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Fire chief reports record call volume, apparatus orders and new training assets
Summary
Fire department leaders reported rising call volume halfway through 2025, preordered apparatus to address multi-year supply delays, training-center and pump-test capabilities online and a $18,500 fundraising haul for the city’s air-rescue program.
Temple — Fire department leadership reported on staffing, incident volume and equipment on May 15, saying the department is on pace for a record year in responses and is managing multiyear apparatus supply delays by preordering vehicles.
The fire chief said the department currently has 136 personnel (130 certified and six civilian positions), with approximately 122 assigned to operations and 112 assigned to apparatus. The department reported roughly 9,000 calls to date at midyear and projected about 15,600 calls for the year — an average of about 43 calls per day. Of current calls, the chief said about 300 were fire calls and nearly 5,000 were EMS/rescue responses.
Chiefs and staff stressed increased grass and brush fires as development moves into previously rural areas; the chief said the department projects roughly 517 grass/brush incidents for the year, a significant uptick from prior years.
On equipment, the department outlined a purchasing and pre-order strategy to manage long vendor lead times: several engines, squads and a tanker were preordered (some as early as 2022) and staff said delivery dates had been delayed — for example, a 2023 engine ordered in 2022 is expected this fall. The city was able to move two engine orders forward by swapping line positions with another jurisdiction, shortening one vendor lead time.
Training and facilities: staff said the new public-safety training center and a drafting pit now allow the department to run pump tests and driver/operator training in-house rather than relying on outside vendors. The training pad also permitted multi-unit exercises and confined-space training with other departments and solid-waste staff.
Operational incidents: the chief cited a multi-incident day (a gas leak plus structure fires and weather responses), where the department organized evacuations and used the library as a shelter point for displaced residents. Fire marshal staff also reported more than 1,000 fire inspections in the recent period and described continuing plan-review and fire-safety inspection workloads.
Community programs and fundraising: the department distributed rescue gear and family support through local programs and held a “Clays for Claws” fundraiser that raised about $18,500 for the city’s air-rescue program.
Ending: The department said it will continue to press fleet and capital needs, pursue scheduled apparatus deliveries and expand in-house testing and training; no formal council action was taken at the workshop.
