EMFD Responds to 1,658 Calls in 2024, a 7.45% Increase over Prior Year

According to the Board of Fire Commissioners, the East Meadow Volunteer Fire Department answered 1,658 calls for assistance in 2024, a significant 7.45% increase over 2023, when the department responded to 1,543 calls for assistance. This increase in calls underscores the growing demand for emergency services and the need for more community members to join the fire department in this crucial mission.

In 2024, the department dispatched 825 fire calls, including structure fires, car fires, rubbish and brush fires, and automatic fire alarms (alarms triggered by smoke or heat), representing 9.56% more dispatches than in 2023. Rescue calls (emergency medical services) were up 4.28% during the same period: 705 calls in 2024 versus 676 in 2023. Motor vehicle accidents went from 114 in 2023 to 128 in 2024, or a 12.28% increase.

“The men and women volunteers of the EMFD respond to calls around the clock, and we are fortunate to have a dedicated corps of community-minded citizens willing to step up and respond to various emergencies,” stated Commissioner William J. Neill. “While we are doing more emergency runs with the same number of staff, the upward trend of increased calls for assistance is cause for us to renew our appeal for additional volunteers.”

Commissioner Keith J. Hoffman noted that a 2023 agreement with Northwell Health Center for Emergency Medical Services for additional ambulance and emergency medical services to back up the fire department has helped ease the strain on one of the fire department’s busiest companies. However, Commissioner Hoffman emphasized that the need for EMS volunteers is ongoing, and their contribution is crucial to its operations.

The East Meadow Fire Department, which covers East Meadow and parts of Levittown and Westbury (Salisbury), is always looking for new members to join their ranks as firefighters or emergency medical personnel; no experience is necessary. The fire department provides the training required. There are numerous benefits associated with volunteering, including tax breaks, college scholarships, annual health checkups, life insurance, and a service award pension program, all at no cost. For more information on volunteering with the East Meadow Fire Department, visit www.eastmeadowfd.com, or call 516-542-4565.