In frontier towns, fires were an ever-present threat and firefighters often struggled simply to reach the scene. In 1918, Tom Carlon became fire chief and reorganized the department, using an old Cadillac truck as his first fire engine. Bend received its first real fire station in 1920, housing two vehicles and keeping one person on duty at all times. Under Carlon's leadership, the Fire Department earned a strong reputation and became a model for the nation.