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Washington Fire Department reports rise in calls, new equipment and expanded community outreach
Summary
The Washington Fire Department reported 238 calls in December (up 34 from last year) and about 2,577 calls for 2025 (up roughly 122 over 2024); the department highlighted new vehicle and equipment purchases, more training hours, and more than 1,033 free smoke-detector installs by volunteers.
Jeremy Dorff, emergency medical services chief for the Washington Fire Department, presented the department’s monthly and annual statistics to the Committee of the Whole on Jan. 12, telling council that the department handled 238 calls in December — 34 more than the same month the previous year — and that roughly 2,577 calls were recorded for 2025, about 122 more than 2024.
Dorff said 236 of the December calls were handled by paramedics and the fire side responded to 27 incidents that month, including 12 car crashes and four cardiac arrests. He said 49 of the December calls were at skilled-nursing or assisted‑living facilities and that about 38 calls overlapped while crews were already on another call.
The department described several equipment and community programs: volunteers installed about 1,033 free smoke detectors (provided by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance); the department purchased a 2023 tanker with roughly 1,800 miles to replace an older vehicle; it also took delivery of a Horton ambulance in September and ordered a replacement aerial ladder (delivery expected in 2028). Dorff said the department secured nearly $200,000 in cardiac-monitor funding via a shared AFG grant and purchased new cardiac monitors.
Dorff also emphasized training and staffing: he said full‑time paramedics and volunteer firefighters completed a combined roughly 3,650 hours of training in 2025, that the department is cross‑training paramedic firefighters, and that the department averages 9.7 responders on fire-related incidents and maintains two fully staffed advanced-life-support ambulances 24/7.
Why it matters: The numbers and equipment purchases speak to rising EMS demand and the department’s investment in response capacity and training. The volunteer-driven smoke‑detector program and grant-funded cardiac monitors were highlighted as community-safety wins.
Next steps: Council members asked questions about multi‑year trends and response times; Dorff said calls are up about 1,000 over a 10-year period and provided district response-time averages. No formal action or budget vote occurred at the meeting.
