New London Fire, Firelands Ambulance Service report increased activity in '24
The New London Fire Department and Firelands Ambulance Service have reported a significant uptick in their operations over the past year.
New London Fire Chief John Chapin presented a comprehensive overview of the fire department's engagements, which included responding to 94 incidents throughout 2024.
The Jan. 13 report highlights the diverse nature of these calls. Details are documented thoroughly in village council meeting minutes from that session, which serve as a detailed record of the village's activities.
In a move to bolster the department's capability, Chapin proposed the addition of Matt Dennis to the firefighter roster.
Dennis, a firefighter formerly with Townsend, brings experience and holds certifications in Firefighter II, Hazmat Tech, and EMR.
Simultaneously, the Firelands Ambulance Service, a key component of New London’s emergency infrastructure, has also seen an increase in activity.
Jennifer Ball, a council member, detailed the service's extensive engagement across the region with 828 calls in 2024, leading to 887 patient contacts.
These were distributed across New London Village with 479, New London Township with 91, Fitchville Township with 124, Troy Township with 86, Ruggles Township with 84, and mutual aid contributing 23 contacts.
The ambulance service's call types were primarily categorized as follows: general medical incidents constituted 12.7%, Minor injury calls were 7.3%, incidents involving patients short of Breath accounted for 6.4%,
Trauma injuries made up 5.1%, and chest pain calls were 4.2% of the total.
The department handled 185 advanced life support calls and 702 basic life support calls in 2024.