Joplin fire chief: nearly 10,000 calls in 2025, 30,576 overtime hours and ISO rating maintained at 2

Fire Chief Ezell told the Joplin City Council on March 2 that the Joplin Fire Department handled 9,980 calls in 2025 — nearly 10,000 — and that the surge has strained staffing and operations while the department nonetheless maintained an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 2.

"We were 20 shy of 10,000," Ezell said, summarizing last year's call volume and noting that 68% of calls were medical in nature. He said the department recorded 30,576 overtime hours in 2025, equivalent to roughly 3½ shifts per day, and is currently eight positions down with six personnel in the training academy.

Ezell reviewed operational performance: the department responded to 61 structure fires (29 mutual aid incidents) and reported an average response time of 4 minutes, 27 seconds. He said first‑engine arrival met the ISO target at 94% (goal 90%) and first‑alarm assignments were at 88% (goal 90%). Ezell highlighted District 1's high call volume (about 2,621 calls) and said District 8 had eight structure fires last year; he suggested those data support re‑evaluating station placement to improve initial response times.

The chief outlined several initiatives aimed at resilience and capacity: an in‑house Advanced EMT class now training six personnel (led by Captain Dustin Burns) with more expected to qualify by summer; renovation work at Fire Station 5 performed largely by department crews; preconstruction on two replacement engines ordered in 2024 (construction anticipated in April or May with potential delivery before year end); and a citizens committee tasked with studying alternative duty schedules to reduce overtime and improve work‑life balance.

Ezell also said the department has discussed a community paramedicine program with Freeman Health Systems, which recently received a $2,000,000 grant to expand community outreach; he said such a partnership could reduce repeat calls to the same addresses. He credited improvements by Missouri American Water and investments in equipment for helping the department retain its ISO 2 rating.

A council member asked Ezell to define "calls for service" for the public; Ezell said the department runs medical calls, lift assists, public‑service responses and crash responses while low‑acuity requests that do not require emergency response are triaged by dispatch. On the ISO scale, Ezell explained ratings run 1 (best) to 10 (worst) and said only roughly 2% of U.S. departments achieve a rating of 2.

"I couldn't ask for better," Ezell said of his staff, praising their willingness to cover overtime and continue training despite heavy workloads. Council members thanked the chief and praised the department's professionalism. The informal session concluded and the council planned to resume formal business at 6:00 p.m.