COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — At least two local fire departments have seen an uptick in emergency calls over the last few years. This week, departments across the country are urging prevention, which could help slow the trend.
“This year, it looks like it's going to be even another year of increased service calls and fires,” said Robert Rielage, special project manager for the Colerain Township Fire Department.
Rielage said that calls were up for the department in 2022, and then went up again about 20% in 2023.
It’s a trend the Cincinnati Fire Department is seeing too, according to city data. Emergency rescue and fire calls were up roughly 85% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to CincyInsights data.
Fire departments across the country are focusing on prevention this week amid Community Risk Reduction Week.
Rielage said risk reduction involves more than just fire prevention. It also encompasses other risks that firefighters or EMS workers respond to, like falls among elderly residents.
“We do everything from cold weather to natural and man-made disasters,” he said.
Colerain Township Fire Department has five full-time staff members devoted to community risk reduction. The team focuses on education, outreach efforts, providing free smoke alarms and car seats and code inspections.
The smoke alarm program is led by the American Red Cross, which partners with local departments across the country.
“Most people do have smoke alarms, but if your smoke alarm is over seven years old, it is out of date and it needs to be replaced,” said American Red Cross Regional Communications Manager Don Hawkins.
Hawkins said the program has saved more than 1,500 lives since its launch in 2014.
“We stress having a plan in place with you and your family on how to react if a fire breaks out,” he said. “But you might not know the fire has broken out into your home if your smoke alarm is not working and up to date.”
Individuals in need of a new smoke alarm can request on here.
Overall risk reduction programs are critical in reducing the number of emergency calls coming into the department, according to Rielage.
“Somebody could be tied up ... in something that is relatively minor, that could have been taken care of, when there was really another response that they needed to make,” he said.
Rielage believes population growth has contributed to the township’s increase in calls, but said prevention is key to slowing the trend.
“If we can either stop a fire or stop somebody from being injured, it basically allows us to have the ability to respond quicker to a true emergency down the road,” said Rielage.
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