Menu
Fewer structure fires, more EMS calls for fire department
Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou conveyed the good and bad of a busy 2013 for the Fort Scott Fire Department.
Ballou appeared before the Fort Scott City Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday to provide a year-in-review report - including statistics and comparisons - for the department for 2013.
"It was a busy year, but yet fires were down. That's significant for us," Ballou said. "It was probably the busiest year as far as emergency runs for us. We helped a lot of citizens out this year. A lot. But that's what we're there for."
Ballou said the department made a total of 1,355 emergency incident runs in 2013, an increase of 128 runs from 2012. A big percentage of those - about 79 percent- are medical runs, which include EMS assists, ambulance runs made under the city's contract with Mercy Hospital, and car accidents.
There was a significant decrease in nearly all types of fires the department handles in 2013, especially structure fires, Ballou said.
The department averages about 20-25 structure fires per year, which includes fires in houses and businesses. In 2013, the department worked only 14 structure fires, a decrease of about six fires from 2012, he said.
"Every category of fire we have was down this year from last year," Ballou said. "Car fires were up slightly."
The department made 216 ambulance runs in 2013, which can sometimes mean added revenue for the city. In 2013, it meant an extra $28,000 in revenue, an increase from 2012.
"We contracted with Mercy I believe in 2006," Ballou said. "They pay us a contract amount and after so many runs in a month, I think it's six runs, we make extra revenue for the extra runs we make."
The FSFD runs what Ballou called a "second out" ambulance for Mercy when Mercy makes ambulance runs. He said the entities work well together and "it's a really good system."
During his report, Ballou also informed the commission about the recent Girl Scouts Cookie Crunch-Off, which took place Jan. 3 and involved representatives of the FSFD, Fort Scott Police Department and dispatch center munching cookies in a friendly competition with other local groups to help kick off the start of the Girl Scouts' annual cookie sales campaign.
Ballou said the annual nationwide event takes place in January each year and involves four-person teams, whose members have to eat at least one type of cookie offered by the Girl Scouts. This is the second year teams from Fort Scott have participated.
"We're trying to get more teams and make it bigger," he said.
In other business Tuesday, the commission:
* Approved the consent agenda, which included approval of appropriation ordinances totaling $715,622; a resolution designating The Fort Scott Tribune as the official city newspaper; a resolution designating the official city depositories for city funds; an ordinance relating to the cutting of weeds and the charges thereof; a resolution and notice of hearing with reference to an alleged unsafe and dangerous structure located at 1234 E. Elm St., and set a public hearing date for 6:15 p.m. Feb. 18; and a change order reflecting change in contract dates for repairs to the Wastewater Treatment facility.
* Approved a supplemental agreement with Felsburg, Holt and Ullevig, the city's engineering firm, for the Riverfront Park Loop Road and Parking project. The proposed Riverfront Park is slated to be located between National Avenue and U.S. Highway 69 and just south of the Marmaton River. Director of Finance Jon Garrison said the supplemental agreement is due to changes the engineering firm encountered while designing the park. The $11,000 change order brings the total amount of the design contract to $237,313. The Riverfront project received a $1.5 million KDOT grant for the project in 2011. Garrison said the project is funded entirely by grant money.
* Approved a resolution authorizing the transfer and release of certain property to Carlisle Transmission Products, Inc. City Manager Dave Martin said Carlisle purchased some Industrial Revenue Bonds through the city to purchase equipment. The bonds have been paid off and city officials have approved for the city to "release its hold on that so Carlisle can obtain the property free and clear," Martin said.
* Approved the $8,000 purchase of a generator for the pump station located at Fort Scott Community College. Ballou said this pump station is "critical" for the city's water supply. The cost of a new generator would be $50,000 and city staff found a machine for considerably less money. Martin said another interested municipality could not come up with the funds for the generator, putting Fort Scott next in line for the purchase.
"It's a good purchase for the city," Martin said.
A brief discussion also took place during the meeting on internet connectivity in Fort Scott. A story on this topic will appear in a future edition of the Tribune.