Since 2007, our call volume had been relatively flat after two decades of double-digit annual growth. In 2012, the trend ended with a nearly 12 percent increase in calls (2,632) over the previous year (2,354).
Emergency medical incidents comprised about two-thirds of our responses. Fire alarm activations (with no actual fire), burning complaints and storm-related mishaps made up most of the balance.
Fires of all types totaled just 3 percent of our call volume in 2012. The number of structure fires remained in the same range (20–25 annually) as it’s been for five years. But chimney fires spiked, rising from just five in 2010 to 20 in 2011 and 18 in 2012.
The ratio of injury car crashes vs. non-injury flipped in 2012. Injury car crashes decreased to 57 in 2012, while non-injury crashes rose to 78 last year.
Interested in more detail? Watch for our 2012 annual report.
National Heart Month
We know from our everyday experiences that early CPR is a vital element in saving lives from cardiac arrest. However, NKF&R’s public CPR and First Aid training program is currently in transition and we have no courses scheduled until further notice.
The good news is that CPR is becoming easier to learn. The American Heart Association offers videos and other materials to help interested persons gain the knowledge they need to made a difference. Go to www.heart.org and click on CPR.
Car seat check
Make sure your child(ren)’s ride is as safe as it can be; come to our monthly child car seat check Feb. 9, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at our Paul T. Nichol Headquarters fire station, 26642 Miller Bay Road NE near Kingston.
Contest winners
When fire strikes, firefighters know that a family’s chances of survival are highest if they’ve got working smoke alarms and a practiced fire escape plan.
Nearly 500 students and their families are safer from fire this winter after making and/or updating their home fire escape plans during NKF&R’s annual contest. The classroom(s) at each school with the highest return rate of accurate plans wins.
NKF&R firefighters spent two days in December serving sundaes to winning classrooms in Kingston. Thanks to International Association of Fire Fighters Local No. 2819 for providing ice cream and all the fixings.
