OHIO — Fire and emergency calls are on the rise for fire departments all across the state. But first responders say people can do their part to help those numbers go down. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Emergency and fire calls are on the rise for the Fairfield Fire Department 

  •  The department saw more than a 20% increase in calls from 2020 to 2023

  • Monitoring cooking and putting up fire and carbon monoxide alarms are just some ways to prevent fires in homes

The Fairfield Fire Department in Southwest Ohio is among the ones seeing an increase in calls. About 3/4 of the calls they get are for EMS, with the rest being fire-related.

From 2022 to 2023, the department saw a 2% increase in calls. Over the past four years, those numbers have jumped by 20%. Officials there said one reason for the jump is changing demographics within the community.

“We do have an aging population here in the city of Fairfield,” said Deputy Fire Chief Randy McCreadie of the Fairfield Fire Department. “So we have elderly folks that still live on their own and falls account for the number one overall call for service in terms of emergency medical services that we experience.”

While medical calls are not always preventable, McCreadie said many house fires are. Monitoring cooking, being safe with heating appliances and avoiding heating a home with an oven are just a few ways to prevent a house fire.

Related Stories