The Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department says it received a record number of calls for service once again in 2022.
Chief Todd Eckes says the department responded to 4,747 calls in 2022, after fielding 4,600 in 2021 and just under 4,000 in 2020.
He adds there has been an increased need in medical services, which could correlate with the number of older adults that call the city home.
The department had been asking for increased staffing in recent months and is now in the process of onboarding several new employees.
"There are times we get so busy that we can't get people back fast enough and we've been in a bad place sometimes," Eckes said. "This is going to help tremendously, these six firefighters. It's going to keep us to the point where we should always be able to respond when that 911 request comes in," he added.