Police, fire and animal services report quieter December; fire chief teases ISO rating

City public-safety departments reported mixed but generally positive monthly results during staff reports.

The Police Department said officers responded to 1,040 calls for service in December, cited a drop in assault calls (one assault reported), and noted reduced burglary reports (six burglaries with five unfounded). Police staff said stepped-up traffic enforcement produced 126 stops that resulted in citations and about 102 warnings; the department also reported assisting neighboring agencies on several incidents and that it is screening applicants to fill one vacancy.

Animal services staff said the shelter took in 77 dogs and 29 cats in December (31 dogs and nine cats from Everman). They reported adoption and transfer outcomes: 13 dogs adopted at the shelter, 11 adopted at a mobile adoption center, six dogs returned to owners and transfers of animals to rescue organizations. Live-release rates varied by intake tier: 100% for tier-one dogs and cats, lower rates for tier-two and tier-three animals.

The Fire Chief reported 127 emergency instances for the reporting period, provided average response times for fire and EMS (including county calls that extend travel times), and described a recent attic/structure fire off West Barron where crews conducted an interior attack, rescued a dog and limited structural damage. The chief said the department is transitioning from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to NERIS and is missing some historical data while that migration completes. The chief also said he had received a positive initial ISO assessor email but that the formal ISO rating will be official only after State Fire Marshal review in 30 to 60 days.

Council members praised responses, particularly the fire crew’s work on the structure fire. The reports closed with department staffing and training notes and a reminder that some metrics are temporarily incomplete due to the reporting-system transition.