The Shadow
Dunlap Fire Chief Bobby Griffith presented reports on the department’s 2018 fire and EMS activities during the Dunlap Fire De-partment and Rescue Squad’s annual awards banquet Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Covington Moose Lodge.
In the EMS report, Griffith noted that the Dunlap Rescue Squad was dispatched for 338 EMS calls, which includes calls in which they assist the fire department.
This was down approximately 120 calls from 2017, according to Griffith.
He also said that two department members, Rick Knick and Diann Hawk, completed paramedic training.
“That’s a big asset to us,” said Griffith. “[It] gives us more advanced life support.” Griffith also noted that the department also obtained a new ambulance “through a 50-50 grant.”
In his fire department report, Griffith said that in 2018, the department was dispatched for 133 fire calls, which was “down from last year 16 calls.”
Those include 52 motor vehicle accidents, nine structure-related fires, six stand-by calls, four flue fires, three brush fires, three vehicle fires, and four tractor-trailer fires, only two of which they responded to.
In addition, the department set up six landing zones, answered four calls for downed power lines, 20 public service and miscellaneous calls, and nine mutual aid calls in which they assisted other local departments. They were also dispatched on 11 calls which turned out to be false alarms.
Griffith also said that both the fire department and rescue squad brought up several new members. “We had some members step up from junior squad to senior squad,” he said.
