The two most important statistics in Fire Chief Mike VanZile’s year-end report are the ones with zeros in them.
As in zero civilian injuries and firefighter injuries.
“That’s our A-plus. That’s our goal — firefighter safety and civilian safety,” the fire chief said.
“We have the best equipment available and we outfit our guys in the best stuff we can buy, but it’s all about their safety.”
Total responses increased by 22% from 1,121 runs in 2020 to 1,367 last year, according to VanZile’s report.
Medical assistance continues to be the leading category, with 666 total responses in 2021. That represents 49% of the department’s total calls. There were 236 false alarms and 270 public service calls last year.