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Fire chief reports 14% jump in calls, strong grant awards and staffing shortfalls
Summary
Fire Chief Tim Little told the council the fire department ran 1,504 calls in 2025 (a 14% increase), including more than 1,000 EMS calls; he noted nearly $189,000 in grant awards and $106,081.66 billed for wildfire deployments, and warned of staffing shortfalls and pending retirements.
Chief Tim Little presented the Edwardsville Fire Department annual report, saying the department ran 1,504 calls in 2025, a 14% increase over the prior year, and that EMS calls comprised roughly 70 percent of activity. "Our average response time was 5 minutes and 11 seconds," he said, noting that this meets the national recommendation of a seven-minute response for a medically trained provider.
Chief Little highlighted mutual and automatic aid activity, national wildfire deployments that yielded $106,081.66 in revenue for the department, and nearly $189,000 in grant awards for equipment and PPE. He listed several specific grants, including a transport ventilator grant, thermal-imaging camera replacement, PPE funding and the AFG grant that was approved for firefighting gear.
Little also raised persistent staffing concerns: he said recommended staffing levels would require more firefighters per shift for a community of the city's size and flagged multiple long-tenured staff who are eligible to retire soon. He asked the council to consider options and noted the department's reliance on mutual aid and part-time hires from Johnson County Community College.
Council praised riverfront and park support work and asked staff to prepare an executive memorandum to discuss revenue opportunities from wildfire deployments and grant strategies.
