June 10, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Assistant to the Fire Chief
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Shreveport Fire Ranks 68^th Nationally in Incident Responses

According to the 2002 National Run Survey by Firehouse Magazine, the Shreveport Fire...

department’s 32,361 incident responses last year ranks them 68th in the country placing just
behind Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, and ahead of such notable cities as
Anaheim, California, Arlington, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah. In the state, Shreveport ranks
only behind New Orleans in run volume. The crescent city was listed at 52nd with 47,739
incidents. Baton Rouge was number 92nd with 21,000 responses and Monroe was 190th with
5,434 runs. Last year the Shreveport Fire Department ranked 72nd in the same survey. In 2001,
they were at number 75. The Department has experiences a 27 percent increase in total incident
response volume over the last five years. Most of that increase is attributed to emergency
medical calls, accounting for more than 70 percent of the fire department’s total calls last year.
Other than medical and fire calls, the department also rolls when called for a variety of
emergencies and non emergencies, including hazardous material, aircraft rescue, explosive or
bomb removal, water rescue, assist police, assist invalid, and yes, they still make the occasional
animal rescue. False alarm calls for the Department were 1,905 in 2001. The run survey,
sponsored by Firehouse Magazine is the only comprehensive, national survey of key fire
department statistics. The survey is based on total calls which signifies which of the nation’s fire
departments are the most active and productive. Two-hundred fire departments took part in this
year’s survey. Looking at rations, the Shreveport population is at 6:1 to emergency responses by
the fire department. Meaning the fire department responds to a single emergency incidents for
every six people in the city.