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Fire and EMS reports: Castle Dale fire chief reports stable coverage; EMS board discusses ambulance sales and new unit purchase
Summary
At the Jan. 9 meeting, the Castle Dale fire representative reported 2024 call tallies and average on-call staffing; county EMS representatives outlined plans to sell two old ambulances and to purchase a new one with grant support.
The Castle Dale Fire Department reported its 2024 annual activity to the City Council on Jan. 9, and county EMS representatives outlined several fleet and staffing items during the same session.
Fire report A city fire representative told the council that in 2024 the department responded to a range of incidents: one wildland brush fire, one tree rescue, one EMS assist, three false calls, two brush fires within town limits, one standby, one service call, one car fire, three gas leaks, two structure fires and one extrication rescue. The presenter said average staffing for responses during the year was about seven firefighters per incident, and that typical station response times from call-to-departure were roughly five minutes for most calls, with on-scene arrival usually within five to seven minutes.
Council members asked about coverage and response statistics; staff said coverage was approximately 80% at present and that winter fire school next week would temporarily reduce available personnel as crews attend training.
EMS report County EMS representatives reported a recent EMS board meeting and described two operational items: the planned sale of two older ambulances (model-year 2005 and 2006) to be listed on the state surplus/auction site (discussed price of about $15,000 each) and an approved order for a new ambulance with an estimated cost discussed in the meeting at around $290,000. The EMS presenter said grant funding is in place to assist with the purchase.
The EMS report also summarized 2024 transport volume by community. For Castle Dale and nearby service areas combined, the presenter reported high transport numbers; for Castle Dale specifically, the presenter cited 155 runs with 99 billable transports and an after-expense surplus of about $36,000 for the local station referenced in the report.
Staffing and recruitment were noted as ongoing concerns: the EMS representative said monthly staffing rates for stations in the area vary, and weekend coverage remains a particular challenge for some towns. The EMS board plans to continue recruitment and to offer training classes to add certified EMTs.
No council action was required for the fire or EMS presentations; both reports were informational and will feed into staffing and procurement follow-ups by city and county staff.
