Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief reports rise in medical calls, multi‑agency trainings in quarterly update
Summary
The Gun Barrel City fire department reported 242 calls from March through May, an increase in medical calls compared with the same period last year, vehicle‑extrication training using donated cars and multi‑agency water‑rescue drills.
Jordan West, representing the Gun Barrel City Fire Department, presented the department’s March–May quarterly report at the June 24 council meeting, saying the department responded to 242 calls in the quarter.
West said structure‑fire responses decreased from 10 in March to seven in May, while medical calls rose substantially; the presentation showed medical calls climbing from the prior period’s count toward 39 for the quarter. “We’re up about 42 calls in this quarter,” West said, citing seasonal patterns and weekday trends.
West described recent training: the department received donated vehicles and ran vehicle‑extrication exercises that used cutters and stabilization techniques, and all three shifts participated. The department also ran a multi‑agency water‑rescue training with neighboring jurisdictions that included boat operations and victim‑retrieval drills. West said the department annually tests hoses and apparatus and demoed new hose types from a vendor.
The presentation noted the busiest days were Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the quarter and said the department expected weekend activity to increase in the summer months. Councilmembers asked no substantive follow‑ups during the report.
The report was informational; no budgetary or policy decisions were made at the meeting based on the quarter results.
