Heartland Fire Department reports 1,167 calls in 2024, rising call volume and ambulance billing details

The Heartland Fire Department answered 1,167 calls for service in 2024, Fire Chief reported to the Village Board, continuing a multi‑year rise in call volume from the single station.

Of the 1,167 calls, 831 were within the Village of Hartland and the remainder included mutual‑aid and town calls, the chief said. The department’s busiest month was December 2024, with more than 100 calls.

Ambulance billing gross charges for 2024 totaled $1,042,094.20; contractual adjustments reduced the allowable amount, and the village had received $324,729 in payments at the time of the report. The chief said roughly 72% of payer mix is Medicare and Medicaid, and that Medicaid pays substantially less than the billed amounts. The department is pursuing additional billing and collections work, including retroactive claims back to 2023, to improve revenue collections.

Staffing and program items noted in the annual report included full‑ and part‑time firefighter/paramedic positions, part‑time and auxiliary staff, and a successful Bark River Explorers youth program that gives high‑school students hands‑on training. The department acquired an incident‑command pickup vehicle in 2024 and used proceeds from a firefighter association fundraiser plus village purchase funds to outfit the truck.

Training highlights included a total house live‑burn training exercise coordinated with regional partner departments and a record pancake breakfast fundraiser that served more than 600 people. The department also hosted public‑education events, CPR classes, and participated in community drives.

The chief told trustees the department is monitoring ambulance reimbursement issues and continuing recruiting and training efforts. The board received the report and asked no formal changes to department operations at this meeting.