Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire Ems topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief warns of battery-related structure fires as EMS demand rises; Station 8 planned for 2028
Summary
Fire Chief reported a rise in structure fires linked to lithium-ion batteries and increasing EMS calls; staff plans a pilot ambulance on US-29 and Station 8 (2028) to help response times. City maintains an ISO rating of 2 but warned response pressures could increase with growth.
The City of Georgetown's fire chief (speaker 2) told council the department is seeing a notable increase in structure fires and rising EMS demand, and outlined near-term steps to improve response times and safety.
"There's strong correlations to lithium ion batteries, chargers, things like this," the chief said, linking increases in structure-fire incidents to off-brand or damaged batteries used in lawn and garden equipment, power tools and other portable devices. He said these batteries often overheat when charging and can ignite nearby combustibles.
Fire leadership reported the department is staffing 171 personnel with four vacancies and has added resources in recent years to address rising calls. EMS demand increased about 1,500 calls over the last two years, and the department is seeing higher case acuity as a larger share of transports involve residents over age 65. The chief said the 90th‑percentile response time metric has crept upward and the department is working to mitigate it with staffing changes, a proposed peak-demand unit and technology to prioritize dispatch.
To address hot spots, staff will pilot placing an ambulance along the US‑29 corridor before Station 8 opens in 2028, and Station 8 remains in design. The chief emphasized that investments in stations and staffing help maintain the city's Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 2; he warned that falling to a 3 could have an insurance premium impact for some homeowners.
Council members asked for public education about battery safety and clarity on station locations. The chief said the department will bring specific lithium-ion battery protection recommendations to council in the spring and expand community risk reduction outreach.
The department's presentation included workforce, budget and trend data; staff asked council to support continued capital and staffing investments to keep response performance within target ranges as the city grows.
