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Emergency Services Committee approves minutes, hears updates on fire, police and EMS
Summary
The City of Laurel Emergency Services Committee on Nov. 24 approved minutes from September and October and received department briefings on fire training and EOC readiness, three recent drive-by shootings under investigation, EMS missed calls and ongoing ambulance fundraising.
The Emergency Services Committee of the City of Laurel met Monday evening and approved minutes from the Sept. 22 and Oct. 27 meetings on motions by member Irv Wilke, seconded by Jamie Swecker; both motions carried 4-0.
Chair Heidi Sparks called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and heard updates from the city’s fire, police and ambulance services. Fire Chief JW Hopper described recent live-structure training and said the meeting room at the FAP is now configured as an Emergency Operations Center able to accommodate dispatch if the dispatch center is disabled.
Police Chief Jarred Anglin told the committee the department responded to hundreds of calls in the reporting window and that three drive-by shootings from the prior week are under active investigation. Ambulance Chief Lyndy Gurchiek reported seven missed calls in the month, all occurring while crews were on other calls, and reviewed response-time metrics and staffing progress.
The committee heard that the fire department plans to purchase extrication gear with planned reimbursement of $10,000 per year for three years and that a budget amendment will be forthcoming to the council. Committee members were also briefed on police body-camera implementation and the department’s exploration of in-car cameras.
The meeting concluded with an announcement that the next Emergency Services Committee meeting will be Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
