Franklin Park fire chief reports 293 calls in 2024, flags equipment and radio gaps

Chief Bill, the fire company’s leader, told the borough at its March work session that the department logged 293 incident reports in 2024 under the National Fire Incident Reporting System, and that many of those calls did not result in an on‑scene response.

“The other one to take note of is 06:11, which is dispatch and canceled in route. That's 25% of our calls,” Chief Bill said, explaining that alarm companies or mutual‑aid partners sometimes cancel responses before crews leave the station.

The department’s coded‑call breakdown shows routine fire alarm activations among the common call types: “If you look at the codes on the left hand side, 7 30 through 7 46, that's our fire alarm systems that accounted for 20 of our calls,” Chief Bill said. The chief said the department recorded two building fires inside borough limits in 2024; other structure fires and mutual‑aid responses occurred in nearby communities.

Volunteers logged roughly 6,600 collective hours on department duties in 2024, a total staff and the chief described as likely underreported. John Parks was credited in the presentation for tracking those volunteer man‑hours.

On recruitment and training, the department welcomed four new members in 2024, including a junior member and several volunteers nearing completion of state interior‑firefighter training (MOD 4). Chief Bill said the company placed a new rescue engine in service on Dec. 5, 2024, after a lengthy procurement process; it ran its first call Jan. 2.

Fundraising remains a challenge: the company mailed 5,783 appeals in the first solicitation and 5,145 in a follow‑up, receiving 954 responses (about 16.5 percent) and roughly $107,000 in donations. Separately, one resident made a restricted $50,000 gift for emergency equipment, the chief said.

Equipment replacement and maintenance were central concerns. Chief Bill highlighted steep cost increases for vehicle tires and routine maintenance and said replacing the department’s 24‑year‑old 75‑foot aerial would take 3–5 years from order and cost an estimated $1.9 million to $2.2 million from current manufacturer estimates.

Communications gaps were also raised. The chief described a county contract with Motorola Solutions — “a $80,500,000 contract … supposed to be a 5 to 7 year rollout” — and said county briefings claim the project will cover 98 percent of the county, but “that doesn't mean 98 of Franklin Park will be covered for emergency radios communications.” He identified local pockets with marginal coverage near Big Cypher Creek, Camp Meade Road and parts of I‑70.

Council members and attendees asked about public education on detectors and volunteer opportunities for teenagers; the department said juniors age 16–17 may train and participate in many non‑interior duties and that the department posts volunteer applications and meets Thursdays from 7–9 p.m.

The chief closed by encouraging continued public support and noting the department’s annual banquet on April 26.