January 30, 2018 - Mayor Tom Henry and Fire Chief Eric Lahey today highlighted Fort Wayne Fire Department successes in 2017 and discussed goals for 2018 that are designed to keep residents and businesses as safe as possible. 

Data and highlights from 2017:
*More than 20,000 calls for service (9,000 associated with EMS)
*Over 90,000 hours of training
*More than 7,000 inspections and re-inspections were completed. This was a 60 percent increase as a result of increased staffing in the FWFD’s code enforcement division.
*Over 600 smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors were installed in homes throughout Fort Wayne. The public outreach program will continue this year.
*The FWFD’s energy savings plan continued with the purchase of two hybrid vehicles
*The City of Fort Wayne’s ISO (Insurance Service Office) rating was enhanced to a 2 from the previous 3 rating


Plans for 2018:
*The FWFD’s 90th recruit class will begin in March with 21 recruits
*The FWFD will work toward having every fire engine in the City of Fort Wayne manned with advanced life-saving (ALS) personnel daily. Currently, six fire engines are ALS engines with either an advanced emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic. This is a result of a 2016 agreement between the FWFD and the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA) to allow for a firefighter paramedic or advanced EMT on every fire engine. This calls for advanced life support to be at an emergency scene through the FWFD to begin providing life-saving care upon arrival.
*Six fire stations will be converted to LED lighting. This will save the FWFD nearly 7 percent in annual electricity costs.
*The FWFD will purchase a special operations vehicle for the technical rescue team
*Two new ladder trucks will be in service at Station 1 on Main Street and Station 17 on Getz Road

“The Fort Wayne Fire Department provides excellent public safety services,” said Mayor Henry. “Their efforts are critical as we strive to be a safe and welcoming community. I appreciate their commitment and dedication to customer service, public outreach, education, and implementation of best practices.”

“The Fort Wayne Fire Department has made it its mission to save lives; we accomplish that mission through our emergency response, training of our firefighters, education of the public, ensuring buildings are safe, installing smoke detectors and by exercising responsible spending practices,” said Chief Lahey. “Today is our opportunity to highlight the comprehensive approach that we take in order to accomplish that goal.”