The Fire Department has released its end-of-year report for 2021. The 26-page report includes budget information, call volume and statistics, department highlights and overviews, introductions of new firefighters, promotions and recent award recipients, and a recap of special events and training sessions.
The 113-person department has seven fire stations and an annual budget of $14.2 million. In 2021, units responded to 21,284 calls for service, representing a 14.6% increase over the previous year’s call volume. An influx of new residents, coupled with growth in tourism and special events visitors, contributed to the additional calls for service. August was the busiest month for EMS and fire and rescue calls (2,038), and historic Station #1 on Beach Street responded to the most calls throughout the year (6,353).
Update on DART program
The Drug Abuse Response Team (DART) program was launched in January 2021. The outreach program is a partnership between the city’s fire and police departments and SMA Healthcare, which encourages drug recovery for residents who have overdosed. In its first year, the DART team made approximately 320 attempts, reaching out to over 200 individuals. When contact was made, more than 90% accepted communication, literature or actively engaged with the team. Of those, about half accepted assistance and were ready to enter a substance abuse program.
To read the complete report, visit www.DBFD.us.