Mount Vernon details fire, EMS upgrades and prevention push

Mount Vernon officials on Oct. 14 outlined new equipment purchases, changes to emergency medical services and stepped-up fire-prevention work intended to reduce structure fires and improve response times.

The mayor’s weekly Mount Vernon Mondays update brought Fire Commissioner Kevin Holt, Chief of Operations (name given in the recording as Juan Peralta and later as Juan Puente), Deputy Commissioner Teddy Beal, Fire Inspector Silver Jones and EMT dispatcher Tony Everett to discuss staffing, training, inspections, outreach and recent operational changes.

"The mission of the Mount Vernon Fire Department is to preserve life, protect property, and safeguard the community by responding to emergencies while also focusing on prevention, preparedness, and education," Commissioner Kevin Holt said.

Why it matters: Mount Vernon averages roughly 11,500 calls a year in a 4.3-square-mile city. Officials said investments in vehicles, training and cross-agency coordination are intended to lower response times and reduce preventable incidents such as kitchen and heating-related fires.

Officials said the city is in the process of acquiring two new Pierce pumpers to replace aging apparatus, and that the purchase is being funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development community development block grant. "These, apparatuses will be set to come into the city of Mount Vernon…