July proved to be a busy month for the Evart Area Fire Department, as they responded to a record number of calls, without seeing a major weather event. In total, there were 70 calls for service, with crews responding to incidents such as structure fires, medical emergencies, wildland fires, crashes and a search for a missing child.
Evart Area Fire Chief Shane Helmer said August is also shaping up to be busy with 16 calls as of Tuesday, Aug. 5. He said medical calls led the way, though, in July. “A lot of more medicals than what we’re used to, but otherwise, we had a little bit more structure fires than we’ve had in the past couple months,” he said.
U.S. Census data shows populations in the city of Evart and the four townships the fire department covers have been inching higher in recent years. Helmer, who has been with the department for 34 years, said he’s unsure whether that’s a contributing factor, but noted calls have been steadily increasing. “We’re up in the 600s and 700s for calls (this year),” he said. “Before, we were in the 300s and 400s, so we’ve really increased over probably the past 10 years or so.”
Helmer also said U.S. 10 is getting busier, and that could also be a contributing factor to the increase in calls. Helmer said with the increased volume, Evart Area Fire prepares, so it is always ready to respond. “We make sure we have volunteers,” he said. “We’re fully staffed right now with members, so we have a couple people on the waiting list yet. But, you know, at the same time, we still struggle at times when we’re low on numbers, just like everybody else in the state and the area.”
The department’s station is also manned eight hours a day, making responses quicker. Helmer said that should give assurances to the community that they can rely on Evart Area Fire Department. “It shows them that we have the team to do it and the team responds as we need to,” he said.
Helmer thanked the community for their continued support, including passing the department’s millage, which allowed the daytime staffing. He also gave some advice to residents to stay safe. “If the DNR says not to burn, don’t burn,” he said. One of the fires the department responded to in July was a wildland fire in dry conditions. “The other thing is, just make sure that everything’s taken care of and things that are not supposed to be plugged in, aren’t plugged in and that type of stuff,” Helmer said.
Beyond emergency responses, Evart Area Fire also highlighted the opportunities they have to engage with the community. That included their participation in the 4th of July Parade, standing by during the fireworks show and the Fairgrounds Party and hosting Water Fun at the party, cooling off kids and families with water from their fire hoses.
Training was also on the agenda, as firefighters familiarized themselves with the department’s new ATVs, preparing for off-road and wildland rescues. “A huge thank you to our firefighters for their hard work,” the department said in a Facebook post. “We are proud to serve Evart and will always be ready when called.”
