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Cole County Emergency Services reports 14,000 calls in 2025, cites staffing and equipment investments
Summary
Emergency Services Chief Eric told the Cole County Commission that annual call volume rose to about 14,000 in 2025, a roughly 60% increase since 2019, and attributed a one‑time EMS fund deficit to timing of expenditures and a large ambulance purchase; he said staffing and an added medic unit have reduced workload on the busiest unit.
Cole County Emergency Services reported a substantial rise in demand in 2025, with total calls for service reaching about 14,000, Emergency Services Chief Eric told the commission on March 10.
The chief said the 2025 total represents about a 60% increase from 2019, when the county logged roughly 8,762 calls. He attributed the jump to steady increases across multiple call types rather than a single driving problem: "it's not any one problem ... it's spread out over, you know, basically it's just busier," he said.
Chief Eric walked commissioners through the department's 2025 annual report, noting organizational changes after the merger of…
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