Arlington Fire Department Highlights Emergency Response Demands, Public Health Outreach Efforts, Accomplishments and More in FY22 Annual Report

By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication

Posted on March 23, 2023, March 23, 2023

Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson presented the department's Fiscal Year 2022 annual report to the City Council this week, highlighting proactive fire prevention efforts, emergency preparedness planning, community health outreach and other priorities designed to keep the 99-square-mile city safe.

Crowson said he is proud of the innovative, data-driven and compassionate response by the department to handle a range of challenges. These include a 5% increase in dispatched emergency calls for service, ensuring that the numerous, high-profile special events held here are safe for all, and continuing efforts to address public health needs throughout our community.

“Our No. 1 priority is that the citizens come first in everything we do,” Crowson said.

The chief also provided an overview of the department’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which includes preparing for evolving technologies, Homeland Security concerns and meeting increased demands from the public for new and existing response services.

Click here to read the Arlington Fire Department FY22 Annual Report

Highlights include:

• 9-1-1 Communications answered 392,123 total calls in FY22, and dispatched 261,720 police calls for service, 57,704 (EMS) ambulance calls for service, and 57,292 fire calls for service. Of the total dispatched fire calls for service, nearly 80% were medical related.
•  58 new firefighters hired.
•  New vehicles include two additional fire engines, one additional aerial ladder truck and six additional squads, which are lighter weight vehicles used to respond to calls and keep the department’s heavier fleet vehicles available for more serious incidents. A new grant-funded Explosive Ordinance Device Unit is expected to arrive this fall.
•  The department provided services for 167 special events at AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and other venues throughout the city in FY22.
•  Construction continued on the new Fire Station No. 1, set to open in Downtown in late spring/early summer. Future fire facilities planned in the next five years include a new Fire Station No. 6 in east Arlington, Fire Station No. 8 in north Arlington, a boat dock at Lake Arlington and an operational base within the Entertainment District.
•  23,725 inspection activities completed, including annual fire inspections, gas well inspections, new construction, or complaint/courtesy inspections.
•  Public health outreach activities included providing education and COVID-19 and Monkeypox vaccinations at community health events, providing vaccines to the homebound and partnerships with the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social work and School of Nursing.
•  Future public health outreach initiatives include helping residents prevent and manage chronic diseases through education, screening, nutrition and physical activity, increasing awareness of and coordination of mental health services to provide access to social, counseling and substance abuse services and a new partnership agreement with Tarrant County Public Health to provide services at the Fire Department’s Public Health Unit on Cooper St.
•  The department recorded satisfaction ratings of 95% for quality of service, 95% for timeliness of service and 76% for communication education services in the latest Citizen Survey. The City’s ambulance/emergency medical services quality of service and timeliness of service also received increased satisfaction ratings of 90% and 91%, respectively.
•  Employee safety initiatives include the department completing the third year of a four-year plan to provide firefighters with a second set of bunker gear and has an extractor in all but one station to clean bunker gear.

 The Arlington Fire Department is a people-oriented service organization focused on helping those in need. Responding with compassion is among its core values, Crowson said.