Peosta police and fire report steady call volumes; public works flags truck procurement timing

Peosta's public-safety and public-works leaders briefed the council on operations and equipment timelines.

Police: The police representative explained the difference between calls-for-service (dispatch-generated or officer-initiated event numbers) and incident reports (which document events that may lead to charges). Staff said the department’s proactive approach — including business checks, fingerprinting and vehicle inspections — increases its calls-for-service count relative to peer towns. Radar-sign average speeds recorded in town are running about 24.6 mph, and the department said data are included in its monthly reports.

Fire: Fire Chief Bert reported 261 calls last year, noting mutual aid responses and that roughly 68% of EMS calls are inside the city limits. The department received a pumper chassis fitted with a 26-EPA engine, saving an estimated $72,000 compared with ordering a 27-EPA engine, and discussed how CAD/NIFER reporting feeds ISO insurance ratings.

Public works: Director Dean said the grinding contractor produced almost twice the volume of material at the compost site compared with last year, and cautioned that suppliers are booking specialized truck bodies and upfits into calendar 2027 and fiscal 2028 (the cab chassis could be obtained earlier, but salt boxes, blades and other work may not be available until FY28). He recommended the council budget accordingly across FY27–FY28.