As the City of Leduc continues to grow fire department call volumes will also increase.
Fire chief George Clancy says the city’s fire department will see an approximate two per cent increase in calls this year from 2015.
In 2016 the department has dealt with: 301 fire incidences, 344 medical response calls and 63 motor vehicle collisions, as of Sept. 23. In 2015 the number were 407, 404 and 127, respectively, as of the end of August.
“You will start to see an increase in the months of November, December,” said Clancy.
This year Clancy is asking residents to stay cognizant of nuisance alarms.
In 2015 the department handled 255 alarm calls. “We have seen a slight decease in nuisance alarms, probably around a five per cent decrease,” said Clancy.
Clancy says each time the department is required to respond to a nuisance alarm it puts a drain on resources.
He attributes part of the decrease to a public service campaign used by the department last year.
“We do charge for the alarms, there is a cost … But what we try to do is educate before any charges go out. We don’t charge for the first alarm. We educate on the first and second alarm,” said Clancy.
Clancy says fire prevention is a pivotal arm within the department, as education programs can mean safety for everyone from Kindergarteners to adults.
The Leduc Fire Department runs a composite integrated model, with members trained in fire protection services and emergency response services and working rotating shifts.
The department is made up of 36 frontline full-time members, four chief officers and 44 paid on-call personnel. “We’re in the progress of recruiting an extra 16. We’re looking for 2017 recruits.”