Several fire departments in Butler County report record calls in 2022
Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company answered the highest number of both fire and EMS calls ever in 2022. The company finished the year with 508 responses, while Slippery Rock EMS handled 1,457 calls, according to the fire chief.
Slippery Rock VFC was not the only fire company in Butler County that had a record-breaking number of calls in 2022. Fire departments in growing communities in the county also saw record calls, in part because of the mutual aid agreements that exist between many departments.
Chris Switala, chief of Butler Bureau of Fire, said the department responded to 3,567 calls — an increase from 2021. More than 72% of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical reasons, according to data collected by the bureau.
The number of calls was high, in part, because sometimes other departments needed equipment that the Butler bureau has, he said.
“We're assisting with some of the volunteer fire departments more,” Switala said. “Some of it is because we have the tower, and there are only a few aerial apparatuses in the county. That's just a couple calls here and there.”
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