The Richfield City Fire Department responded to 1,005 calls in the past decade, according to a report compiled by Brion Terry, the department’s second lieutenant.
When people think of a fire department, they often think of homes and other structures being saved from burning down, but as it turns out structure fires are only a small part of what the department responds to.
“That doesn’t mean the department isn’t still working hard,” Terry said. The department, which is manned by volunteers, saw demand for its services grow in 2019, as the number of calls grew to 135. Much of that growth is due to requirements that fire prevention activities be reported, such as giving presentations to schools and community groups.
Some 16.5 percent of the department’s calls in 2019 were for fire prevention.