Springfield has seen a significant increase in calls over the past several years, Springfield Fire Rescue Division Chief Jacob King said in December. The city has seen more fires than typical this time of year.
EMS crews responded to 16,776 calls, and the fire department responded to 543 calls. This includes 84 building fires, 69 vehicle fires and 390 minor fires.
The department received 712 false alarms and 1,525 other calls for assistance.
The department hired 13 new firefighters in 2024. This puts personnel at just more than 130, but SFRD will see multiple retirements in 2025.
In 2023, the department responded to 18,962 calls — at the time the highest in its history. This averaged to 51.95 calls daily. EMS calls were still the highest with 16,570. There were 498 fire calls, with 92 being for buildings, 58 for cars and 348 being other calls.
In 2022, Springfield responded to 18,086 total calls, with 15,809 being EMS calls, and 493 being fire calls.
This time of the year nationally sees an increase in house fires, and King said a significantly higher demand for electrical service is a factor.
“People are adding additional heaters like space heaters that they’re not maintaining 36 inches of clearance from those space heaters,” King said. “The reason why they’re called space heaters is because they need space so that they can safely be operated.”
King urged those using space heaters to purchase new models that shut off when tipped over, and to maintain about three feet of space around them. He also said smoke detectors should be tested regularly to ensure early notification if a fire starts.
The fire department provides free smoke detectors and installation by calling (937) 324-7605 or going to springfieldohio.gov and navigating to the fire division page to fill out a request. There is no limit to how many detectors a person can get.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
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