The Springfield Fire Rescue Division had its busiest year yet. The department’s six stations responded to more than 19,000 calls in 2024.
Fire Chief Jacob King said its crews are the most used among Ohio’s larger cities.
“They also have more calls than we do, but they have a significantly larger number of personnel to respond to those calls,” King said. “So they're able to diversify the workload across multiple units where we do not have that capability.”
Much of that rising call volume is connected to Springfield’s aging population. Just under half of calls in 2024 were for seniors, 60 and older. And, those often come from the city’s senior living communities.
“I think at some point we'll get to a tipping point,” King said. “We're going to have to increase the amount of staffing and amount of equipment we have available to be able to manage it.”
As volume continues to rise, the department has worked to boost resources preventing burnout. It trained peer supporters and lined up mental health resources from Kettering Health.
“It's been a significant focus of ours all of 2024 to really build out our strength and capacity to support the mental wellness for team members because they do have significant stress. They do see a lot of really bad calls,” King said.
In 2024, the department also added a new fire station, three fire engines and more protective equipment, like that used for active shooter situations.
King said the city’s investment in the Fire Rescue Division has boosted morale.
“That has had a significant impact on our members, the sense of satisfaction, the sense that they're worth it,” King said.
Another new fire station, Station #6 is set to be completed this spring.