Jefferson County’s population is growing — but demand for emergency services hasn’t followed suit.
Preliminary data provided to The Monitor by the county’s Department of Emergency Services (DES) shows that overall calls for emergency services — including those to fire departments, ambulance transport and the Sheriff’s Office — have stayed about the same in the last five years.
Last year, according to the DES statistics, dispatchers handled 12,097 total calls for service, up slightly from 11,954 in 2023. Emergency service calls totaled 13,065 in 2022, the highest recent total, and 10,967 in 2019, when the county installed its current call reporting system.
But the pattern of calls in each category have varied widely, according to DES Coordinator Doug Dodge.
The number of ambulance calls requiring Advanced Life Support treatments rose to 283 last year, up from 234 such calls in 2023 and 199 in 2019. Ambulance calls that required less intensive Basic Life Support from EMTs totalled 584, down from 622 in 2023 but up sharply from earlier years. Both year’s totals were significantly higher than the six year average.
Denise Bausch, service manager at Jefferson Valley EMS & Rescue, said that population growth, particularly among the elderly, could be a factor in the higher number of ambulance calls. Bausch also suggested that the community’s trust in ambulance services may be stronger. “Residents may feel increasingly confident in calling 911, knowing that services like JVEMS are reliable and ready to respond,” Bausch told The Monitor in an email.
Wildfire incidents have declined sharply in the last three years from their peak in 2021, when the Haystack fire consumed over 24,000 acres near Boulder. There were 59 wildfire calls last year, and just 26 in 2023. “It’s only a supposition, but I believe the lower numbers are reflective of weather conditions and resultant fuel conditions,” Dodge said. “Regardless, we’ve had it pretty easy the last couple of years, so I’m nervous with our lower precipitation numbers so far this winter,” he added.
Likewise, fire calls involving structures have declined in the last three years, hitting just 20 in 2023 and 24 last year from an average of 50 in the preceding three years. But calls about other fire-related incidents, including downed wires, electrical hazards, explosions, fire alarms, snoke reports and gas leaks, have increased sharply, peaking at 295 last year from 261 in 2023 and 133 in 2019.
owned Wires, Electrical Hazards, Explosions, Fire Alarms, Fire Restriction Violations, Fireworks, The county also experienced a noteworthy drop in the number of motor vehicle accidents last year. Dispatchers recorded 555 vehicle-related incidents, including those involving injuries and those without. That number was 101 fewer than had been recorded in 2023 and was well below the 6-year average of 615 incidents.
End-of-year statistics from the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) indicate a drop in vehicle fatalities statewide in 2024 compared to prior years. MDT reported 193 fatal vehicle incidents in the state, seven fewer than the previous year and 9% lower than the 5-year average.
