Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services has released its monthly report for December 2024, detailing the department’s activities, emergency responses, training efforts and fire prevention initiatives. In December 2024, Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services responded to a total of 440 incidents.
The breakdown of these incidents is as follows:
Structure fires: 5 (1.14%);
Vehicle fires: 8 (1.82%);
Brush/grass/rubbish fires: 4 (0.91%);
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Emergency medical responses: 300 (68.18%);
Vehicle accidents with injuries: 23 (5.23%);
Haz-mat emergencies: 0 (0%);
Alarm system sounded: 13 (2.95%);
False alarm responses: 2 (0.45%);
Other: 85 (19.32%).
The majority of the responses were emergency medical responses, accounting for over two-thirds of the total incidents. When compared to the previous month, November 2024, there were notable changes in the number of incidents:
Structure fires decreased significantly from 16 to 5, a reduction of 11 incidents;
Vehicle fires increased from 3 to 8, an increase of 5 incidents;
Brush/grass/rubbish fires saw a slight increase from 3 to 4;
Emergency medical responses increased from 292 to 300;
Vehicle accidents with Injuries remained constant at 23;
Alarm system sounded incidents increased from 11 to 13;
False alarm responses remained unchanged at 2;
Other incidents decreased from 99 to 85.
In December 2024, there were five structure fires, whereas in November 2024, there were 16 structure fires. Overall, the total number of incidents decreased slightly, from 449 in November to 440 in December, a reduction of 9 incidents. The department’s training division was highly active in December, with a total of 1,972 personnel hours dedicated to various training activities. Key training areas included:
Water supply: 9 hours;
May Day/thermal imaging: 67 hours;
Pump apparatus: 70 hours;
Fire ground operations: 33 hours;
Self-contained breathing apparatus: 42 hours;
Pre-incident: 60 hours;
Rescue: 64 hours;
Ladders: 111 hours;
EMS: 45 hours.
Additionally, the department conducted 1,327 personnel hours of monthly study time and 114 personnel hours of classroom training. Mental health training was also a priority, with 72 firefighters receiving 144 hours of training. The total individual training hours for the year reached 28,143.
The Fire Prevention Division conducted various inspections and reviews throughout the year, with December contributing significantly to the annual totals:
Daycare inspections: 2 (Total for 2024: 25);
Building changes (Use, Owner, Etc. ): 11 (Total for 2024: 85);
Code inspections: 8 (Total for 2024: 27);
Site plan reviews: 3 (Total for 2024: 35);
Building plan reviews: 3 (Total for 2024: 35);
Accidental fires: 1 (Total for 2024: 10);
Undetermined fires: 1 (Total for 2024: 33);
Arson fires: 3 (Total for 2024: 56);
Smoke alarms installed: 5 (Total for 2024: 87);
Home surveys: 1 (Total for 2024: 43);
Burning permits issued: 13 (Total for 2024: 216).
The division also investigated a total of 99 fires throughout the year, with 14 investigations conducted in December alone. The department engaged in several public education and life safety activities in December, including:
Pine Bluff Chapter of the Links (Pancakes with Santa) on Dec. 7, attended by 100 people;
Pinecrest Flea Market (Holiday Magic) on Dec. 7, attended by 50 people;
Pine Bluff High School (Fire Marshals Tour of Stations) on Dec. 11, attended by 20 students;
Pine Bluff Transitional Care (Christmas Drive-thru Parade) on Dec. 19, attended by 25 people;
City of Pine Bluff (Winter Wonderland) on Dec. 21, attended by 150 people.
The comprehensive Calls for Service Report for the years 2023 and 2024 was also released. This detailed report provided an in-depth look at the various types of incidents responded to by the department, highlighting trends, comparisons and significant data points.
The monthly breakdown of calls shows fluctuations throughout the year. In 2024, the highest number of calls was in October (508 calls), while the lowest was in April (401 calls). In 2023, the highest number of calls was in October (535 calls), and the lowest was in April (392 calls).
In 2024, Pine Bluff Fire Emergency Services responded to a total of 5,480 calls, a slight decrease from the 5,643 calls in 2023. This represents a reduction of 163 calls, or approximately 2.89%. The average number of calls per day in 2024 was 15.01, compared to 15.68 in 2023.
The report categorizes incidents into several types, including structure fires, vehicle fires, brush/grass/rubbish fires, EMS calls, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) with injuries, hazardous materials incidents, alarm soundings, false calls, and other miscellaneous incidents.
Structure fires saw a slight increase in 2024, with 12 more incidents than in 2023.The highest number of structure fires in 2024 occurred in October (17 incidents), while the lowest was in May and December (5 incidents each). Vehicle fires remained relatively stable, with only a minor decrease of one incident in 2024 compared to 2023. The highest number of vehicle fires in 2024 was in December (8 incidents).
There was a notable decrease in brush/grass/rubbish fires in 2024, with 30 fewer incidents than in 2023. The highest number of these fires in 2024 was in January (27 incidents).
EMS calls, which constitute the majority of the department’s responses, saw a slight increase in 2024, with 21 more incidents than in 2023. The highest number of EMS calls in 2024 was in May (323 incidents).
Motor vehicle accidents with injuries decreased by 22 incidents in 2024 compared to 2023. The highest number of these incidents in 2024 was in January (29 incidents).
Hazardous materials incidents were reported in 2024, with 14 incidents, whereas there were no such incidents in 2023. The highest number of these incidents in 2024 was in March (7 incidents).
Alarm soundings increased by 19 incidents in 2024 compared to 2023. The highest number of these incidents in 2024 was in July and August (20 incidents each).
False calls saw a significant decrease in 2024, with 222 fewer incidents than in 2023.
The highest number of false calls in 2024 was in January (47 incidents).
Other miscellaneous incidents increased by 62 in 2024 compared to 2023. The highest number of these incidents in 2024 was in October (123 incidents).