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Fire Department reports sharp rise in call volume, dorm false alarms and training plans
Summary
Fire Department reported a 21% year-over-year increase in January calls, a 42% rise over five years, roughly 815 dorm false alarms in a 12-month period and plans to purchase training and rescue apparatus.
The Bloomington Fire Department reported higher call volumes for January 2025 and outlined training, personnel and equipment plans at the Feb. 18 Board of Public Safety meeting.
Fire-department staff told the board the department handled 575 calls in January 2025 — 23 more than January a year earlier, a roughly 21% increase over one year — and that call volume has risen about 42% compared with five years earlier. Indiana University-related calls accounted for 67 incidents in January 2025, up from about 62 in 2024 and 59 in 2020, a roughly 12% increase over five years, the department reported.
The department also provided a 12-month breakdown (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024) showing approximately 815 false-alarm calls to dormitories alone. Using conservative calculations that include apparatus, personnel hours and fuel, staff estimated a direct-dollar figure of roughly $40,000 tied to those dorm responses; that estimate does not attempt to capture the full cost when additional units respond.
Fire alarms and suppression-related calls remain the department’s largest category. Prevention work is being adjusted to track inspections required by the state; staff reported they have completed about 8% of those required inspections so far this year. The department said Bloomington contains between approximately 2,250 and 3,800 businesses but did not specify an exact count.
Training and equipment
The department reported its first recruit academy is in progress: five recruits from the Bloomington department and six from Monroe County are training together. Four of Bloomington’s five recruits are expected to go on shift next month; one will attend EMT training in April. The department said it will soon seek approval to purchase a flashover training chamber and a concrete pad; the device recreates conditions that can lead to flashover so firefighters can practice recognizing early warning signs and exit safely.
Staff also reported last-week approval for the purchase of a new front-line fire engine and a new rescue truck; the rescue truck supports a recently reinstated dedicated rescue team. The department said it expects to receive the rescue apparatus quickly because it is a stock unit.
Personnel and programs
Five personnel were reported out on light duty or on FMLA/workers’-compensation status at the time of the meeting. The department’s mobile integrated health (MIH) team reported 12.4 average visits per patient per month in the reporting period and 49 different services used in January; the program also recorded referrals from roughly 32 referring agencies (including Stride Center, police social workers and community partners) and 23 referrals into the MIH program for January, a department record.
The board did not take independent action on these operational reports; the items were presented for information and planning.
