Agenda - Council - 03/27/2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PUBLIC SAFETY Fire: Ramsey's Fire Department is a "paid on call" department. That means its 30 members respond on an on-call basis. The on-call designation can be misleading. Each member of the department passes standard fire fighting classes and becomes certified as medical first responders, and in some cases Emergency Medical Technicians (I~MTs). Training is also received in specialized areas such as hazardous materials handling (HAZMAT) and water rescue. In addition to hours spent in training, fire fighters dedicate considerable time to drills and meetings in addition to responding to calls. As a result, Ramsey receives highly professional service without the expense of supporting a full-time Fire Department. The number of calls typically increases each year as illustrated in the chart below. Year Number of Calls 2000 372 1999 362 1998 351 1997 356 1996 296 Of calls responded to in 2000, 97 were rescue (medical) calls and 275 were fire incidents. In recognition of the increasing population, demand for service and the geographic size of the City, the City of Ramsey has constructed a second fire station at 15050 Armstrong Boulevard. A plan to re- evaluate Ramsey's insurance rating may happen in 2001 with a goal of reducing insurance premiums of both residential and industrial structures. Police: The Police Department spent its fourth year in its building, located directly behind City Hall. The department structure changed slightly during 2000. One long-time officer was promoted to sergeant. The sergeant's assignment, in addition to regular patrol duties, is to oversee the cadre of Public Safety Aid volunteers and their activities. The department's ten member Volunteer Public Safety Aide Unit was trained at the Anoka County Reserve Officer Academy during the past two years. These volunteers are primarily being utilized to assist in organizing the Neighborhood Watch program, assisting with youth activities at the elementary school, and other service functions that do not require a licensed peace officer to perform. Dm'ing 2000, the Public Safety Aides also assisted in promoting citizen participation in National Night Out activities in Ramsey. Twenty-four neighborhood gatherings were held throughout the city where issues of crime and general well being were discussed among neighbors, the mayor, and council members who attended. An investigative position that had been filled on a yearly rotation basis was made a longer-term assignment. The number of sworn officers increased to 17 (that number includes the chief and three sergeants). Two full-time and one part-time support personnel assist them. The Police Department responded to 9,107 incidents in 2000. This compares to 8,701 in 1999. Incidents for the past two years fall into the following categories: