GODFREY - The Godfrey Fire Protection District responded to 1,971 calls in 2016, with 1,573 of them being for rescue and emergency services. 

According to the report, falls have become an increasing problem in the community, with 357 calls for falls. The report says the "best case scenario" in such calls is a "lift assist." The report states many seniors in Godfrey call the Godfrey Fire Protection District, because they simply have no one else to call. The worst case scenario, according to the report, is a fall results in either a life-changing or life-ending injury. 

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"This is, by far, the most common type of call we now respond to," the report said. "In 2016, over 18 percent of all calls were fall related." 

The majority of the calls to the Godfrey Fire Protection District were handled by Station 1, located at 6011 Godfrey Rd, which handled 1,350 of the calls in 2016. Station 2, located at 1712 West Delmar, handled 602. 

Of the 398 calls to the Godfrey Fire Protection District not related to rescue and emergency management, 118 were related to service calls, which include lift assists, assisting other agencies and person in distress, 111 were false alarms, 61 were good intent calls, which include smoke scares as well as cancelled-in-route calls, 56 were calls for fires and 53 were related to hazardous conditions, such as gas leaks, power lines down and carbon monoxide calls. 

The Godfrey Fire Protection District also broke down the calls based on "actions taken" in its annual report. In 51.3 percent of the calls, firefighters provide emergency medical services. The next highest action was "no treatment, ambulance on the scene," which composed 16.58 percent of 2016 calls. Investigation composed 10.14 percent of calls, and 8.56 percent of calls were to assist the physically disabled. 

While fire control, extinguishing and salvaging only made up 2.22 percent of all calls in 2016, the report lists three major fires, which occurred in Godfrey in 2016. On March 18, 2016 a fire at 9435 Godfrey Road caused a $150,000 loss. On June 11, 2016, a fire at 4701 Brecht Lane caused a $135,000 loss, and on May 6, 2016, a fire at 3704 Riehl Lane caused a $75,000 loss. 

"Fire protection is a core service we provide and the reason for our creation in 1946," the report states. "Today, we are an all-hazards organization, but fire protection and suppression is still at the heart of who we are and what we do. In March of 2016, the Insurance Services Office improved Godfrey's public protection classification or ISO rating to a 3/3x from a 4/9. This rating places the Godfrey Fire Protection District in the top 10 percent of fire departments nationwide. The improved rating is the result of a variety of initiatives within the district and with community and government partners." 

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Emergency medical services were also improved in 2016, according to the report. The Godfrey Fire Protection District added two Zoll E Series cardiac monitors, which allow paramedics to obtain a 12 lead EKG of the heart, and then transmit that data to the receiving hospital. 

Another Zoll product the Godfrey Fire Protection District added was four Zoll ResQCPR systems, making them the first in the state to do so. According to the report, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that system is the first and only CPR device indicated to improve the likelihood of survival in adults who have experienced non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrest. 

In October 2016, the fire protection district launched the Advanced Life Support Service, which allows firefighters and paramedics to administer the same interventions ambulance providers have. 

"This is critical to patient outcomes because the Godfrey Fire Protection District arrives before the ambulance providers almost 95 percent of the time," the report reads. 

More than 75 percent of the cost for these new life-saving devices came from grants and donations from the Illinois Public Risk Fund, Illinois Department of Public Health, Phillips 66 Wood River, Casey's General Store, Freer Auto Body, Alton Memorial Hospital and memorial donations made in memory of Kyle Steiner. 

Another initiative to serve the people of Godfrey in 2016 was a renewed focus on the department's core service of "emergency management." In 2015, through a cooperative partnership with the Village of Godfrey, a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan for Godfrey was adopted. Godfrey Fire Protection District Chief Erik Kambarian also serves as the village's Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Director. 

Because of their efforts, Godfrey was awarded the "Ready to Respond" designation by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency - being only the second municipality in Illinois to receive that designation, due to "rigorous criteria." 

The Godfrey Fire Protection District also helps the community through another of its core services - public education. According to the report, firefighters were able to reach more than 2,000 children and 800 adults through school visits, community events, station visits, CPR classes, CPR community events, car seat installations and smoke detector installations. 

Due to an "increasingly tight operating budget," the Godfrey Fire Protection District worked "aggressively" to pursue grant funding in 2016. The following is a list of grants and donations received: 

  • $700 from Illinois American Water Company for a fire attack hose
  • $12,762 from Illinois Public Risk Fund for a cardiac monitor, personal protective equipment, radios, scene lightning and a fire demonstration kit
  • $24,750 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant for a breathing air compressor and rescue struts. 
  • $1,485 from the Illinois Department of Public Health for advanced life support equipment and supplies.
  • $500 from Phillips 66 Wood River for medical equipment
  • $500 from Casey's General Store for medical equipment. 
  • $242.75 from Reliance Bank for public education materials 
  • $100 from QuikTrip for medical equipment 
  • Donation from Joseph Springman for a ResQCPR System
  • Donation from the Woodman Family for a ResQCPR System
  • Donation from Freer Auto Body for medical equipment
  • Donation from Alton Wood River Sportsmens Club for fire hose
  • General donation from Evangelical School 
  • General donation from Allan Evans
  • Donations received in memory of Robert Schudel
  • Donations received in memory of Kyle Steiner
  • Inoperable vehicle donations and other general donations

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