Area Wide News: Local News: Fire department releases call numbers (02/10/08)

According to Salem Fire Chief Heath Everett, in 2007 the Salem Fire Department responded to a total of 99 calls.

Of those calls, 40 were in the city limits, with 59 being outside the city limits. The department also performed a total of five auto extractions, up from three in 2006.

Everett said motor vehicle accidents were up from 15 in 2006 to 25 in 2007.

Haz-Mat calls were down from 5 in 2006 to only one in 2007, which turned out to be a minor fuel leak half-way between Salem and Viola, Everett said.

Call breakdown for 2007:

Structure fires -- 8, motor vehicle accidents -- 25, emergency medical calls -- 31, grass fires -- 18, Haz-Mat -- 1, other fires -- 8, assistance -- 2, car fires -- 3, false alarms -- 1, search and rescue -- 2, storm assistance - 0.

Breakdown by month:

January -- 10, February -- 12, March -- 17, April -- 7, May -- 3, June -- 4, July -- 6, August -- 5, September -- 6, October -- 10, November -- 10, December -- 9.

According to Everett, there was one total loss fire in the city limits involving the Hancock house on High School Drive. No firemen were injured during the course of 2007.