Incident Statistics

The Fire Department responded to a total of 442 alarms and calls during the month of March. The City Hall station answered 180 alarms, the Airport Station answered 219 alarms, the 42nd St. station answered 189 alarms, and the Airport Station answered 33 alarms. Of the responses, 20 of the responses were recorded as fire related, 1 Overpressure Rupture related, 297 were recorded as EMS related calls, 35 of the responses were recorded as hazardous conditions related, 24 were listed as Service Call, 37 listed as Good Intent, 27 listed as false alarm & false calls and 1 Severe Weather-related call. Total property pre incident value was $180,000 and total losses estimated were $35,000 resulting in $145,000.00 in saved property. There was 5 reported Structure Fires, 1 Vehicle Fire, and 13 Trash Rubbish Fire calls for the month of March. MVFD gave mutual aid on 9 times for the month. 

April brings us chances of severe weather and we want to remind residents to stay alert and aware of potential storms. Always have a NOAA weather radio available to warn you of any severe weather. We remind residents to stay tuned to your local forecaster for any changes in the weather. Warnings means that weather is imminent, watches means that the conditions exist for severe weather. Always remember that a watch can turn to a warning at any time. Stay safe during this storm season.  

March Incident Statistics Report

In February, the Mt. Vernon Fire Department responded to a total of 319 calls, demonstrating our team's dedication to community safety and rapid response. These incidents included 27 fire-related calls, 223 rescue and emergency medical service calls, and 10 hazardous condition situations.

The City Hall Fire Station responded to 141 calls, the Airport Station handled 28 calls, and the 42nd Street Station managed 150 calls, showcasing our comprehensive coverage throughout the city.

Mutual aid efforts also played a critical role, with our department providing assistance 11 times and receiving aid on 4 occasions. This collaboration underscores our commitment to effective emergency response and community support.

February Incident Statistics Report

In January, the Mt. Vernon Fire Department responded to 359 incidents. The majority (72.7%) were Rescue & Emergency Medical Service calls, totaling 261 incidents. Other notable incident categories included 15 fires (4.18%), 10 hazardous conditions (2.79%), 23 service calls (6.41%), 27 good intent calls (7.52%), and 23 false alarms (6.41%).

The department provided six instances of mutual aid to other agencies and received three instances of mutual aid in return. Additionally, 128 calls (35.65%) overlapped, requiring simultaneous resource management.

Average response times varied by station, with EMS calls averaging 4 minutes and 12 seconds from dispatch to arrival. Fire-related incidents had longer response times, with Station 1 averaging 9 minutes and 16 seconds. The department’s average time on scene was 30 minutes and 15 seconds.

Fire-related damages in January amounted to an estimated $115,500 in losses, with a pre-incident value of $380,000. There was one reported carbon monoxide incident during the month.

Overall, the department maintained efficient response times and provided crucial emergency services throughout the community.

January Incident Statistics Report

The Mt. Vernon Fire Department had a historic 2024. The department made more calls for service than ever in its rich history, answering 4,416 calls, over 400 more calls than our previous record in 2021. The operations side of the FD was over our previous highs in every category. 

Operations

The fire department responded to 3,218 incidents that were related to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and 1,198 Fire-related incidents. In all calls, the FD had an average response time of 3 minutes and 48 seconds! The average turnout time (turnout out time is the time from when the call is dispatched to the members are in the truck responding), was 47 seconds!!!

The FD responded to 75 structure fires in 2024. There was a total of $6,098,200 pre-incident value of these structures with an approximate loss of $685,300. This equates to a $5,412,900 property value saved. There were 4 civilian injuries related to structure fires. 

Platoon 1 made 1527 calls, making them the hot shift of 2024. Station 1 ran 2171 calls, making that station the hot station of 2024. 

Mutual Aid

Mt. Vernon is a proud member of MABAS Division 47 and has worked diligently to maintain a positive relationship with all our mutual aid partners. The FD has given mutual aid on 68 occasions. These responses range from Automatic Fire alarms to structure fires to vehicle extrications. The FD ran a mutual aid call to every county that borders Jefferson County in 2024.

Prevention/Inspection/Training

The fire department conducted 11 plan reviews, 23 consults, and 9 business inspections. The FD conducted 15 fire drills, 44 public education events, and 7 car seat installations. The FD will be hosting a car seat installation course in March of 2025. There has been a steady increase in requests for car seat installations, so the department will meet that need with 12 new car seat install technicians.

The fire department continues to take an aggressive approach to training. The department has accumulated over 5000 man-hours of training in all aspects of Fire, EMS, Rescue, and Hazmat. The department sent members to the Illinois Fire Service Institute for Advanced Firefighter, Company Fire Officer, Fire Instructor I, Responder Intervention Technician, Responder Intervention Team Chief, Fireground Command School, and Fire Apparatus Engineer. The department will continue to push a very aggressive approach to Fire/EMS/Rescue/Hazmat training in 2025

The fire department had several retirees in 2024. Leading the way was Fire Chief Kevin Sargent, along with Captain Dan Plumb, Lt. Scott Pennington, and Firefighter Casey McCommons. The department welcomed Probationary Firefighters Jon Reichert, Jacob Rapp, Brantley Lanham, and Trevontae Wilborn.

The FD placed into service new battery-powered extrication equipment, which enables the department more flexibility and mobility during motor vehicle collisions and other rescue situations that require a heavy hydraulic tool. We also placed into service 6 Responder Intervention Team bags, that allow members to rescue downed firefighters and provide needed air when trapped or out of air.

2025

The Mt. Vernon Fire Department will continue to build a proactive approach to protecting our fellow citizens and those who pass through, work, or visit Mt. Vernon. We will continue to solidify our relationships and foster new ones for the betterment of the city. On behalf of myself, Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Jennings, and Administrative Assistant Sara Hayes…we thank you for the opportunity to lead this great department.

Chris Yenne

Fire Chief, City of Mt. Vernon

“We help people…any call, anywhere, anytime.”

2024 Annual Incident Statistics Report