While shootings and gun-related homicides increased in Jamestown in 2024, calls for service for both the city police and fire departments decreased.

City police officers responded to 10.7% fewer calls in 2024 than they did in 2023, with call volume decreasing from 41,412 to 37,394. On average, daily calls dropped from 113 in 2023 to 102 in 2024. In 2024, the Jamestown Fire

Department (JFD) responded to 7,786 calls for service, averaging 21 calls per day. It’s a 3.1% decrease from 8,038 calls in 2023 and a 6.3% drop from 8,313 in 2022.

“These trends also reflect the broader shift towards prevention and early intervention, where both JFD and JPD can address issues before they escalate, contributing to a safer and more resilient community,” said Mayor Kim Ecklund in her State of the City report. “Despite perceptions, the overall decrease in call volume demonstrates the effectiveness of proactive measures and operational adjustments that are helping the departments respond more efficiently to incidents when they do arise.”

At the same time ambulance transports by city firefighters decreased 26.1% from 2023 to 2024. The city’s ambulance was used 1,058 times in 2023 and only 782 times in 2024. One factor in the city’s 2024 budget shortfall was an overly optimistic projection of ambulance revenue from the city’s second ambulance. Former mayor Eddie Sundquist and his financial team projected a full year of ambulance revenue in the 2024 budget, but the second ambulance didn’t come online until closer to the end of the year.

Future increased projections of ambulance revenue may not be realistic if the 2024 ambulance use trend doesn’t materialize. Ambulance transports are on a three-year decline from a 10-year high of 1.298 in 2022 to 782 in 2024.

ALSTAR Ambulance, the city’s primary ambulance provider, reached a four-year low for out-of-service calls in 2024 at 2,451. It was the fewest out-of-service volume for ALSTAR 2020’s 2,351 out-of-service calls. It’s worth noting that the number of out-of-service calls for ALSTAR is still more than double the 2014 number of 1,119.

“Calls for service in both departments have declined, indicating that while it may feel like response demands are increasing, the actual volume of incidents has decreased,” Ecklund said. “This suggests enhanced efficiency, proactive strategies, and evolving service needs allowing both emergency services and law enforcement to better allocate resources, reduce the strain on their systems, and maintain a strong focus on community safety. This suggests enhanced efficiency, proactive strategies, and evolving service needs allowing both emergency services and law enforcement to better allocate resources, reduce the strain on their systems, and maintain a strong focus on community safety.”