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Fire department reports higher run volume, low fire fatalities and investments in safety gear
Summary
Cedar Rapids Fire Department said total incidents rose to 15,631 in 2024, with EMS/rescue accounting for over 55% of calls; the department reported no fire fatalities, invested in cab filtration and additional turnout gear, and plans a new ladder truck and continued space‑needs work for stations.
Chief Smith of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department presented the department’s 2024 overview to the committee, reporting a total run volume of 15,631 incidents and noting that emergency medical service and rescue calls accounted for the largest share of responses.
The nut graf: the department is seeing steady year‑over‑year increases in run volume driven primarily by EMS, while maintaining relatively stable structure‑fire counts and investing in firefighter safety equipment and facilities planning.
Chief Smith said EMS and rescue made up more than 55% (about 8,600) of the department’s runs and that the department responded to 419 working fires in 2024, roughly 2.7% of total runs. He reported civilian fire injuries numbered 10 for the year and said there were no confirmed fire fatalities in 2024. “We did not have any fire fatalities last year,” he said.
Smith described fire‑loss statistics and salvage estimates to underscore the department’s containment work: a pre‑incident value for fires of about $107.2 million, fire loss of just under $5.9 million, and roughly $101 million in salvaged property value. Investigators worked 74 incidents; of those, 19 were ruled intentional, 39 unintentional and 18 undetermined.
On personnel and equipment, Chief Smith said 87% of firefighters now have two sets of individually fitted turnout gear and that the department installed cab‑filtration systems on frontline apparatus to reduce exposure to carcinogens. The department received a new Engine 1 in January and expects a ladder truck (Ladder 3) to arrive in June; it also submitted its CPSC compliance and maintained an Insurance Services Office rating of 2/10.
Chief Smith highlighted clinical outcomes for cardiac arrests: 140 cardiac‑arrest responses in 2024, bystander CPR in 8 of those cases and a return‑of‑spontaneous‑circulation (ROSC) rate of 22.1%.
Council members asked about staffing, accreditation and capital needs. The chief said the department has completed a space‑needs analysis to guide future station rehabilitation and replacement and noted continuing accreditation work. Council members encouraged the department to develop additional data visualizations to support planning and budget discussions.
Ending: Councilmembers praised the department’s safety investments and asked for details on how budget cycles will advance remaining targets such as reaching 100% issuance of two turnout suits per frontline firefighter and station improvements.
