The Sunriver Fire Department provides Advance Life Support (ALS) services to the patrons and visitors of Sunriver 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Providing not only emergency medical services to the boundaries of Sunriver, but also to approximately 322 square miles of Ambulance Service Area (ASA). The ASA extends up to the high lakes area to take in several resort lakes and state parks. In the east part of our ASA is an ten mile stretch of the Highway 97 corridor, in recent years rated as one of the deadliest stretches of highway in Central Oregon. Due to the excellent commitment of our personnel, we relied minimally on mutual aid services from surrounding fire districts.

Ambulance Staffing

The Sunriver Fire Department currently staffs one ambulance full time, and a second ambulance part time with Advanced Life Support personnel. Our front line ambulance is always staffed with a least one paramedic and one Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). However, due to the seriousness of a call, there may be a third person assigned to the ambulance, and / or an engine may assist with additional EMT's and paramedics. The second line ambulance is staffed part time with a paramedic and a EMT, depending on the availability of on duty personnel and reserve personnel. If in a case there is other working incidents such as fires or other medical related calls, an ambulance is moved up from a surrounding fire district to standby in Sunriver. It is our mission to ensure adequate Paramedic staffing at all times.

Ambulance Personnel

Currently the Sunriver Fire Department employs 11 full time  paid personnel, 9 of which work 24 hour shifts, and 2 working day shifts. The rest of the Department is made up of 18 on-call reserves. Most of the department members are trained to some degree in emergency medicine, those who are not, the majority of them are currently attending classes.

EMT Training Program

The Sunriver Fire Department annually budgets for on-call reserves to enroll in EMT classes. The department reimburses members up to the EMT-Intermediate level after successful completion of the class. Persons continuing on to the paramedic level are on their own to fund their classes. The training is demanding and some times overwhelming. The following outlines but is not limited to the hours needed for each level of training: The EMT-Basic certification requires 140 hours of classroom plus 10 hours of clinical rotation in the Emergency Room. The EMT-Intermediate certification requires completion of the EMT-B class, plus 130 hours of classroom, and 10 clinical labs. The Paramedic certification requires completion of the EMT-B class, plus 270 hours of classroom, 240 hours clinical field internship on a ambulance, and 240 hours of clinical hospital hours. These hours are spent in Emergency Room, Operating Room, Pediatric clinic, Delivery Room, Critical Care Unit, a Mental Health Department. Certification in Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) 16 hours, Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS) 16 hours, and Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) 16 hours are also required. After completion of the above, all levels will be given a written and practical exam before certification by the Oregon State Health Division and/or National Registry of EMT' .

Continuing Medical Education

Like anything in life, if skills and knowledge are not used every day people start to become rusty and may lose that knowledge altogether. EMT's must continually build their skills and knowledge to keep ahead of this rapidly changing occupation and to be able to handle any medical emergency when faced with it. To maintain State and National certifications, EMT's and paramedics must attend many hours of continuing education to recertify every two years. The following are the requirements to recertify every two years:

EMT-Basic - 72 hours of classroom
EMT-Intemediate - 14 hours of classroom and 5 practical skills station
Paramedic - 72 hours of classroom, 8 practical skill stations, 16 hours in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, 16 hours in Prehospital Trauma Life Support, and 16 hours in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
First Responder - 16 hours of classroom

Pride, Dedication, and Commitment

The EMT's, Paramedics, and First Responders of the Sunriver Fire Department continue to strive to better themselves and the department everyday. Through hard work, commitment and dedication members continue to meet the demands of more calls and government requirements without additional personnel and benefits. The times have changed from volunteering our time to being required to volunteer time. Through the pride of each person and the department, we will continue to provide the best service and care we can to the community of Sunriver and the surrounding areas