Work schedule consists of 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off duty, resulting in a 56 hour work week. Each battalion consists of a battalion chief, four captains, four engineers and four fire fighters, as signed in accordance with Bend Fire Departments policy. All personnel respond from their assigned station based on the call for their response area. Personnel are cross trained for both fire and ambulance, each responding crew has advance life support trained paramedics staffing the ambulance. During the summer season automatic response agreements are in effect with the state and US Forestry, due to forest overlap areas within the district.
Volunteers respond to general alarm fires and major emergency incidents to assist career personnel.
Each volunteer company has two volunteer officers who report directly to the Incident Commander at the scene of an incident. Whenever an incident is beyond the capabilities of on duty personnel, off shift and volunteer personnel are called back through a system of pagers and Plectrons. The department is dispatched by the Deschutes County Emergency Communications Agency. It has been on line since 1985. 1980 American La France Rear mount Water Chief 100 foot aerial with built in telescoping water system.