{"id":205022,"date":"2026-04-26T20:50:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T01:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=205022"},"modified":"2026-04-26T20:50:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T01:50:50","slug":"vwfd-responded-to-fewer-calls-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/04\/26\/vwfd-responded-to-fewer-calls-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"VWFD responded to fewer calls in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SCOTT TRUXELL\/<\/strong>independent editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of calls handled by the Van Wert Fire Department in 2025 decreased by nearly 10 percent compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the fire department\u2019s annual report, compiled by Chief Jon Jones, the VWFD handled 2,057 calls last year, down from 2,216 in 2025, and the fewest since 2020, when the number was 2,017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Jones noted that emergency medical services (EMS) accounted for 88 percent of all calls.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Van Wert firefighters demonstrate how the new training facility at Vantage Career Center works. Bob Barnes\/Van Wert independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cOur department is not only a firefighting force but also a frontline partner in community health and emergency care,\u201d Chief Jones said in the report. \u201cWhether answering a call for a structure fire, a highway accident or a critical medical emergency, our team approached every situation with skill, urgency and heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thoughout 2025, the Van Wert Fire Department had 51 fire calls, including 15 structure fires, 11 vehicle fires, six cooking or trash fires, and 13 miscellaneous fire types. There were 70 false alarms. There were 195 other types of calls, mutual aid was given by the fire department 48 times, and received from other area fire departments nine times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said the VWFD maintained solid performances across all shifts, ensuring consistent turnout and fast on-scene response times, but the year also presented some challenges, including overlapping incidents, or multiple calls coming in at once that stretched the department\u2019s resources thin. Jones noted that of the 2,057 calls, 348, or 17 percent were overlapping incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis trend highlights the ongoing need for strategic staffing, continued cross training and long-term investment in both personnel and equipment,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The report also said the average first-unit response time was one minute and 31 seconds, and it said call volume remained steady across all shifts throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBalanced distribution reinforces the need for consistent staffing and readiness department-wide,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond emergency response, Chief Jones said, 2025 was a year of growth and resilience. The department reaffirmed its commitment to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Continuous training for all personnel, covering EMS certification, live fire evolutions, and rescue readiness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Rigorous safety protocols that protect crews and citizens during high-risk events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Proactive planning to meet the growing demands of fire and EMS services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The VWFD documented 4,829 total training and fitness hours last year and personnel participated in a wide range of fire, EMS, leadership and physical training to maintain operational readiness and professional standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the highlights of 2025 was the addition of a dedicated training burn facility at Vantage Career Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis facility allows personnel to conduct realistic, hands-on fireground training in a controlled environment, improving skills in fire attack, search and rescue, ventilation, and command decision making,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chief Jones said 2026 will include the arrival of a new KME rescue engine and two Braun ambulances that will modernize the VWFD\u2019s fleet. Earlier this spring, the appointment of Brian Ankney to deputy chief and the addition of one firefighter per shift marks the first staffing increase in approximately 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe remain committed to continuous improvement in service delivery, personnel development and protecting the residents we are privileged to serve,\u201d Chief Jones said in closing. \u201cOur dedication to excellence, combined with the support of our community and City Council ensures that the Van Wert Fire Department will continue to be a cornerstone of public safety for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent editor The number of calls handled by the Van Wert Fire Department in 2025 decreased by nearly 10 percent compared to the previous year. According to the fire department\u2019s annual report, compiled by Chief Jon Jones, the VWFD handled 2,057 calls last year, down from 2,216 in 2025, and the fewest since 2020, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-205022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-03 23:46:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205022"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205261,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205022\/revisions\/205261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}