Salisbury Fire Dept. sees increase in calls from this time last year

SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury Fire Department (SFD) is seeing increasing calls for service.

Calls For Service Up

Chief Rob Frampton tells WMDT that compared to the first half of 2023, the department saw a 7% increase in call volume during the same period this year. Although, he says, that’s to be expected.

“With people coming in, doing shopping, living here, call volumes always increase, whether it’s fire or EMS,” Chief Frampton said. “Turnaround times at the hospital are getting longer and longer. So, there is going to be a need, moving forward, for additional people, additional units, and eventually, an additional fire station.”

Notably, EMS calls outside of Salisbury City limits increased by 16.5%, and fire calls outside of SFD’s service district increased by 60%. Chief Frampton says the department is looking into why the latter number jumped up so much.

Helping Hands

SFD is responsible for calls both within its own district, and assisting other fire companies that need additional equipment or expertise. And, Chief Frampton says, policies about the amount of units being sent out for each call are changing.

“There have been several changes at the county level, where additional fire units are added for the safety of our responders,” Chief Frampton explained. “So, two units on highways for car accidents; one for blocking, and one to allow our first responders to operate. And, also, the additional response units that are added for structure fires.”

Chief Frampton says SFD serves more than 60,000 people within their district; about half of that population lives in unincorporated areas, and almost two thirds of the residential population of Wicomico County.

While pay for first responders is lagging in Salisbury, Chief Frampton says, the department’s bustle is what makes it attractive the newcomers.

“Young first responders who really want to do the job, that’s our big calling card for them,” Chief Frampton said. “It’s the types of calls and the sheer number that gets them here to work. They can get a lot of experience really quickly.”

More Milestones

Meanwhile, SFD’s Salisbury Wicomico Integrated First Care Team, or SWIFT, is about to get a huge help.

Chief Frampton says SWIFT is anticipating a 24-hour response vehicle with a Buprenorphine protocol, thanks to federal opioid abatement funding.

Plus, Chief Frampton says SFD helped prevent more than $36 million in property damage in the first six months of 2024.

Additionally, 96 building plan reviews were completed, with 444 commercial occupancy inspections. Revenue in EMS and Fire Marshal billing are also increasing, Chief Frampton said.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, Chief Frampton says he plans to make regular updates with city leaders.

“We have a saying that we’re data-driven,” Chief Frampton said, “but we’re community focused. So, that data is what’s there, but it allows us to streamline our programs and responses to make sure that the community is getting the service they deserve.”