More people are calling North Shore Fire and Rescue than they were a few years ago, especially for social service support, NSFR officials said.
To help the department keep up with the steady rise in emergency calls, NSFR is looking to hire a case manager to respond to non-life-threatening emergencies and to handle calls seeking support navigating social services.
NSFR estimates it will respond to over 12,000 total calls by the end of 2023, a figure that’s been steadily creeping upward for years, according to an analysis of call data obtained from NSFR. In 2015, the department fielded 7,828 calls. By 2022, the number was up to 11,323, an increase of 45%.
“Year over year, we're seeing a 5 to 7% increase in our call volume,” Daniel Tyk, assistant chief at NSFR, said.