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Public safety leaders cite rising calls, staffing gaps and mental-health strain
Summary
Fire and Police chiefs told the City Council that 2024 brought higher call volumes—fire: 2,205 calls (up from 1,851 in 2023); police: about 17,000 calls for service—including more time-intensive mental-health responses, prompting continued recruitment and expanded reserve staffing.
Fire Chief Drew Engemann told the City Council that Pleasant Grove’s fire calls rose from 1,851 in 2023 to 2,205 in 2024 and that most calls are medical, roughly a 60/40 medical-to-fire split. He said Pleasant Grove effectively operates one busy station with 2,205 calls per station compared with national staffing guidance of roughly one public-safety person per 1,000 residents, which would equate to 38–40 full-time positions; Pleasant Grove currently staffs approximately 15–18 full-time personnel.
Police Chief Keldon Brown said the department closed 2024 with about 17,000 calls for service, described rising mental-health related calls that are time-consuming and unpredictable, and reported a strategy of expanding the reserve program (now six active reserves, building toward eight) to supplement patrols while recruiting full-time officers. Brown noted serious investigations in 2024, including trafficking and sexual-assault cases, and highlighted technology aids such as plate-reader cameras that helped solve crimes and recover property. Chief Brown and Chief Engemann both said recruitment and training remain high priorities for 2025, and that staffing shortfalls affect response planning and overtime workload.
