all the food they consume. "The kitchen is I feel like the most important part, the fire stations, it's important that our crews stay fed," Chief Connolly said. "It's also important is that we're getting busier, that the crews can make their food quickly, they can get fed so they're satiated so they can go on response calls to our public."

The project is part of a larger five-year capital improvement plan for the department. Other planned projects include flooring replacement, interior painting, window replacement and bathroom remodels. Chief Connolly, who spoke highly of the fire department said, fire stations are considered a public asset that must be maintained to last 50 years or more. "As they start to degrade like this one is, it's important that we improve the station, we improve this kitchen," Trisha said. "Right now, these stations are starting to degrade. And instead of letting them degrade more, which is going to cost us more money in the long run, we need to get on top of this and upgrade the kitchen now."

Work on Station 301 is expected to begin this year. Projected expenditures for the future phases at Stations 303 and 304 will be incorporated into the 2027-2029 biennial budget process.