From Sunday December 18, 2022 through Saturday December 24, 2022, the Yuma Fire Department responded to 327 emergency calls for service:

                12    General Fire Responses
Including: 1 for a utility trailer on fire, 1 for a burning smell in a business, 1 for the smell of gas in a business, 1 for a smoking water heater, 1 for a fire in an apartment washing machine, 1 for a commercial dumpster fire, 1 for a stove top fire, and various alarms 

                  4    Mutual Aid
Including: 3 for assisting Rural Metro with medical emergencies in the County, and 1 to backfill a Somerton fire station while their personnel were fighting a fire 

                22     Motor Vehicle Crashes 
Including: 2 involving motorcycles, and 1 head-on crash

              265     Other Medical Emergencies (both serious and minor)
Including: 30 for difficulty breathing, 28 for chest pain/cardiac issues, 34 for fall related injuries, 11 for unconscious people, 6 seizure cases, 12 possible stroke cases, 2 for an intoxicated person, 1 for a drug overdose, 6 for psychiatric problems (3 threatening or attempting suicide), 5 for medical alarms, 21 for altered or decreased level of consciousness, 3 for fever, 4 for a diabetic emergency, 2 for dog bites, 7 for man down calls, 2 for uncontrolled bleeding, 2 for bad headaches, 1 for a gunshot wound, 5 for assaults, 1 for back pain, 8 for abdominal pain, 1 pregnancy related, 3 for a deceased person, 1 for drug withdrawals, 11 welfare checks, 1 for an overdose of insulin, 1 for a 4 year old with burns from a cup of hot noodles, 1 for a person with  a pill stuck in their throat, and other illnesses and injuries (Note: 2 of the week’s total responses was to the USBP holding facility)

               24     Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
Including: 2 for small brush fires, 1 for a heavy gas smell on 32nd St. at Ave. 3E, 1 for power lines down, 2 for people stuck in an elevator, and various alarms


The Yuma Fire Department has responded to over 18,000 emergency calls for service so far in 2022. Many of these calls were for preventable injuries. For 2023, make a “Resolution for Safety” and think about what you can do to make the coming year a safer one for you and your family.  Preventable injuries occur on the street, at home, and at work. 

Here are a few safety resolutions to consider for 2023:

-Be patient and allow extra time when driving, and plan your route to avoid congestion. This can help you avoid traffic crashes.

-Avoid leaving things cooking unattended on the stove. It’s the #1 cause of fires in the home!

-Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children, and never leave an unattended candle burning Candle with Care.

-Learn CPR and Basic First Aid. Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit, have and practice emergency plans in your home or at work. This can better prepare you should a personal, family, or community emergency or disaster occur.  

-Oh, and let’s not forget, firearms are not toys or noisemakers for celebrating the New Year. Using firearms to “ring” in the New Year is not only a serious crime (Felony), it is also dangerous.

-AND, fireworks that explode (firecrackers), leave the ground (bottle rockets, mortars, etc.), or send flaming material into the air (roman candles) are all illegal. Fireworks are also not legal on sidewalks, streets, or in parks and can only be used on private property. 

-If you do decide to use fireworks, make them the legal kind, and be sure to soak down the remains before throwing them away. Post fireworks trash can fires are not uncommon and several have ignited house fires.

Please don’t start 2023 off with a fire, a criminal charge or an emergency room visit! Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

For more information about fire and injury prevention classes we offer, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855, you can also “Follow” us at www.twitter.com/YumaFireDept or on Instagram @YumaFireDepartment