Aylesburg Fire Chief presents 2024 annual report showing modest decline in call volume

Chief Brett Sipes presented the Aylesburg Fire Department’s annual report to the Board of Aldermen on July 7. Why it matters: department activity levels, staffing and training initiatives inform city public-safety planning and budget decisions. Highlights and numbers from the chief’s report: Chief Sipes stated the department responded to 660 actual fire incidents in 2024 and 2,653 EMS calls, and he said the combined call volume decreased by 128 calls compared with 2023. He did not provide a breakdown of how those reductions were distributed between fire and EMS beyond the numbers read at the meeting. The department conducted 49 fire drills in city schools, issued 33 burn permits, and installed 280 smoke alarms (the alarms were provided through the state). The chief also named John Sawyer as the department’s firefighter of the year for 2024 and said Sawyer has been with the department since February 2010. Staffing and training: Chief Sipes reported 54 total employees for the year and said training hours were reported for ISO review; he said one administrative staff member, Rusty Blaylock, retired in June and that the administrative position had not yet been filled. On EMS training pathways, Sipes said the department partners with Dyersburg State and the Northwest Workforce Board so employees who are not EMTs can receive certification, and that existing employees can advance through the program up to paramedic level. Equipment and operations: Sipes reported a new bumper had been installed on an apparatus in June and placed in service; the unit had been in service two days before responding to a recent incident. He noted the inspections group conducts plan reviews and does roughly 30 plan-review actions per year, in addition to work on remodels. Questions from aldermen included staffing status and timing of apparatus delivery; Sipes said operations were fully staffed at the time of the meeting but administration had an open vacancy. No board motions or votes were recorded on the presentation.