Fire calls below average

The Libby Volunteer Fire Department has experienced a slow start to the year, but the lower number of calls hasn’t stopped the department from keeping up on its training regimen, Chief Tom Wood said.

The department had a total of four calls during the months of January and February, two of which were for extrication assistance at a traffic incident and one was a false alarm. During the past 15 years, the department has averaged more than nine calls per month, with January and February usually being high-call volume months, Wood said.

“January, February and March are typically busy months for us,” he said. “We get a lot of calls related to wood stoves and similar fires. This year has been odd, we just haven’t had that many calls.”

Wood said there are a number of factors that contribute to fewer fire calls, but the biggest contributors are the community’s fire prevention measures and the use of newer, better wood-burning stoves by an ever-increasing number of people.

Members of the Libby Volunteer Fire Department have engaged in a rigorous fire prevention program, Wood said. Firefighters teach safety and prevention measures in local schools and in private residences, focusing specific attention on more vulnerable populations in the community. Additionally, the department does not leave a scene until they’ve verified smoke detectors are installed and are functioning properly. The deparment will install smoke detectors free of charge in homes where they aren’t already present.

Wood said that even though calls are down this year, the members of the department aren’t bored. A rigorous training schedule keeps the volunteer firefighters sharp and ready to go.

“The fire count is down and that is a good thing, but the firefighters have to stay on top of things as you never know when the pagers will start going off again,” he said. “So to be sure we are in good shape to handle calls we continue to do our training. We train every Thursday night from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. and then also have several weekend trainings at home and at various locations in Montana and across the country. With fires, like anything else, it seems they come in streaks, so just because it has been a slower winter, you never know, this spring and summer may set record breaking numbers. I also like to think that our fire prevention efforts are paying off (as to the lower number of calls). We have a very active Fire Prevention Team that is busy all year long, not just during Fire Prevention Week. I hope the Libby community will continue to have low numbers of fire calls, but if not, we are here and ready to serve.”