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West Licking Joint Fire District tells New Albany council it handled nearly 9,000 calls in 2024; EMS majority of workload
Summary
Representatives from West Licking Joint Fire District told council they handled 8,988 calls in 2024, serve roughly 65,000 residents across 125 square miles, and increasingly rely on mutual aid and community paramedicine to meet demand.
West Licking Joint Fire District representatives briefed New Albany City Council on April 15, describing rising call volumes, station staffing and the district’s mutual‑aid network.
Joe Cross, assistant chief of operations, said the district covers approximately 125 square miles with six stations and a minimum daily staffing of 25. "In 2024, we handled 8,988 calls for service," Cross said, adding that roughly 80% of call volume is emergency medical service (EMS) work. He told council the district transported 4,592 patients to hospitals in 2024 and runs mutual‑aid responses to neighboring agencies about 65 to 80 times per month.
Cross and other district leaders walked council through a station‑by‑station breakdown of call activity, explained unit staffing and apparatus allocations, and described specialized resources such as technical rescue, water rescue craft and equipment shops. He also outlined the district’s community paramedicine program — a team of clinically trained staff who visit residents at home to connect them with services and reduce unnecessary emergency transports.
Mayor Spalding and councilmembers asked operational and mutual‑aid questions, including where mutual‑aid requests tend to cluster; district staff pointed to increased activity around business‑park construction sites in the northern part of the district and to busy corridors near Morris and Beach roads.
Why it matters: The presentation underscores the operational and budgetary pressures tied to population growth and major commercial development in the region. Council thanked the district for mutual‑aid coordination and professionalism and noted the importance of continued collaboration as development and traffic patterns change.
What comes next: Fire‑district leaders said they would provide additional mutual‑aid breakdowns on request and that they will continue coordination with township and municipal partners as development proceeds.
