By 188Delaware
The Delaware Fire Department kept up a brisk pace in August, responding to 613 calls for service. That brings the department’s total for the year to 4,902 — a 0.84 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. On average, crews handled 20 calls per day, with the busiest day topping out at 30 calls.
Fire and EMS Response
Emergency medical services continued to make up the majority of calls, with 422 EMS responses last month. False alarms followed with 90 incidents, and firefighters handled 50 service calls. There were seven fire incidents, including two major ones on August 9: a mobile home fire on South Sandusky Street and a building fire on Fairway Road. Each caused more than $10,000 in damage. A third building fire occurred on Woodrow Avenue on August 25.
Fire losses for the month totaled $21,000, pushing the 2025 total to $850,814. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters.
Performance and Preparedness
Response times remained within national benchmarks. Crews arrived on-scene within six minutes 70.85% of the time, with an average response time of 5 minutes and 19 seconds. The department transported 289 patients in August and logged more than 1,200 hours of training.
A thunderstorm on August 13 added to the workload, triggering 11 calls for downed power lines in the city’s northeast neighborhoods.
Connecting with the Community
Firefighters also stayed visible in the community, taking part in Delaware’s First Friday event, Touch-a-Truck activities, and fire extinguisher training at Ohio Wesleyan University. A smoke detector installation on Simon Street was another example of how the department supports fire prevention.
From the Chief
“The numbers tell part of the story,” said Fire Chief Tim Pyle. “But what stands out is the dedication of our team, balancing emergency response, prevention, and community outreach.”
Read the full report here: Delaware Fire Department August 2025 Report (PDF)
