The Arlington Fire Department has just rolled out its Fiscal Year 2023 report, dropping a heap of stats that show just how busy these brave folks have been over the past year. According to the City of Arlington, Texas, the department's 99-square-mile jurisdiction was anything but sleepy, fielding north of 54,000 emergencies including 35,983 EMS calls, and 3,881 calls to douse flames.
Fire Chief Bret Stidham, in a presentation to the City Council, talked up the department's commitment to being proactive with fire prevention and emergency preparedness. They're not resting on any laurels, though, with Stidham emphasizing, as per the City of Arlington, Texas, "It important to recognize the department’s successes, but even more important to understand the need to continue improving and to make every effort to achieve greatness." The department's pushing innovation and sniffing out best practices to keep their game top-notch.
These first responders operate like a well-oiled machine, and the community is taking notice. Each year, Arlington firefighters engage in 103 public education programs, and they've held open houses with 69 engine visits along with 17 fire station tours for the curious public. Tack on a sky-high citizen satisfaction rating—94% for service quality and 96% for being quick on the draw—it's clear the city folks feel they're in good hands.
And don't let the big games distract you—firefighters have covered 186 special events at venues like AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, keeping tens of thousands safe while they cheer on the home team, or rock out to their favorite bands. Plus, they've ticked off 20,672 inspection activities, from checking out gas wells to signing off on new buildings. The latest Citizen Survey backs up their hard work with a scorecard: a 91% approval rating for the quality of ambulance services, and 93% on the heels for service timeliness.
Not to be outdone—the 9-1-1 Communications center handled a whopping 391,935 calls in FY23, with an impressive 91.59% picked up in under 10 seconds. That's some swift fingers. Crunch the numbers and you'll see that Arlington's firefighters and EMS are proving deft, dedicated, and undeniably essential to this Texas community's fabric. "Our firefighters work and train tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens and visitors," Stidham said, per the City of Arlington, Texas. It sure looks like Arlington's heroes in helmets are doing a bang-up job at keeping their city safe and sound.
