While living in Washington and attending college in 1976, Director Denstedt became a search and Rescue Volunteer. Soon after, Director Denstedt became a Firefighter and EMT in his hometown of Burns, Oregon. While living in the Bend area he upgraded his EMT to become a Paramedic and transitioned to a fulltime responder. He then moved to the Medford area where he worked for a private ambulance company. In 1992 Director Denstedt moved to The Dalles and worked as a Firefighter Paramedic for 30 years. Over the years, Director Denstedt has volunteered for over 10 emergency response agencies. The most recent emergency response group Director Denstedt volunteered for was Wasco County Search and Rescue which he was a part of for 20 years. Outside of Emergency Services, Director Denstedt also enjoys skiing, SCUBA diving, and snowmobiling.